Restoring the longleaf pine ecosystem: The role of container seedling technology
This article is part of a larger document. View the larger document here.Abstract
Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystems once occupied 90 million acres in the southern United States’ coastal plain. Restoration of longleaf pine ecosystems has been difficult because reestablishment of the species by either natural or artificial means has been problematic. The application of container seedling technology to longleaf pine markedly improves reforestation success. It allows nursery managers and silviculturists to more effectively deal with the inherent seed and seedling characteristics that make longleaf establishment so difficult. Improved seed collecting and processing and seedling cultural techniques have resulted in planting stock that can be successfully established in the field. As a result, a 10-fold increase in longleaf pine seedling production has occurred in the last few years to meet restoration needs across the South.
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