REFORESTATION

1. REFORESTATION

2. Regeneration • Establishing or re-establishing the forest through natural or artificial means

3. Natural RegenerationAdvantages • Low cost • Less labor and equipment required • No problem with local seed origin • Good early root development • Less visual impact compared to clear-cut • Less soil erosion

4. Natural RegenerationDisadvantages • Less control of spacing and stocking • Generally lower yields • No genetic improvement • No disease resistant stock • Possible lag in regeneration due to drought or inadequate seed fall • May need pre-commercial thinning to obtain good growth

5. Natural Regeneration Methods • Seed tree • Shelterwood • All age management

6. Seed Tree Method • Most popular method used for natural regeneration • Dependant on size and seed producing capacity of trees • Leave between 6 to 12 trees per acre evenly distributed over the area • Disadvantage-getting a logger to come back for a small number of trees

7. Shelterwood Method • Leave 25-60 trees per acre • Provides good source of seed & shelter to encourage natural regeneration • Disadvantage-reduces harvest volume & income • Chemical control of understory vegetation necessary

8. All Age Management • Seldom used for pines, primarily used for hardwoods • Selecting small groups of trees to cut leaving holes in stand • Disadvantage-hard to get loggers to do for pines • Chemical control of understory is necessary

9. Artificial Regeneration Methods • Planting seedlings • Direct seeding

10. Artificial RegenerationAdvantages • Control spacing and stocking • Use of genetically improved seedlings • Disease resistant seedlings • Allows for change in species

11. Artificial RegenerationDisadvantages • Increased cost due to intensive site preparation • Increased cost for seedlings • Labor intensive

12. Site and Species Selection • Determined by geographic region • Determined by soil type • Determined by product goals of the producer

13. Geographic Regions of Georgia • Mountains • Piedmont • Coastal Plain • Bleckley county is in the lower piedmont and upper coastal plain

14. Soil Types • Poorly drained-wet low areas • Moderately drained-adequate moisture levels • Dry-coarse sandy soils with little moisture holding capacity

15. Species Selection

16. Species Grown in Bleckley County • Loblolly Pine • Longleaf Pine • Slash Pine • Loblolly is the most widely planted pine species in the state.

17. Other Species in Bleckley County • Virginia Pine • Eastern White Pine • Spruce Pine • Shortleaf Pine

18. Popular Pine Species In Georgia • Loblolly Pine • Slash Pine • Shortleaf Pine • Longleaf Pine

19. Harvest Products • Posts • Pulpwood • Whole Tree Chips • Chip-n-saw • Sawtimber • Poles

20. Terms • Site-a term commonly used by foresters to classify specific forest land • Site Quality-indicates the productive capacity of a specific area of forest land for a particular species

21. Site Index • A method of determining forest site quality based on the average total height attained by dominant trees at certain ages

22. Planning to Plant Two main things to consider: 1. How many acres are you going to plant? 2. What species will you use?

23. Most pine plantations are established with 600-700 seedlings per acre. • Federal assistance programs require at least 600 well planted seedlings per acre.

24. Spacing Factors to Consider • Species • Government cost share programs • Soil type • Machine or hand plant • Owner objective • Labor supply • Seedling source • Cost

25. Calculating Trees Per Acre To determine, multiply your spacing in feet and divide the product into the number of square feet in an acre. Example: 6 x 12 = 72 43,560 square feet divided by 72 = 605 seedlings/acre

26. Allowances To be on the safe side to make sure you have enough seedlings, add 10% allowance for cull seedlings that are too large or small. With the 10% added, round up to the nearest 1000 seedlings.

27. Planting Season In Georgia, the season runs from the early November to the middle of March with the optimum planting period being from December to mid-February.

28. Hardening-Off Seedlings should be hardened-off prior to planting, this is the process where the seedlings become acclimated to colder temperatures by reaching a stage of dormancy where active growth is temporarily suspended.

29. Seedling Evaluation • Seedlings should be inspected at time of pick up and during planting to determine their overall condition.

30. Indicators of Seedling Deterioration • Sour smell-fermentation • Yellow needles • Trees warm to touch

31. Indicators of Dead Seedlings • Bark, especially roots, slips off easily • Cambium layer has turned brown • Trees hot to touch • Mold developing

32. Transportation of Seedlings • Covered with a light colored tarp • Do not transport seedlings in truck beds containing fertilizer, chemical or fuel residues. • Do not stack over 2 bags/bales deep unless spacers are used to provide air circulation • Spacers should provide 2-4” of air space

33. At least 12” of space between the top bag/bale and the tarp • Do not park in direct sunlight • Unload seedlings immediately upon arrival at destination • Inspect and repair torn bag/bales immediately

34. Planting Temperatures • Best range for planting is 33-75 degrees • Marginal range is 76-85 degrees • Critical range is 32 degrees or less and above 85 • DO NOT PLANT IF TEMPS ARE IN CRITICAL RANGE!

35. Seedling Storage Moss Packaged seedlings -Can be stored for up to 2 weeks -Must be watered every day or two to keep seedlings in good condition

36. Seedling Storage Clay dipped seedlings -Can be stored in cool, well ventilated place for 3 weeks -Should not be watered -Should not be exposed to hot sun -Seem to be able to stand drought periods better than other seedlings

37. Seedling Storage Packaged in sealed bags -May be kept up to 2 weeks if stored in shade and protected from sun, rain & cold

38. Procedures to Maintain Seedling Quality • Protect from direct sun, high or freezing temps • Provide cool, shaded conditions when transporting • Avoid exposing to wind to prevent drying out • Do not stack without providing ventilation

39. At temps of 40-50 degrees for several days seedling vigor is reduced • Let frozen seedlings completely thaw before planting; Longleaf seedlings are likely to be killed if frozen • Carry only as many seedlings to the field as you can plant in one day

40. Relative Humidity • Best for planting is 50% or above • Marginal is between 30-50% • When below 30%, planting should not be done

41. Cold Storage • Refrigerated coolers used for seedling storage should be kept between 33-38 degrees

42. Wind • Best for planting is less than 10 mph • Marginal is between 10-15 mph • If wind speed is above 15 mph it is not recommended to plant

43. Field Capacity • The amount of water a soil can hold. • 75% field capacity is the best • 50-75% is marginal • Less than 50% is critical and you should not plant.

44. Methods of Transplanting • Hand planting-using a dibble or hoedad to plant seedlings • Mechanical planting-using a tractor and planter to plant seedlings

45. Hand Planting • A good crew can average 1000 seedlings per man day. • Dibble bars should be at least 4” wide and 8-10” long • Seedlings should be carried in bags or buckets and kept moist • DO NOT CARRY SEEDLINGS IN HAND WHILE PLANTING

46. Machine Planting • Under normal conditions a machine planting crew can plant from 8000 to 10,000 seedlings per day • Drawbar hook-up should be no more than 14” from ground line • Travel speed should be no faster than 2-2 ½ mph

47. Planting Depth • Bare root seedlings should be planted with the root collar 1-3” below the soil line • Containerized seedlings should be planted with 1-1 ½” of the plug exposed above the soil surface

48. Site Preparation The two most important factors influencing seedling survival are: 1-Soil type 2-Amount & type of natural vegetation present

49. Old Fields • Subsoiling can be beneficial in old fields with hard pans • It is recommended that subsoiling be done 60-90 days prior to planting

50. Heavy Sod & Weeds • Two types of site prep for these are recommended • Scalping-just shallow enough to remove vegetation and main mass of roots • Chemical applications-3-5’ band over each intended row to kill existing vegetation