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Berry College Longleaf Pine Project: Progress over the First Three Years

Berry College Longleaf Pine Project: Progress over the First Three Years. Martin L. Cipollini, Ph.D. Early project development. 1995 Roger Birkhead’s preliminary dendrochronology work (trees > 200 years old) 1999 Plant Ecology class (initiated demographic study)

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Berry College Longleaf Pine Project: Progress over the First Three Years

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  1. Berry College Longleaf Pine Project: Progress over the First Three Years Martin L. Cipollini, Ph.D.

  2. Early project development • 1995 Roger Birkhead’s preliminary dendrochronology work (trees > 200 years old) • 1999 Plant Ecology class (initiated demographic study) • 2001 SAVE club (response to SPB logging) • 2002 management plan accepted by Berry College administration

  3. Why develop a management plan? • Burning restricted on mountain due partly to concerns over erosion. • Hardwood encroachment, high fuel buildup, and virtually no herbaceous community. • Little longleaf recruitment since 1920s and 1930s; population was in decline. • Mountain never plowed, so possible remnant mountain longleaf plant community exists • Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) and wildfires are problems. • Historical accounts suggest widespread longleaf community.

  4. Management plan components • Planting containerized seedlings in SPB cuts • Slowly restoring burning regime on 3-5 year frequency • Controlling hardwoods via removal and herbiciding • Establishing a local seed source via cone collection and a grafted seed orchard • Research, education, and outreach

  5. Berry College Longleaf Management Area

  6. Internal and External Support • Forestry and Land Resources • Student Work program • Volunteer Services • Berry Longleaf Network • Interagency Burn Team

  7. Management: Planting • 2001 SPB cut: 18 acres • 2003 SPB cuts: 50+ acres • 2004 Core management area: 2 acres • 2005 Selective-cut: 10 acres • 2006-7 SPB cuts: replant 60 acres

  8. Management: Burning • Interagency Burn Team (GFC, USFWS, USFS, GA-DNR, TNC) • April 2003 – 8 acre fuel reduction burn. • April 2004 – 80 acre fuel reduction burn. Killed some adult longleaf, necessitating a salvage/restoration cut in October 2005. • Jan 2006 – 20-30 acre fuel reduction/site preparation burn in SAVE 2001 planting area (just completed)

  9. Management: Student Burn Team • Training ramped up to meet USFS guidelines. • S130/S190 Fire Behavior and Safety • Pack tests • Southern Company grant will provide equipment

  10. “Berry Longleaf Team” in action, Jan. 27, 2006 Carolyn Kujala Lynde Mann George Frye Taryn McDonald Angela Lottes

  11. Management: Herbiciding • Wide-space hack and squirt for hardwood control in core management area: Arsenal AC™ • Directed spray for hardwood and blackberry control in SPB cuts: Garlon 3A™ • Cut-stump in logged areas: Garlon 4™

  12. Management: Seedlings • Cones collected in October 2003 and 2004. • 250 seedlings grown in 2004 • 2000 seedlings grown in 2005 • Plans for 3000-4000 per year

  13. Management: Grafted seed orchard • NC Piedmont rootstock planted spring 2003 (courtesy Kirk Hinson, Southern Seed Company) • Grafting trials initiated winter 2005 (with help from John Hendrickson, Temple-Inland) • About 85% of field grafts successful

  14. Southern Company-NFWF Longleaf Legacy Grant • Supports re-planting in 60 acres to bring densities of “rocket” stages to 200 per acre. • Establishes a 220 acre carbon reserve. • Establishes procedures for estimating carbon stocks.

  15. Student Research • Plant/Forest Ecology classes: 1999 - present. Population and community dynamics. • Student workers 2002 - present: fuel load analysis • Bennett 2003-5: Effects of restoration burning on fine root regeneration and soil nutrient dynamics • Gaskell* and Worrell 2004: Use of herbicides and prescribed burning for hardwood control • Knight and Worrell 2004: Dendrochronology of relict longleaf pines. • Huber*, Worrell, and Rogers 2005: Estimating total carbon reserves. • Currie*, Kush, Varner, Worrell, and Rogers 2005: Herbaceous plant surveys. * supported by Berry NSF-REU Program

  16. Public Education and Outreach • Communications majors: Public relations plan and public-friendly website. • Numerous volunteer/learning experiences for grade- and secondary-school students, and for Berry College students.

  17. Acknowledgements • Dr. Scott Colley (President of Berry College) • Dr. D. Bruce Conn (Dean of MNS and Chair of ELM Committee) • Dean Wilson and Frank George (Forestry and Land Resources) • Jake Dirnberger, George Frye, Carolyn Kujala, Angela Lottes, Lynde Mann, Taryn McDonald, Larry Rogers, Chris Worrell (Berry Longleaf Team) • George Gallagher (Animal Science) • Andrea Jones (Horticultural Services) • Members of the Berry Longleaf Network • Members of the Interagency Burn Team • Berry Volunteer Services and Freshman Service Day Program • Physical Plant, Historic Berry, and Campus Security Departments • National Science Foundation • Southern Company-National Fish & Wildlife Foundation • Kathy Wilson and Nina Wheeler (MNS Secretaries) • Eddie Elsberry (Science Building Manager) • Donna Davin (Research and Sponsored Programs) • Volunteers too numerous to mention individually: Thanks!

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