Plantations loblolly pine plantation

North central Florida, loblolly pine plantation ... 

Clearcut postharvest residue volumes were compared to thinning harvest residue volumes for UK upland spruce plantations with 44.7 ODMT/ha )deld volume for clearcut and 18.0 ODMT/ha yield volume for thinned stands [1]. Watson et al. [3] quantified the energy-wood biomass available on two 22-year-old slash pine plantations and a 45-year-old natural stand of mixed slash and loblolly pine in Alabama. All stands were being clearcut for pulpwood. Two harvesting methods were applied, a one-pass system and a two-pass system. Mean residue harvest volume for the two plantation pine stands was 75.4 green metric tons per hectare (GMT/ha) for the natural mature stand the mean harvest volume was 61.5 GMT/ha. 

Hardwoods have been preferred for intensive plantation management because of their sprouting capability and the fast growth of these sprouts for the first 10-20 years, as compared to conifers.There are exceptions, however, where conifers may be more desirable. Williford et al. (2Q) reported loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) to be superior in biomass production on many sites in the south. Studies by the U.S. Forest Service at Rhinelander, Wisconsin, indicate conifers may have advantages under certain site conditions ( ). For example, jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) is well adapted to the North, has few serious insect and disease problems, and is less demanding of nutrients and moisture than many hardwoods. 

Fast-growing hardwoods are generally suggested because of their coppicing properties, which eliminate the need for reestablishment of the plantation after each harvest. Due to the climate and soil conditions, pines may be better crop candidates in some situations, as shown for instance in Southern Georgia where loblolly pines displayed higher productivity than sycamore for rotations of about 6 years or more (16). 

Karl, T, Harley, P., Guenther, A. et al. (2005) The bi-directional exchange of oxygenated VOCs between a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation and the atmosphere. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 5,3015. 

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