Hurricane Katrina Winds Damaged Longleaf Pine Less than Loblolly Pine

• DOI: 10.1093/sjaf/33.4.178
• Publication Date: 2019-08-22T17:52:43Z
• Authors: Kurt H. Johnsen; John R. Butnor; John S. Kush; Ron C. Schmidtling; C. Dana Nelson
• Keywords: Loblolly pine; Slash Pine; Basal area; Slash (logging); Hurricane katrina; Thinning

Abstract Some evidence suggests that longleaf pine might be more tolerant of high winds than either slash (Pinus elliotii Englem.) or loblolly taeda L.). We studied wind damage to these three species in a common garden experiment southeast Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina, very large, Category 3 hurricane directly affected the stand August 2005. The experiment, factorial arrangement silvicultural treatments established 1960, included 120 plots 100 trees each, covering about 22 ha. Following hurricane, dbh was measured on all trees, and each tree rated with respect mortality from damage. Longleaf suffered less (7%) other two (slash pine, 14%; 26%), although differences were statistically significant only between pine. lost significantly fewer stems per hectare basal area species. Differences among not function mean plot height density. Our analyses indicate is resistant