Deer Forage and Overstory Dynamics in a Loblolly Pine Plantation

Abstract

Highlight: In a loblolly pine plantation in central Louisiana, forage growth was basically governed by the development of pine crowns and the corresponding reduction of light in the understory. In young stands ready for initial thinning at age 20 years, growth of herbaceous and woody vegetation was virtually precluded by the dense pine canopy. Hardwood trees, shrubs, and woody vines increased as stands were thinned every 5 years. By plantation age 30 years, a multilayered midstory was developing as hardwoods and some shrubs grew beyond the deer feeding zone. Midstory density increased directly with the intensity of pine removal, and by stand age 35 it was the principal deterrent to growth of deer forage. Herbage was not abundant. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations grown on a long-term rotation can provide sustained habitat for deer in the Gulf Coastal Plain, but only if they are intentionally managed for wildlife forage in the understory. Forage growth is largely governed by the forest manager’s ability to adjust the overstory so as to provide sufficient light for understory plants. This paper evaluates composition and growth of deer forage as influenced by pine thinning and development of a hardwood midstory in a loblolly pine plantation. Forage and tree dynamics were evaluated over a 13-year period from stand age 30 to 42.