SILVICS AND MANAGEMENT OF A KEY POCOSIN TREE SPECIES: LOBLOLLY-BAY, GORDONIA LASIANTHUS (L.) ELLIS

Abstract

Loblolly-bay (Gordonia lasianthus (L.) Ellis is a broadleaved tree species characteristic of pocosin wetlands in the Southeast. This research was conducted to summarize the silvics, management potential, and results from papermaking and wood structure tests of loblolly-bay in coastal South Carolina. Regional distribution and community information was gathered from the literature, local community data was obtained from fixed-area plot sampling in South Carolina's lower Coastal Plain, and pulp cooking and physical test data were from test cooks and handsheets made by the Herty Foundation. Wood structure was determined from locally obtained bole samples. Pocosins ranged from southeastern Virginia to the Georgia-Florida border and were confined to the lower and middle coastal plain terraces, although they were found up to 270 km inland in Georgia. Pond pine (Pinus serotina) and zenobia (Zenobia pulverulenta) were the best indicator species of pocosins and loblolly-bay was a common associate. The canopy of loblolly-bay sites in coastal South Carolina was primarily composed of loblolly-bay, blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), redbay (Persea borbonia), loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), and pond pine. The soils were either Haplaquods or Humaquepts. Average height growth was 23 to 36 cm/year and average dbh growth was 0.6 cm/year. Loblolly-bay had seed crops of 2.6 to 260 X 103 seed per tree and demonstrated stump sprouting and basal sprouting of fire top-killed trees. Loblolly-bay Kraft pulp cooks produced a 52% yield and a strong handsheet. The TAPPI mullen factor was 70, and folds were 836, which were considered normal for pines. However the TAPPI tear factor at 137 and TAPPI breaking length (11,525 m) was greater than commonly assumed for pines. Loblolly-bay wood had a low specific gravity (0.40), long fiber tracheid cells (1.5 mm) and a high fiber cell volume (46%).