Fifteen tree species, five pine and ten hardwood, were planted on a reclaimed, return-to-contour, strip-mine site in Wise County, Virginia. A systemic herbicide was sprayed on half of each of four experimental blocks prior to the second growing season. After three growing seasons, this treatment resulted in increased survival of five species. Black locust (Robina pseudoacacia) performed best with 90% survival and a tenfold increase in height. Other hardwoods that showed promise were black alder (Alnus glutinosa), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), and cottonwood (Populus deltoides). As a group, the pines outperformed the hardwoods. Loblolly (Pinus taeda) and Virginia pine (Pinus Virginiana) were the fastest growing, and survival of each was signifcantly higher on the sprayed plots.
Statistical models which predict scenic beauty from an in-stand viewer perspective were developed for southern pine stands more than 9 years old. These models indicate that stand age, average stand diameter, and stand stocking density are positively related to scenic quality assessments by the general public. However, the models also show that the number of stems in the 1 to 5 inch dbh classes is related to scenic quality in a negative quadratic fashion. The highest scenic quality for stands of differing ages and average tree diameters is when the sapling and pole stocking is between 1,100 and 1,200 per acre, past which scenic quality will decrease. Results also indicate that optimal stand density is dependent upon stand age. Forest Sci. 32:769-778.
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