Selected naturally regenerated flatwoods forests were burned in preparing a large, long-term study of the effects of several multiple use management practices on forest vegetation and wildlife. Early effects of burning on understory vegetation are reported here. Fire reduced woody understory coverage (from 72 to 66% of surface area), and increased herbaceous species frequency (from 60 to 81%) and herbaceous standing biomass (from 124 to 245 kg/ha). Graphical analyses show an increase in herbaceous species diversity as a result of burning.

Many research studies have developed guidelines for managing wiregrass ranges to improve utilization of relatively unpalatable Aristidu and Sporobolus spp. This traditional management has generally produced low livestock returns. Recent management trends have been toward the promotion and utilization of more desirable bluestems, paspalums, panicums, etc. This study was initiated to determine how wiregrass management affects excellent creeping bluestem pastures. Results indicate that prescribed burning stimulated reproductive culm development at the expense of foliage production. Grazing of burned areas with dominance of reproductive culms resulted in a substantial decrease in creeping bluestem tiller survival and herbage production. Continuous grazing of burned areas allows the more grazing resistant wiregrasses and shrubs to increase and probably accounts for the present expanse of wiregrass ranges. Deferment of grazing until seedset of desirable grasses following late winter burning would promote the development of productive bluestem pastures. Prescribed burning is a recommended practice to be continued for south Florida; however, it should occur after cattle have been removed from the pasture. A rotation system with fire every 3 to 5 years is suggested to improve ranges from wiregrass to bluestem dominance and to maintain creeping bluestem pastures.

Responses of herbaceous and woody plants to combinations of 4 pine management and 4 grazing management systems were tested on a wet-flatwoods site in the pintwiregrass vegetation type of north Florida. Frequency of occurrence of herbaceous species and foiii cover of woody species were determined in natural stands of SO-year-old slash and iongleaf pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. and P. pahstris Mill.) and compared to similar forest sites that were harvested and site prepared by double-chopping and not replanted with slash pine, or replanted to 1,112 trees/ha in single-and double-row configurations. In addition, these sites were ungrazed or grazed using 3 deferred-rotation systems. Prescribed burning in the natural stands increased occurrence of most herbs'and sthnuiated new species to occur, but had little effect on woody plant composition. However, harvesting of pines and double-chopping resulted in the occurrence of many new herbaceous species and increased occurrence of most initially present. Pineiand threeawn (histido strictu Michx.), the major herb, initially deereased in occurrence with intensive site disturbance. Six years after disturbance, most herbaceous species were declining in occurrence. Grazing or growth of replanted pines had little infiuence on occurrence of herbaceous species. Both burning and mechanical disturbances initially reduced foiiar ground cover of most woody speck, however, few species were eliminated from the community. Most woody species were recovering within 6 yr from treatment, but succession was somewhat slower on mechanicaiiy treated areas. Survival and growth of planted pines were not affected by grazing, nor did planting configuration affect pine growth.

Selected naturally regenerated flatwoods forests were clearcut and chopped in preparing a large, long-term study of the effects of several multiple-use management practices on forest vegetation and wildlife. Early effects of clearcutting and chopping on understory vegetation are reported here. Clearcutting and chopping reduced woody understory coverage from 66 to 18% of surface area. Common gallberry and saw-palmetto were reduced by 75 and 8!9& respectively. Herbaceous species frequency was htcreased: Panicurns by over 3,000%; bluestems by 173%; grasslies by over 2,000%; and forbs by 308%. Graphical analyses show an increase in herbaceous species diversity as a result of mechanical site disturbance. Comparing these graphs with those reported on the effects of prescribed burning suggests that the collective vegetative response to mechanical site disturbance is qualitatively similar to the response to fire. Quantitatively the response to mechanical disturbance is more pronounced. Successful production of wood, cattle, and wildlife in the southern pinelands depends on methods of managing both overstory and understory simultaneously to increase multiple product yields while avoiding environmental and ecological degradation. In 1976 we began a large study to examine various effects of an array of forest management practices on wildlife and wildlife habitat, and on herbage production. Portions of the study area were only burned. An early assessment of the effects fire produced on the understory vegetation was reported by Moore, et al. (1982). Other portions of the study area were clearcut, chopped, and replanted to pines. Reported here is an early assessment of the effects of mechanical site disturbance on understory vegetation, and a comparison of these effects with the earlier reported effects of prescribed fire. The comparison is made to show that mechanical disturbance in natural flatwoods forests has effects similar to prescribed fire-which is widely regarded as a useful tool of range and wildlife managers. Study Area and Methods The 73ha experimental area is on the University of Florida's Austin Cary Memorial Forest near Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida. When this study began the experimental area was occupied by a naturally regenerated 50-year old flatwoods forest averaging 20.7 m2 of basal area per ha and 70.8% crown cover. The overwhelming majority of overstory trees were either slash or longleaf pine. There were a few water oaks and occasionally some other hardwood species, especially in wetter spaces. A brief history of the experimental area and a description of the soils on the site are given by Moore et al. (1982). The entire experimental area was prescribed burned during the winter of 1975-76 with no perceptible effect on the overstory.

To find planting patterns for growing high volumes of wood while maintaining forage for cattle and wildlife habitat, slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm) was planted in various configurations to increase the open space between rows while holding tree density constant. Thirteen years after planting, there were few significant differences in survival, height, and diameter; basal area and total wood volume were as good or greater in the 4 x 8 foot double-row configuration spaced 40 feet apart. Double-row configurations produced more forage than single-row. This configuration offers a high timber volume and forage mass alternative to the currently favored 8 x 12 foot spacing used for dual resource management.