Evaluation of Thinning for Reduction of Losses from Southern Pine Beetle Attack in Loblolly Pine Stands

Abstract

Thinning has been recommended to lower stand basal areas in order to reduce losses from southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimm.) attack. In this study, benefits of thinning loblolly pine stands for reduction of losses from southern pine beetle (SPB) attack were evaluated. Results showed that thinning can be expected to reduce losses from SPB attack on average and better sites. South. J. Appl. For. 10:105-108, May 1986.

Documenting Two Centuries of Change in Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) Forests of the Coastal Plain Province, Southeastern USA

“…Some researchers have recommended that historical ecosystems are irrelevant due to climate change. However, evidence suggests that historical forests of drought-and fire-tolerant species in low tree densities are more stable, resistant, and resilient to disturbances ranging from fire, wind, drought, and insects [136,137]. Ultimately, restoration of reduced tree density and diversity that provides climate resistance for ecosystems, including biodiversity, may be more beneficial socioeconomically than die-offs of the mesic forests which have largely failed to support much of the biodiversity once offered by open longleaf pine [2].…”

Transition from Fire-Dependent Open Forests: Alternative Ecosystem States in the Southeastern United States

“…Southern pine and oak species typically are more drought-and heat-tolerant than other tree species present in the eastern United States; greater tolerance will protect against warming temperatures and flash droughts that may generate disastrous mortality in less tolerant broadleaf species. Lower density forests provide additional safeguards against drought while basal area ≤18.4 m 2 ha −1 is considered low risk for both southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis [20,22]). Restoration will help diverse species weather the additional stressors of climate change.…”

“…And yet, overstory tree disturbance was uncommon in the past as trees that reached the overstory often lived hundreds of years [18]. For example, hurricane return intervals along the Atlantic Gulf Coast are approximately 320 years [19] and low-density forests, particularly of drought-tolerant species, are more resistant to drought, wind, and insects than closed, high-density forests with mesic tree species and high contrast edges [20][21][22]. Similarly, species considered edge or successional, such as some bird species, use both herbaceous and woody resources, which are spatially separated in current landscapes of closed forests and clearings, but in fact coexisted in historical open forests [23].…”

Informing adaptive forest management: A hazard rating tool for southern pine beetle Dendroctonus frontalis in pitch pine barrens

“…During these outbreaks, semiochemical communication between SPB organizes mass attacks that can overwhelm resin defence systems of healthy trees and cause host death in a matter of days to weeks (Hain et al, 2011; Hassett et al, 2017; Sullivan, 2011). Incidences of SPB infestation in the south‐eastern United States have been reduced in some stands through the application of forest management treatments such as stand thinning and prescribed burning that promote stand vigour and disrupt SPB pheromonal communication (Brown et al, 1987; Burkhart et al, 1986; Nebeker & Hodges, 1983; Nowak et al, 2015; Showalter & Turchin, 1993). With the exception of relatively small‐scale applications, these silvicultural treatments have not been widely implemented in pitch pine‐dominated communities in the north‐eastern United States (Dodds et al, 2018).…”