Surface Soil Removal and Herbicide Treatment: Effects on Soil Properties and Loblolly Pine Early Growth

Abstract
Neither soil removal nor herbicide treatment alone significantly increased loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedling height after 3 yr, although in combination they did increase height. Soil removal and herbicide treatments produced significantly higher 3‐yr volumes, apparently due to nonpine plant competition reduction. Removal of 2.54 or 7.62 cm of surface soil resulted in significant decreases in Ca, K, Mn, P, N, and organic matter in the surface 30 cm after three seasons. Mobile nutrients (Ca, Mg, and K) were also apparently leaching through the surface layers on the removal treatments. Surface soil bulk density was increased by soil removal. Soil nutrient concentrations decreased and bulk densities increased as the quantity of soil removed increased. The degree of nutrient and organic matter reductions imply that the total site potential may have been lowered, particularly on the heavy soil removal treatment.

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