Performance of Unthinned Loblolly and Slash Pine Plantations on Three Sites in South Carolina
Abstract The performance of adjacent unthinned plantations of loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) and slash pine (P. elliottii Engelm.) on three sites in South Carolina was evaluated after 16 growing seasons. Sites ranged from a noneroded Piedmont soil to an excessively drained sandy soil of the Sandhills physiographic region. Growth and survival varied widely among sites, with greatest productivity occurring in the Piedmont and the lowest in the Congaree Sandhills. Despite the droughty nature of the latter site, survival after 16 growing seasons was over 80 percent for both species. On a volume basis, loblolly pine outperformed slash pine at the upper Pidemont and Aiken Plateau sites, while slash pine was superior on the dry Sandhills site. Incidence of fusiform rust was much higher for both species at the Aiken Plateau than at the other sites.