Prior to planting longleaf pine seedlings, the study sites were
mechanically prepared by mowing all standing sub-canopy vegetation
with a Fecon Bull Hog rotary mower in the late summer of
2007 and by prescribed burning in fall 2007. Container-grown
longleaf pine seedlings were planted by hand in December 2007
at a spacing of 1.8 3.0 m (approximate 1800 seedlings/ha). Each
canopy plot was divided into four equal sections and three of the
sections were randomly selected for cultural treatment application.
Within each section, cultural treatments were applied to a
30 30 m area centered on a 20 20 m subplot measurement
area. The three cultural treatments included: NT (no cultural treatment
applied), H (a direct spray of 1% imazapyr with 1/4% non-ionic
surfactant to target woody vegetation in October 2008), and
H + F (the H treatment plus 10-10-10 NPK fertilizer that was
broadcast at a rate of 280 kg/ha in early May 2009). To meet fire
management objectives for longleaf pine restoration, prescribed
fires were applied to all experimental plots between January and
March 2010.