Current timber markets in portions of the Southeast have left some landowners asking: “Should I replant with pine or hardwood, or even replant at all?”
The answer is always a resounding “Yes”, but it depends. You must match the species to your planting site and markets in the area. ArborGen has had the opportunity to collaborate with some companies currently investing in the carbon market. Our success in producing quality hardwoods has led to partnerships in this emerging industry. Our real success, however, is growing quality hardwoods for our private landowners.
For years, ArborGen has provided a variety of quality hardwood seedlings and the expertise to help our landowners know what will be best for them and their goals.
Your advisor needs to ask questions and understand what you want to achieve – and then help you get there by offering you the suitable species for your land.
Most foresters have been taught that if you cut a tree or have a timber sale, you should replant with pine. For the most part, this is true. After all, Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.) is an “elastic” species, meaning it can be planted on various sites and do well. Given the current price landowners are receiving for certain products, many are considering planting and managing hardwood forests.
Regenerating or starting a hardwood stand is very different from regenerating pines. Loblolly Pine is an early successional species, meaning it will be one of the first species to seed and begin to grow on a site. This is primarily due to how pine seeds are dispersed. Pine seeds have a wing and are spread by the wind, potentially traveling for miles once they are released from the cone. Some hardwood species use the wind to disperse their seed (Ash, Red Maple, etc.); however, oaks do not. Therefore, we can look to man-made regeneration techniques and management to establish hardwood forests.
Reforestation Advisor Paul Jeffreys received his Ph.D. in Forestry with a focus on Bottomland Hardwood Growth and Yield at Mississippi State University. In the following video, he discusses the factors you need to consider when deciding whether to plant pine or hardwood.
