Response of Planted South Florida Slash Pine to Simulated Cattle Damage

Abstract

Seedling outplants injured to resemble damage by cattle the 6th, 18th, or 30th month after planting were observed until trees attained sapling size. Simulated browsing alone killed few trees, but combinations of damage increased losses and aggravated the stunting of trees. With factorial combinations which included varying degrees of defoliation, shoot removal, and stem breakage, plots with unclipped trees contained 1 1/2 to 4 times more basal area at the end of the study than trees that were totally defoliated. Without the other treatments, less than a full girdle of the stem was not detrimental.