Deer Forage and Overstory Dynamics in a Loblolly Pine Plantation

Abstract

In a loblolly pine plantation in central Louisiana, forage growth was basically governed by the development of pine crowns and the corresponding reduction of light in the understory. In young stands ready for initial thinning at age 20 years, growth of herbaceous and woody vegetation was virtually precluded by the dense pine canopy. Hardwood trees, shrubs, and woody vines increased as stands were thinned every 5 years. By plantation age 30 years, a multilayered midstory was developing as hardwoods and some shrubs grew beyond the deer feeding zone. Midstory density increased directly with the intensity of pine removal, and by stand age 35 it was the principal deterrent to growth of deer forage. Herbage was not abundant.