shortleaf pine

The I.D. Fairchild State Forest in Cherokee County had its Centennial Celebration in April. The program included a demonstration of shortleaf pine management, as well as talks on native grasses, Eastern wild turkey and red-cockaded woodpeckers. Jason Ellis (Texas A&M Forest Service and Reuben Gay (Texas Park and Wildlife) shared their expertise on shortleaf pine management from both a timber and wildlife standpoint.
The Texas A&M Forest Service thinned a mature shortleaf pine stand on the State Forest, leaving trees about 70 feet apart on a grid pattern to produce natural regeneration. The demonstration forest provides an alternative to the more costly artificial regeneration. While shortleaf has slower growth than loblolly pine, it is less susceptible to freezing rain that tends to snap loblolly’s branches. Its wood is also denser than that of loblolly pine.
Shortleaf, however, doesn’t self-prune as well as loblolly, but prescribed burning can encourage natural pruning and shortleaf is more fire tolerant than loblolly. Its columnar crown is less spreading than loblolly, allowing more light to reach the ground to produce more understory vegetation, serving as natural food plots.
Properly maintained shortleaf forests can produce good habitat for song birds, turkeys, deer, and other wildlife. Even when they die, the dead trees can provide dwelling cavities for wildlife. So shortleaf can be a viable alternative to loblolly pine for both timber production and wildlife management. The key, I believe, is to match the tree species to the site qualities. Check your soil survey!