Louisiana's Palustris Experimental Forest: 75 Years of Research That Transformed the South

The Palustris Experimental Forest, located on Kisatchie National Forest, has been in existence for 75 years. Research at Palustris has focused on southern pine reforestation technology, including seed production, bareroot nursery production, direct seeding, and planting container seedlings. After establishing pine plantations, researchers developed stand management guidelines for thinning, fertilizing, use of fire, stocking levels, and modeling of growth projections. Researchers...
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The Palustris Experimental Forest, located on Kisatchie National Forest, has been in existence for 75 years. Research at Palustris has focused on southern pine reforestation technology, including seed production, bareroot nursery production, direct seeding, and planting container seedlings. After establishing pine plantations, researchers developed stand management guidelines for thinning, fertilizing, use of fire, stocking levels, and modeling of growth projections. Researchers elucidated knowledge of soil influences and plant competition, factors key to optimizing and maintaining plantation stand productivity. Researchers also emphasized range management that established guidelines for livestock utilization on forest ranges across the South. Today's forest industry across the South maximizes productivity with the management practices developed by researchers on the Palustris Experimental Forest.