Effects of Site Treatments During 26 Years for Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson and C. Lawson [Pinaceae]) Plantings in Colorado's Northern Front Range
Getting tree seedlings to grow on dry, grass-covered sites in the Colorado Front Range and piedmont is a long-standing problem. We tested various planting treatments by growing ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson and C. Lawson [Pinaceae]) for 25 and 26 years on a mountain site and a piedmont site in Colorado’s Front Range. Weed barrier, black plastic, scalping, and polyacrylamide gel applied alone or in combination proved effective at promoting seedling growth and survival compared with the untreated control treatment. Results suggest that controlling grass competition may be more important than water in regulating growth and survival of seedlings on sites where annual rainfall averages 40 cm (15 in) and summers are dry.
Download this file:
Download this file — PDF document, 1082KbDetails
Author(s): Douglas J. Stevenson, Pradip Saud, Carl D. Miller, Cynthia Stevenson, Trisa J. Ward, Bryan D. Murray
Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 62, Numbers 1, 2 (2019)
Volume: 62
Numbers: 1, 2