Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Polinko, Adam D.

Committee Member

Poudel, Krishna P.

Committee Member

Willis, John

Date of Degree

8-8-2023

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Forestry

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Forest Resources

Department

Department of Forestry

Abstract

Droughts are a common disturbance experienced by forest systems across the southeastern United States and are expected to increase in frequency in the near future. Few empirical studies have evaluated the response of individual tree resistance and resilience following silvicultural treatment in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). This study evaluates the differences in drought responses between two forests during three different periods. The first period evaluated pretreatment (2000) conditions, while the second (2006), and third (2011) compared conditions after the implementation of five silvicultural treatments. The main findings are that, as additional basal area is removed, both individual tree resistance and resilience to drought increase. Moreover, as drought intensity decreases, both resistance and resilience metrics increase. Finally, higher competitive status of individual trees warranted higher resistance to drought compared to trees of a lower competitive status.

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