Ecosystem Science & Management

Courses

• FRSC 101 Introduction to Forestry
• FRSC 300 Field Practices (Summer Camp)
• FRSC 305 Silviculture
• FRSC 602 Advanced Silviculture

Research Activity

A project was begun in early 2000 in collaboration with six forest products corporations (Temple-Inland, Boise Cascade, Louisiana-Pacific, Potlatch, The Timber Company, and Weyerhaeuser) operating in the West Gulf region. Study sites have been established in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi to allow an investigation of the influence of early silvicultural practices and planting densities on the performance of loblolly pine on four major soil types as delineated by drainage class and depth to a restrictive layer. Ancillary research will investigate the effects of thinning as the study trees grow older. Additional funding is being sought to support research on the physiological performance of the trees. The objective of this research is to develop silvicultural recommendations for the optimum mix of mechanical site preparation, chemical weed control, fertilization, insect control and planting density for the best survival and growth of loblolly pine planted on varying soil types in the West Gulf.

Another project begun in the summer of 2000 is investigating the performance of half-sib bareroot seedlings and full-sib containerized rooted cuttings of slash pine in Louisiana when planted on five different planting dates through three years. This project is being supported by Boise Corporation. Seedlings were planted for three consecutive years to account for annual climatic variation. The water relations and photosynthetic capacity of the seedlings were measured as well as their growth and survival. The field portion of the project has ended, and data are now being analyzed in preparation for publication.

A third project involves an investigation into long-term changes in phosphorus chemistry following forest fertilization. Soils under plots fertilized about a decade ago are currently being deep-sampled. This project is too new to have produced results thus far.

Selected Publications

Dewey, J.C., S.H. Schoenholtz, J.P. Shepard, and M.G. Messina. A comparison of wetland delineation methods in a Texas bottomland hardwood forest. Wetlands. In press.

Messina, M.G. and S. Beasley. 2004. Non-Point Source Pollution From Silviculture In Texas Designated to be a chapter in the book Water for Texas, Texas A&M University Press. In press.

Messina, M.G. Cultural treatments affect early loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) survival, growth, and water relations on a harsh Texas site. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry.Provisionally accepted; under revision.

Carter, M.C., T.J. Dean, M. Zhou, S. Bird, Z. Wang, M.G. Messina, and R.N. Coulson. 2003. Short-term changes in soil C, N, and biota following harvesting and regeneration of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). Forest Ecology and Management. 164: 67-88.

Rahman, M.S., M.G. Messina, and R.J. Newton. 2003. Performance of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings and in vitro tissue culture plantlets on an east Texas site: I. Growth and survival. Forest Ecology and Management. 178/3: 245-255.

Rahman, M.S., M.G. Messina, and R.J. Newton. 2003. Performance of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings and in vitro tissue culture plantlets on an east Texas site: II. Water relations. Forest Ecology and Management. 178/3: 247-270.

Almquist, B.E., S.B. Jack, and M.G. Messina. 2002. Variation of the treefall gap regime in a bottomland hardwood forest: relationships with microtopography. Forest Ecology and Management. 157: 155-163.

Messina, M.G. and J. Jenkins. 2000. Loblolly pine stand development under reserve tree silvicultural systems in East Texas.Southern Journal of Applied Forestry. 24(1): 11-16.

Wakamiya, I., J.L. Heilman, R.J. Newton, and M.G. Messina. 1999. Water conduction in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and Virginia pine (P. virginiana Mill.) during soil dehydration: I. Diurnal changes and soil water content. Tree Physiology. 19(9): 575-581.

Londo, A.J., M.G. Messina, and S. H. Schoenholtz. 1999. Harvesting increases soil carbon content and respiration in an east Texas bottomland hardwood forest. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 63: 637-644.