What are the underlying causes and do these differ across the region

Forest Health White Paper Ecological Society of America 2008 Preliminary Draft Loblolly pine decline on Ft. Benning: An analysis of potential underlying causes 1 2 1 3William J. Otrosina , Hal Balbach , Pauline C. Spaine , and Shi-Jean S. Sung 1 USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 320 Green St., Athens, GA 2 US Army ERDC, PO Box 9005, Champaign, IL 61826 3 USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 2500 Shreveport Highway, Pineville, LA 71360 Abstract. The so-called loblolly pine decline syndrome apparently occurring at the Ft. Benning, Georgia military base is reviewed in the context of similar declines in some conifer forests in the southeastern United States. Loblolly pine is a prolific colonizer of abandoned agricultural sites and has been extensively planted and managed on many soil types from Texas through Virginia. Ft. Benning undergoes unique environmental impacts and the constraints which are compounded by constraints imposed by federal requirements for restoring and maintaining habitat for the red cockaded woodpecker. The current decline and mortality in existing mature loblolly pine stands threatens habitat restoration goals on this military base. Several interacting factors involving soil conditions, age class of existing loblolly pine stands, root disease causing fungi, insects, and silvicultural treatments are identified as potential contributing agents. Given the involvement of these factors in loblolly pine ...