Date of Award
8-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Forestry and Environmental Conservation
Committee Chair/Advisor
Donald Hagan
Committee Member
Jess Hartshorn
Committee Member
Robert Baldwin
Abstract
Now reduced to just a fraction of their historical range, Longleaf pine savannas in the southeastern United States are home to a wide array of species, some of which are threatened or endemic. These characteristics have inspired widespread restoration initiatives in recent decades, accompanied by an expanding literature on how management techniques affect restoration outcomes. However, research is lacking in a unique region of longleaf pine’s range, where the dominant fire-carrying grasses are different: the Wiregrass Gap. This study investigated the effects of three different slash manipulation treatments on restoration outcomes of a Wiregrass Gap longleaf pine savanna. Specifically, we observed how understory vegetation and winter soil-dwelling invertebrates responded to slash mastication, slash removal, and conventional harvest treatments with time and prescribed fire. While our initial surveys of the understory community suggested mastication could have a suppressing effect on woody growth, vegetative communities across all treatments were equalized following prescribed fire. Additionally, no significant differences were observed in winter invertebrates communities between replicates, although observing each treatment as a whole paints a different picture. More research is needed to ensure these treatment-associated communities remain similar over time under continued management, but our study suggests land managers may see an equally robust restoration outcome regardless of slash manipulation technique.
Recommended Citation
Purcell, Eva, "Restoring a Longleaf Pine Savanna in the Wiregrass Gap: Community Responses to Post-harvest Slash Manipulation" (2025). All Theses. 4603.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4603