Effect of Moisture Supply and Soil Texture on the Growth of Sweetgum and Pine Seedlings

Knowing the response of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) and pine (Pinus taeda L. and P. echinata Mill.) seedlings to the important factors of site quality would be very helpful in trying to distinguish pine and hardwood sites in the Southeast. Sweetgum is a strong competitor of the pines on many sites and seedling behavior partially determines the adaptability of a species to a site. This study compares the growth of 1-year-old potted sweetgum and pine seedlings during one growing season in soils of three different textures and under three levels of moisture supply. Although the sweetgum seedlings produced more dry matter and developed larger root systems, the growth in length of leaders and branches was less than that of the pines under all conditions of the experiment.