21st Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference

March 16-17, 2021

Welcome to the 2021 Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference!

Initiated in 1980, The Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference provides a forum for scientists and practitioners actively engaged in the broad field of silviculture to report their study results, to present new concepts and techniques, to discuss topics of mutual interest, to coordinate cooperative efforts, and to stay current on developments in the field. Scientists, foresters, landowners, and others interested in forest management have found the conferences and their proceedings to be valuable sources of information on current and developing trends in southern silviculture.

Presentations emphasize research on silvicultural topics such as: carbon management, competition control, ecology, economics, fire behavior, forest health, genetics/tree improvement, growth and yield, harvesting, history, invasive species spread and control, natural and artificial regeneration, nutritional amendments, pine silviculture, restoration, site preparation, stand dynamics, water and soil quality, and wildlife ecology and habitat management.

This year, we are going virtual! The three day virtual event will include a keynote presentation, oral sessions, poster sessions, and other virtual interactive opportunities.

MSU College of Forest Resources Forestry Department

Presented by the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station and Mississippi State University, Department of Forestry.

Registration has closed.

Important Dates

03/16/2021-03/17/2021: BSSRC Meeting
06/01/2021: Frontiers in Forests and Global Change submission deadline
08/01/2021: Conference Proceedings submission deadline

Agenda

Tuesday, March 16, 2021 All times are listed in the Central Time Zone
9:00-10:00 am	Keynote Address A Status Report on Silviculture in the South—Amazing Successes, and the Challenges that Remain Jim Guldin, Retired Scientist, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service
10:00 - 12:00 pm Oral Session 1A – Prescribed Fire
10:00-10:15	Mapping functional diversity in a managed forest-savanna landscape.	B Murray, N Pauley, H Gholizadeh
10:15-10:30*	Changes in crude protein concentration of understory plants in response to prescribed fire and thinning.	C McKinney, R Masters, A Adhikari, R Will, O Joshi
10:30-10:45*	Improving bark thickness equations for hardwoods in eastern forests.	B Blood, B Knapp, D Dey, G Wang
10:45-11:00	Changes in bark properties and hydrology following prescribed fire in temperate forests.	C Siegert, A Ilek, A Wade
11:00-11:15	Prescribed fire perspectives of African American landowners in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.	A Coates, L Perkins, K Hiers
11:15-11:30	Litter flammability across southeastern tree species: Implications for reversing mesophication.	M Varner, J Kane, J Kreye, T Shearman
11:30-11:45	Bark morphometry in seven Mississippi tree species: pyrophytes, mesophytes, and the implications for post-fire survival.	T Shearman, M Varner
11:45-12:00	Temporal effects of hurricanes on fuel loading and regeneration in the southeastern United States.	L Pile, S Guan, B Song, W Bridges, G Wang
10:00 - 12:00 pm Oral Session 1B – Bottomland and Riparian Forests
10:00-10:15*	Occurrence and growth dynamics of natural regeneration in an East Texas bottomland hardwood forest.	L Rurup, K Kidd, J Stovall, B Oswald, S Jack
10:15-10:30	Evaluating watershed-scale effects of longleaf pine restoration on water yield using a paired watershed and modeling approaches.	DM Amatya, MD Hamidi, H Ssegane, C Trettin
10:30-10:45	Impact of forest land use changes on groundwater resources in a basin of Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley over the past 100 years.	Y Ouyang
10:45-11:00	Options for riparian buffer tree planting in north Alabama.	C Schweitzer, D Dey
11:00-11:15	Taxodium distichum survival at the edge of the swamp.	S Moothart, R Keim
11:15-11:30*	Assessing the flood tolerance of willows and cottonwoods planted in riparian cropland of the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley.	T Kyaw, C Siegert, H Renninger, R Rousseau
11:30-11:45	Hardwood diameter growth following partial cutting on a minor creek terrace in southeast Louisiana: 17-year results.	B Lockhart, T Dean
11:45-12:00	Bird response to the clearcut and selection regeneration methods in the Mississippi River batture lands.	B Lockhart, P Tappe
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Oral Session 2A – Loblolly Pine Management I
1:00-1:15	Three-year growth and survival of loblolly pine seedlings following various HWC treatments with sulfometuron, imazapyr, hexazinone, and indaziflam.	A Ezell, A Self, J Ezell, J Belcher
1:15-1:30	Glufosinate in site prep tank mixtures for control of natural pines.	A Ezell, A Self, J Ezell
1:30-1:45	Four year results of a Chopper Gen2 and Forestry Garlon XRT rate and timing study for loblolly pine site preparation on lower coastal plain sites in Georgia.	D Clabo, D Dickens
1:45-2:00	New understandings of loblolly pine plantations.	D Zhao
2:00-2:15*	Individual tree diameter growth models for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda).	S Subedi, K Poudel, Q Ma, A Himes
2:15-2:30*	Long-term growth effects of simulated-drought with mid-rotation fertilization and thinning on a loblolly pine plantation in southeastern Oklahoma.	N Shephard, O Joshi, C Meek, R Will
2:30-2:45	Control of natural pine using site preparation mixes with Imazapyr, Glyphosate, Saflufenacil, BAS #1, and BAS #2.	A Self, A Ezell
2:45-3:00	First year height performance of planted loblolly pine following site preparation and herbaceous release treatments on a lower coastal plain site.	S Peairs
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Oral Session 2B – Natural Disturbances and Climate Change I
1:00-1:15*	The effect of drought on loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) photosynthesis and whether thinning or genetic entry can improve plantation drought resilience.	N Cone, J Adams, M Blazier, M Tyree, MA Sayer
1:15-1:30	Building forest landowner resilience to hurricane and soil salinization threats in the Southeast U.S.	N Gibson, S McNulty, M Gavazzi, C Miller, E Worley, D Keesee
1:30-1:45*	Effects of tornado and salvage harvesting disturbances on vegetative community dynamics in an upland mixed pine - hardwood forest within the Davey Crockett National Forest, Texas.	C Edwards, A Blair, S Shroyer, A Crowley, K Kidd
1:45-2:00*	Suppression of regeneration by Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense).	T Turner, T Dean, J Kuehny
2:00-2:15	Tree-size effects on drought-induced mortality vary with species and stand attributes.	L Zhai
2:15-2:30	Current and emerging risks to southeast U.S. forests.	K Bakken, S McNulty, M Gavazzi, E Paradiso, E Worley
2:30-2:45	Adapting traditional forest management practices to address current and emerging forest threats.	E Worley, S McNulty, M Gavazzi, K Bakken, E Paradiso
2:45-3:00	Will a warmer temperature regime in southern latitudes result in changes in emerald ash borer voltinism and adult emergence phenology?	M Bataineh, S Clarke, W Johnson
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Poster Sessions
3A – Forest Economics	Hedonic analysis of loblolly pine plantation first thinning costs.	E McConnell
	Log length distributions within plantation-grown loblolly pine chip n saw sized trees in southwest Mississippi.	E McConnell
	Probabilistic estimates of costs for treating a southern pine beetle infestation.	C VanderSchaaf, T McConnell, M Crosby, J Holderieath, J Meeker, C Steiner, B Strom, C Johson
	Projecting stand development and economics of longleaf pine planted outside its native range.	C VanderSchaaf
3B – Forest Pests	Seasonal light response curves of Ligustrum sinense.	T Markus, G Wang
	*Soil chemical changes following bark beetle-infested wood decomposition.	K Pace, C Siegert, J Tang, N Clay, R Hofstetter, O Leverón, J Riggins
	Tracking the extent and severity of a southern pine beetle outbreak.	M Crosby, E McConnell, J Holderieath, M Funderburk, J Meeker, C Steiner, B Strom, C Johnson
3C – Forest Soils and the Forest Floor	Breast level height displacement: do standing trees sink into the soil?	C VanderSchaaf, B Zeide, W Patterson
	Comparing physicochemical properties and sorption behaviors of pyrolosis-derived and microwave-mediated biochar.	C Brickler, Y Wu, S Li, A Swamy, G Chen
	*Effects of forest canopy cover on splash erosion in upland hardwood forests of Mississippi.	W Kruckeberg, C Siegert, J Granger, H Alexander
3D – Measurements and Modeling	Ability of site index to differentiate merchantable yield in southern yellow pine plantations.	C VanderSchaaf
	Developing a simple longleaf pine plantation growth and yield model for the gulf region.	C VanderSchaaf
	*Using national inventory data (FIA) to explore the relationship between diversity and productivity in Mississippi forests.	E Baach, A Himes
3E – Natural Disturbances and Climate Change	*Climate-growth responses among co-occurring upland oak and pine species in East Texas.	S Shroyer, T Jones, K Kidd
	*Experimentally measuring effects of soil moisture on windfirmness in Pinus elliottii using static winching.	SH Scully, S Taylor, C Peterson, J Cannon
	Growth response of mature longleaf pine to disturbance at the Harrison Experimental Forest.	J Butnor, R Eaton, D Nelson
	Longleaf and Lasers: Improving Models for Wind Susceptibility in the Coastal Plain.	C English, J Cannon, K Hiers
	*A research prospectus: effects of canopy gaps created by Hurricane Michael on longleaf pine regeneration and community reorganization.	C Pope, S Bigelow, A Sharma, J Cannon
3F – Silviculture and Management	A Photographic Record of the First Silvicultural Research of the Southern Forest Experiment Station.	D Bragg
	*Effects of post-fire disturbance responses of Microstegium vimineum on native hardwood seedling regeneration.	Z Chandler, A Himes
	*Examining initial effects of planting stock differences on growth and survival in an artificially regenerated shortleaf pine restoration in the southern Appalachian Mountains.	A MacDonald, T Keyser
	*Sprouting response of three-year-old planted shortleaf pine one growing season year after prescribed fire in East Texas.	J Wilkins, K Kidd, S Shroyer, B Oswald, S Jack
*Student Competition

Wednesday, March 17, 2021
9:00 am – 10:00 am Oral Session 4A – Loblolly Pine Management II
9:00-9:15	Biography of Russell R. Reynolds, a pioneering Forest Service silviculture researcher.	D Bragg
9:15-9:30*	A reevaluation of superior tree performance after 48 years for a loblolly pine progeny test in southern Arkansas.	D Bragg
9:30-9:45*	Crown lifting techniques for maintaining stem quality in widely spaced pine plantations.	D Collins, J Granger, S Dicke, C Hale
9:45-10:00	Response duration after a mid-rotation fertilizer application in Pinus taeda.	T Albaugh, D Carter, C Cohrs, R Cook, R Rubilar, O Campoe
9:00 am – 10:00 am Oral Session 4B – Natural Disturbances and Climate Change II
9:00-9:15	A stand level application of efficiency analysis to understand efficacy of fertilization and thinning with drought in a loblolly pine plantation.	N Shephard, A Susaeta, O Joshi, C Meek, R Will
9:15-9:30*	Effectiveness of commercially available Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum) control methods.	C Beam, C Siegert, J Granger, R Iglay
9:30-9:45*	Mapping forest restoration in Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley.	N Rai, Q Ma, J Yang
9:45-10:00	Connecting strategic planning with forest operations using the Forest Adaptive Management Online User System (FAMOUS).	E Paradiso, S McNulty, M Gavazzi, K Bakken, E Worley
10:00 - 12:00 pm Oral Session 5A – Longleaf Pine Management
10:00-10:15	Can longleaf pine plantations be modeled by calibrating mixed-effects models of other species?	C VanderSchaaf, H Burkhart, MA Sayer
10:15-10:30	Survival, growth, carbon isotope discrimination and cold tolerance of wide- ranging provenances of longleaf pine grown in the northern edge of its range.	K Johnsen, J Butnor, J Creighton, C Maier, P Schaberg, G Hawley
10:30-10:45	Linkage between longleaf pine seedling morphology and emergence from the grass stage.	MA Sayer, S Sung
10:45-11:00	23-Year impacts of bi-annual seasonal burning and alternative understory treatments on longleaf pine productivity.	J Willis, A Sharma, J Kush
11:00-11:15*	A research prospectus: effects of canopy gaps created by Hurricane Michael on longleaf pine regeneration and community reorganization.	C Pope, S Bigelow, A Sharma, J Cannon
11:15-11:30	Understanding wind risk to forests: Towards mechanistic models of wind risk in the southeastern Coastal Plain.	J Cannon, B Rutledge, K McIntyre, A Holland, S Jack
11:30-11:45	Percentage of trees bearing cones as a predictor for annual longleaf-pine cone production.	T Patterson
11:45-12:00	Tree size, stand density, and crown position influence a hurricane’s damage to planted longleaf pines.	S Bigelow, A Whelan, J Cannon, G Starr, C Staudhammer, G Kenney
10:00 - 12:00 pm Oral Session 5B – Upland Hardwoods Management I
10:00-10:15*	Natural pruning varying with sweetgum variety and density.	J Adams, M Blazier, C VanderSchaaf
10:15-10:30	Twenty-eight years of cooperative oak research and technology development in the southern region. S Clark, S Schlarbaum, B Crane	S Clark, S Schlarbaum, B Crane
10:30-10:45	Potential impacts of forest ecosystem restoration on water yield at Ocala National Forest.	I Ojo, L Ngatia, C Oishi, J Grace, A Lorenzo
10:45-11:00	Legacy effects of past harvesting on woody understory structure and composition in contemporary deciduous broadleaved forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains.	T Keyser, J Rodrigue
11:00-11:15*	Long-term effects of alternative partial harvesting methods on the woody regeneration layer in high-elevation Quercus rubra forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA.	T Keyser, D Loftis
11:15-11:30	Effects of long-term forest management on mercury bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs.	P Ku, M Tsui, T Farmer, D Amatya, C Trettin, A Chow
11:30-11:45	Biomass production of eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoids Bartr. Ex Marsh) and black willow (Salix nigra Marsh.) in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley.	B Dahal, K Poudel, H Renninger, J Granger, T Leininger, E Gardiner, R Souter, C Sabatia
11:45-12:00	Impacts of Microstegium vimineum on seedling growth and survival of three common hardwood species under different light and moisture levels.	C Goldsmith, H Alexander, J Granger, C Siegert
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Oral Session 6A – Shortleaf Pine Management
1:00-1:15	Shortleaf pine sprouting and pine competitive status during the first growing season after prescribed burning in a Mid-Atlantic mixedwood forest.	M Olson
1:15-1:30*	Analyzing 62 year data on shortleaf pine trees in common garden experiment.	G Gallagher, M Olson
1:30-1:45	Intraspecific competition increases growth of enrichment-planted shortleaf pine seedlings in a mixed-hardwood clearcut on a xeric site after 13 years in the southern Appalachians.	H McNab
1:45-2:00	Restoration of conifers to a xeric oak ridge site by clearcutting and planting shortleaf and pitch pines - lessons learned after 13 years.	H McNab
2:00-2:15	Early growth and survival of bareroot loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), bareroot shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), and containerized shortleaf pine in central Mississippi.	S Madden, H Renninger, A Self, A Ezell, J Granger
2:15-2:30	Radial growth response of shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) and post oak (Quercus stellata) to climatic variability and management in southeastern Oklahoma.	R Will, A Adhikari, R Masters, H Adams, O Joshi, C Zou
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Oral Session 6B – Upland Hardwoods Management II
1:00-1:15*	Preferential herbivory by cottontail rabbits (Syvilagus floridanus) in planted oak seedlings.	S Madden, H Renninger, A Self, A Ezell, J Granger
1:15-1:30	Fifth year development of natural regeneration following pre-commercial herbicide release treatments.	S Peairs, W Clatterbuck
1:30-1:45	Understory invasion by Microstegium vimineum in a closed-canopy oak forest leads to high mortality of white and Shumard oak seedlings.	H Alexander, C Goldsmith, J McDaniel, R Nation, A Paulson
1:45-2:00*	Is there hope for hybrid poplars in the southern United States.	K Smith, R Rousseau, M Murphy
2:00-2:15	Water use and efficiency of eastern cottonwood and hybrid poplars grown on contrasting sites in the Southeastern U.S.	H Renninger, L Stewart, R Rousseau
*Student Competition

Poster Presentation Information

The pre-recorded Poster summary presentations should be 3-5 minutes.
These should be a brief introduction of the presenter and an overview of the study.
You will create and submit a scientific poster. (This will be a pdf submitted with the presentation file on [insert date])
This pdf file will be posted on the conference page in addition to the 3-5 minute pre-recorded summary presentation.

You may want to include the following:

Introduce major findings and their importance
State major questions/hypotheses and their connection to current theory
Read through the abstract, all-the-while scrolling through the graphical aids to complement the abstract text where applicable
Describe the study design and what questions they seek to address
Invite the viewers to engage in a discussion of the Poster during the Poster Session on Tuesday 3/16 from 3-5 CST.

Oral Presentation Information

The pre-recorded oral presentations should be 10-12 minutes long.
The total session time will be 15 minutes, with 3-5 minutes allotted for live questions at the end.
Please ensure you stick to recording times to keep the conference running to time.
A moderator will load and play the recording for each session and help facilitate Q&A.

General Presenter Tips

We prefer you use Zoom to record your presentation.
If you are not recording with picture in picture, have a photo of yourself near the beginning of your presentation. This allows people to visualize you talking to them during the session.
A plug-in microphone will give your presentation a better sound quality. It will also help mitigate any outside noises from interfering.
Create an outline or script to keep you on track. It can remind you of what you want to say for each slide and keep you from talking too long on a single slide.
A smile can be heard in how you speak and the audience will hear your enthusiasm.
Speak slowly, but naturally, so the audience can absorb your content. Pausing allows the audience to process everything they have heard.
Email csiegert@bssrc.org with questions.

How to Video Links:
Copy the link and paste it into your browser

How to Prepare Prerecorded Presentations that Work
https://todayslearner.cengage.com/how-to-prepare-prerecorded-presentations-that-work

5 Tips To Making and Awesome PowerPoint Presentation
https://www.linkedin.com/business/learning/blog/productivity-tips/5-best-practices-for-making-awesome-powerpoint-slides

Tips for recording a PowerPoint with Zoom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmMSXOQVQs4

All oral presenters are required to submit an extended abstract or short manuscript to the conference proceedings by August 1, 2021. There is no cost associated with submitting an extended abstract or conference proceedings manuscript.

In addition to these options, oral presenters can submit a full manuscript to a special edition of Frontiers in Forests and Global Change dedicated to the 21st BSSRC. Submitting to the special edition is optional and will incur a $1,150 open access fee that is solely the responsibility of the author. Submissions to the special edition are due by June 1, 2021. Oral presenters submitting a manuscript to the special edition are still expected to contribute an extended abstract or short manuscript to the conference proceedings. Poster presenters are not expected to contribute to the special edition or conference proceedings. For further information on publication options contact John Willis.

Download more information about publishing in the Special Edition.

Download more information about publishing in the Conference Proceedings.

Abstract Booklet

Download the abstract booklet.

Session Attendance

Go to conference home page at http://forestrywebinars.net/series-1/2021-silvicultural-research-conference
Click the link 'How to Join Sessions'
Click the link to the session you want to join
You'll be directed to the event details page. From there, click the 'Join Live' button.
When prompted for the passcode, enter bssrc21
On the participant information screen, enter your information. Note, if you want a certificate or continuing education credit, make sure you select YES to the 'Do you want continuing education credit…' question.
Start the live Zoom session by clicking the 'Start Webinar' button under STEP-1.
To receive your certificate of participation and continuing education credits - At the conclusion of the live session, return to your open browser window and follow the instructions for STEP-2 where you'll be prompted to certify your attendance. You'll then be prompted with a link to view/download your certificate and you'll also be emailed a copy of your certificate.
If you are having technical issues logging in, please email, csiegert@bssrc.org.

Attendance Etiquette

Remember, when you enter the sessions, you are muted.
Use your chat box to ask questions. It's best to post questions during the presentation and listen for a response after the presentation concludes.
Send direct messages to other participants using the chatbox.
Join the "Social Hour" session to network and connect with others attending. This will be an interactive live session.
We suggest you watch presentations in the order they are listed, but that is not required.
You are not required to attend all sessions. You can come and go as you wish.

Continuing Education Credits

To certify your attendance to apply for continuing education credit and receive a certificate of participation for participating in today's event:

Please return to your open web browser window and complete STEP-2.
Each of the conference sessions, excluding the poster session, qualifies for 2 hour Category 1 CFE credits from the Society of American Foresters.
If you provide your SAF ID when you certify your attendance in STEP-2, your participation will be automatically reported to SAF the first week of next month.
State Chapter SAF members should also include their state SAF id when certifying their attendance.