Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda)

Present distribution

Scientific name:	Pinus taeda L.
Common name(s):	loblolly pine

This weed is not known to be naturalised in Victoria

Habitat:

Grows on ridge tops (Baker & Langdon 2009) sandy/gravely savannas, hilly woodlands (LBJ 2007), river swamps, deep/shallow interior swamps,
hammocks, well-drained uplands, peaty soils, narrow stream swamps, lowlands, savannas, abandoned fields. Variety of soils, rich/poor, wet/dry
(Wahlenberg 1960). Tolerant to waterlogging, salinity and frost. Somewhat tolerant to fire and drought (Wahlenberg 1960; LBJ 2007; Pederick 1983).

Potential distribution

Potential distribution produced from CLIMATE modelling refined by applying suitable landuse and vegetation type overlays with CMA boundaries

Map Overlays Used

Land Use:
Forestry; pasture dryland; pasture irrigation

Ecological Vegetation Divisions
Coastal; swampy scrub; freshwater wetland (permanent); treed swampy wetland; lowland forest; foothills forest; forby forest; damp forest; riparian; wet forest; rainforest; high altitude shrubland/woodland; high altitude wetland; granitic hillslopes; rocky outcrop shrubland; riverine woodland/forest; freshwater wetland (ephemeral); saline wetland

Colours indicate possibility of Pinus taeda infesting these areas.

In the non-coloured areas the plant is unlikely to establish as the climate, soil or landuse is not presently suitable.

map showing the potential distribution of pinus taeda

Red= Very high	Orange = Medium
Yellow = High	Green = Likely

Impact

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Social
1. Restrict human access?	Trees to 46 m; trunk to 1.6 m diameter (FNA 2009) and has been known to frequently grow in near pure stands (Sargent 1949). Major impediment to access waterways or machinery. Significant works required to provide reasonable access, tracks closed or impassable.	H	M
2. Reduce tourism?	Trees to 46 m; trunk to 1.6 m diameter (FNA 2009) and has been known to frequently grow in near pure stands (Sargent 1949). Major impact on recreation. Weeds obvious to most visitors, with visitor response complaints AND a major reduction in visitors.	H	M
3. Injurious to people?	No effect, no prickles, no injuries (Wahlenberg 1960; Sargent 1949; FNA 2009)	L	M
4. Damage to cultural sites?	Trees to 46 m; trunk to 1.6 m diameter (FNA 2009) and has been known to frequently grow in near pure stands (Sargent 1949). Moderate visual effect	ML	M
Abiotic
5. Impact flow?	Grows in swamplands and river bottoms (Wahlenberg 1960). Major impact on either surface OR subsurface flow.	MH	MH
6. Impact water quality?	Grows in swamplands and river bottoms (Wahlenberg 1960). Noticeable but moderate effects in both dissolved oxygen and light; causing increased algal growth.	MH	MH
7. Increase soil erosion?	Can grow on “old field that have lost over half their topsoil from erosion” (Wahlenberg 1960). Decreases the probability of soil erosion.	L	MH
8. Reduce biomass?	“When abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species and to form numerous pure stands” (Wahlenberg 1960). Biomass may increase.	L	MH
9. Change fire regime?	“When abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species, and to form numerous pure stands” (Wahlenberg 1960). Greatly changes the frequency AND/OR intensity of fire risk.	H	MH
Community Habitat
10. Impact on composition (a) high value EVC	EVC = Lignum wetland (V); CMA = North Central; Bioregion = Victorian Riverina; H CLIMATE potential. Major displacement of some dominant spp. within a strata/layer.	MH	H
(b) medium value EVC	EVC = Riverine Chenopod Woodland (D); CMA = North Central; Bioregion = Murray Mallee; H CLIMATE potential. Major displacement of some dominant spp. within a strata/layer.	MH	H
(c) low value EVC	EVC = Samphire shrubland (LC); CMA = North Central; Bioregion = Victorian Riverina; H CLIMATE potential. Major displacement of some dominant spp. within a strata/layer.	MH	H
11. Impact on structure?	“Frequently growing in nearly pure forests on rolling uplands” (Sargent 1949). “When abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species, and to form numerous pure stands... loblolly pine usually dominated the overstorey, but seldom dominated the understorey” (Wahlenberg 1960). Major effect on <60% of the floral strata.	MH	MH
12. Effect on threatened flora?	“Frequently growing in nearly pure forests on rolling uplands” (Sargent 1949). “When abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species, and to form numerous pure stands” (Wahlenberg 1960). Likely to replace threatened spp, however the impact on Bioregional Priority 1A and VROT species has not yet been determined.	MH	L
Fauna
13. Effect on threatened fauna?	“Frequently growing in nearly pure forests on rolling uplands” (Sargent 1949). “When abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species, and to form numerous pure stands” (Wahlenberg 1960). Habitat changed dramatically, however the impact on Bioregional Priority and VROT species has not yet been determined.	MH	L
14. Effect on non-threatened fauna?	“Frequently growing in nearly pure forests on rolling uplands” (Sargent 1949). “When abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species and to form numerous pure stands” (Wahlenberg 1960). Habitat changed dramatically, leading to the possible extinction of non-threatened fauna.	H	MH
15. Benefits fauna?	“Use Wildlife: Nesting site, Cover, Seeds-Small mammals, Seeds-granivorous birds” (LBJ 2007). May provide an important alternative food source and/or harbour to desirable species.	ML	ML
16. Injurious to fauna?	No effect (Wahlenberg 1960; Sargent 1949; FNA 2009).	L	M
Pest Animal
17. Food source to pests?	Rabbits cause frequent light and occasional severe injury to loblolly pine seedlings” (Wahlenberg 1960). Supplies food to a serious pest, but at low levels.	MH	MH
18. Provides harbour?	May provide a nesting site and cover (LBJ 2007) for invasive birds. Doesn’t provide harbour for serious pest species, but may provide for minor pest species.	ML	ML
Agriculture
19. Impact yield?	“Agricultural failures increased pine stands” and “when abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species, and to form numerous pure stands” (Wahlenberg 1960). Serious impacts on quantity.	H	MH
20. Impact quality?	“Agricultural failures increased pine stands” and “when abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species and to form numerous pure stands... Cattle seldom graze on pines if other green forage is available... Sheep, and especially goats, are inherently more destructive than deer or cattle because of close cropping and indiscriminate browsing” (Wahlenberg 1960). Minor impact on quality of produce.	ML	MH
21. Affect land value?	“Agricultural failures increased pine stands” and “when abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species, and to form numerous pure stands” (Wahlenberg 1960). Major significance > 10%.	H	MH
22. Change land use?	“When abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species, and to form numerous pure stands” (Wahlenberg 1960). Major detrimental change and significant loss for agricultural usage.	H	MH
23. Increase harvest costs?	“When abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species, and to form numerous pure stands” (Wahlenberg 1960) – minor increase in the cost of harvesting (e.g. rounding up cattle in a forest compared with field)	M	MH
24. Disease host/vector?	P. taeda is a host species for sirex woodwasp (Sirex noctilio), which “has proven to be devastating to many commercial pine plantations, as well as natural forests, with mortality rates as high as 80%” (ISSG 2007), however this “is no longer regarded as a major threat to plantations due to improved stand management and biological controls” (van de Hoef 2003). Provides host to minor (or common) pests, or diseases.	M	M

Invasive

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Establishment
1. Germination requirements?	“Seeds are cold stratified for 60 days and germinate at 21C” (Baskin & Baskin 2002). Requires natural seasonal disturbances for germination	MH	M
2. Establishment requirements?	“The light need for [seedling] survival is very low.” However “seedlings which start growth under a low intensity of light may die. Those that survive are delayed in attaining resistance to both drought and fire as compared to open-grown saplings whose development is more rapid” (Wahlenberg 1960) . Can establish under moderate canopy/litter cover.	MH	MH
3. How much disturbance is required?	“When abandoned fields became available to loblolly pine it promptly invaded many sites to mingle over extensive areas with various other species and to form numerous pure stands... Loblolly pine has taken over longleaf pine cutover lands where hogs had destroyed much longleaf pine regeneration (Wahlenberg 1960). “Often springing up on lands exhausted by agriculture” (Sargent 1949). Establishes in overgrazed pastures/poorly growing or patchy crops.	ML	M
Growth/Competitive
4. Life form?	Tree (Wahlenberg 1960).	L	MH
5. Allelopathic properties?	Known to posses allelopathic chemicals, namely pinene (Inderjit & del Moral 1997) , however it is not known to what extent these affect other plants	M	L
6. Tolerates herb pressure?	“Animals large or small, and domestic or wild, often damage, but seldom prevent the regeneration of loblolly pine.” Although deer feed off young seedlings, growth is not notable reduced. Hogs feed off loblolly pine the least of the southern pines; however they have been known to kill large amounts of young plants. “Cattle and horses do less harm than sheep and goats, but in farm woodlands grazing by cattle may be a serious problem. Cattle seldom graze on pines if other green forage is available, but some incidental browsing and trampling damage can be expected in the first years after seeding or planting where cattle are not excluded... the form and vigour of young trees was often poor because of mechanical injuries by the cattle... fortunately, loblolly pine usually recovers readily from early retardation... Sheep, and especially goats, are inherently more destructive than deer or cattle because of close cropping and indiscriminate browsing. This kills many loblolly pines during the first year or two after planting... Rabbits cause frequent light and occasional severe injury to loblolly pine seedlings” (Wahlenberg 1960). Also “suffers damage from pine beetles” (LBJ 2007). Consumed but non-preferred or consumed but recovers quickly.	MH	M
7. Normal growth rate?	“For the first 25 or 30 years loblolly pine grows faster in both diameter and height” than douglas-fir and competes well among other tree species (Wahlenberg 1960). Rapid growth rate that will exceed most other species of the same life form.	H	MH
8. Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?	Grows in deep moist soil, medium and shallow soils, well-drained sites however the “seedlings proved surprisingly resistant to injury by flooding... In the salt marshes along the coast loblolly pine is able to grow for long periods, but it does no tolerate salt spray.” Although “frequent fires have been most effective in limiting the original range of loblolly pine... the reduced use of fire... places loblolly pine at a disadvantage in competition with its deciduous competitors... Unlike longleaf pine, loblolly pine seedlings possess no thick-barked ‘grass stage’ highly resistant to fire. Most seedlings under 5 feet in height are killed by prescribed burning. Shade-grown saplings, with bark and height growth both retarded, long remain susceptible to killing by light fires. Nor do they have the noteworthy ability of shortleaf pine to sprout from the base after fire deadens the tops... The prime cause of first-year seedling mortality is drought... After their first growing season... more resistant to short droughts. As they are still relatively small and superficially rooted, prolonged drought is still harmful” (Wahlenberg 1960). High water usage; cold tolerant; fire resistant (LBJ 2007) and grows where summer droughts are common (Pederick 1983). Tolerant to waterlogging, salinity and frost. Somewhat tolerant to fire and drought.	MH	M
Reproduction
9. Reproductive system	Sexual, cross pollinated (Wahlenberg 1960).	ML	MH
10. Number of propagules produced?	“Seed trees ordinarily must be at least 12 inches d.b.h. and 30 to 50 years old to yield 9,000 to 15,000 seeds each” (Wahlenberg 1960). Above 2000.	H	MH
11. Propagule longevity?	“Few seeds remain viable (not more that 0.1 percent) on the forest floor for germination in the second year after seedfall” (Baker & Langdon 2009).	L	M
12. Reproductive period?	Can live up to 245 years (Baker, Langdon 2009). Mature plant produces viable propagules for 10 years or more.	H	M
13. Time to reproductive maturity?	“Seed trees ordinarily must be at least 12 inches d.b.h. and 30 to 50 years old to yield 9,000 to 15,000 seeds each” (Wahlenberg 1960). “Does not normally flower at an early age, although flowering has been induced on young grafts with scion age of only 3 years” (Baker & Langdon 2009). 2-5 years to reach sexual maturity	ML	M
Dispersal
14. Number of mechanisms?	Wind (Wahlenberg 1960).	MH	MH
15. How far do they disperse?	Can be dispersed to 91 m in a downwind direction from the seed source (Baker & Langdon 2009) Very few to none will disperse to one kilometre, most 20-200 metres.	ML	M

References

Baker JB, Langdon OG (2009) Loblolly pine. Available at http://forestry.about.com/library/silvics/blsilpintae.htm (verified 30 June 2009).

Baskin CC, Baskin JM (2002) Protocol information. University of Kentucky. Available at http://nativeplantnetwork.org/network/view.asp?protocol_id=1990 (verified 29 June 2009).

Flora of North America (FNA) (2009) Pinus taeda. Available at http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200005364 (verified 29 June 2009).

Inderjit, del Moral R (1997) Is separating resource competition from allelopathy realistic? The Botanical Review 63(3), 221-230.

ISSG (2007) Global invasive species database. National Biological Information Infrastructure and IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group. Available at
http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=1211&fr=1&sts= (verified 23 June 2009).

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centre (LBJ) (2007) Native plant database. Available at http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PITA (verified 29 June 2009).

Pederick LA (1983) A review of the past performance and potential suitability of conifers (other than Pinus radiata) for planting in Victoria. Research Branch Forests Commission Victoria.

Sargent CS (1949) Manual of the trees of North America; Vol 1. Dover Publications, New York.

Spencer R (1995) Horticultural flora of south-eastern Australia; Vol 1. UNSW Press.

Van de Hoef L (2003) Radiata pine for farm forestry. Department of Primary Industries, Victoria. Available at http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nreninf.nsf/childdocs/-1C62D26CD3AF6FE44A2568B300051289-0A38C6F4DA19A236CA256BC80005ACBD-5F35DFAFEA9EE75E4A256DEA00276C0FF64E4AF8E2F12AAECA256BCF000BBDE5?open (verified 23 June 2009).

Wahlenburg WG (1960) Loblolly pine; its use, ecology, regeneration, protection, growth and management. The School of Forestry Duke University.

Global present distribution data references

Australian National Herbarium (ANH) (2009) Australia’s Virtual Herbarium, Australian National Herbarium, Centre for Plant Diversity and Research, Available at http://www.anbg.gov.au/avh/ (verified 24 June 2009).

Department of the Environment and Heritage (Commonwealth of Australia). (1993 – On-going) Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) http://www.cpbr.gov.au/apni/index.html (verified 24 June 2009).

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2009) Global biodiversity information facility, Available at http://www.gbif.org/ (verified 24 June 2009).

Integrated Taxonomic Information System. (2009) Available at http://www.itis.gov/ (verified 24 June 2009).

Missouri Botanical Gardens (MBG) (2009) w³TROPICOS, Missouri Botanical Gardens Database, Available at http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html (verified 24 June 2009).

United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. Taxonomy Query. (2009) Available at http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxgenform.pl (verified 24 June 2009).

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