Bareroot vs. Containerized Stock Types: Shortleaf Pine Growth Comparison on a Planted Stand in Bahama, North Carolina

Abstract

Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) is a native species of ecological and economic value, yet it has declined across much of its historic range. This project examined the performance of bareroot and containerized shortleaf pine seedlings after a prescribed burn at the Umstead Research Station in Bahama, North Carolina. The goal was to evaluate the effects of seedling stock type and a prescribed burn treatment on survival, diameter growth, and height growth after eight years of growth. The working hypothesis was that there would be no statistically significant difference in survival, and diameter and height growth between the two seedling stock types. Field data were collected from 861 seedlings and statistically analyzed using Chi-square tests, Welch t- tests, and two-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD post-hoc comparisons using R via RStudio (2024.12.1 Build 563). While survival was slightly higher for bareroot seedlings (52%) compared to containerized (47%), the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.13). However, survival was significantly higher for seedlings planted in burned plots than in unburned plots (p < 0.001), with bareroot seedlings achieving 61% survival and containerized seedlings 57% survival in burned areas. Bareroot seedlings also had a significantly larger mean diameter (2.52 in) than containerized seedlings (2.37 in; p = 0.04). The prescribed burn had a highly significant effect on both diameter and height (p < 0.001): burned seedlings exhibited greater diameter and height regardless of seed stock type. No significant interaction was found between seed stock type and burn status, indicating that burn effects were consistent across seedling types.