7360 x 4912 px | 62,3 x 41,6 cm | 24,5 x 16,4 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
18. Mai 2013
Ort:
Northwest Florida, USA
Weitere Informationen:
Hailed as the leading commercial timber tree in the southeast United States, the native Loblolly pine grows rapidly with a straight trunk clear of branches. It reaches 50 feet in just 20 years, and when mature can top 100 feet with a trunk diameter between 2-3 feet. The bark on young trees is usually dark, blackish-brown and scaly. Mature Loblolly pines are more deeply fissured, have large irregular plates and are reddish-brown. Slender yellow green needles are about 9 inches long. They are stiff, in bundles of 3 (rarely 2) and make quality litter. Female cones are oval to conical, between 2-6 inches long and light brownish-gray in color. Each scale is tipped with a small prickle. Every 3-6 years, an abundant seed crop is produced. The seeds, which require cold stratification, are small, brown, single winged, and remain dormant in seedbeds 4 to 8 months until conditions are right. The crown is pyramidal on young trees but becomes dense and somewhat rounded when fully grown. Loblolly pine has a tap root 4-5 feet in length during the early part of its development but eventually utilizes a network of lateral roots reaching 35 inches below the surface. This feature makes mature specimens wind throw resistant despite their height. Pinus taeda requires 35-65 inches of annual rainfall, 150 frost free days and does not usually survive temperatures below -8°F. It has a low drought tolerance and draws heavily on available moisture near growth site, especially during its growth period of spring and summer. The preferred site has a pH of 4.0-7.0 and deep, moist, poorly draining soil. It can occupy areas with sandy loams or clay and while it can tolerate just about any soil texture, it has no salinity tolerance. Loblolly pine is often found along stream and river flood plains and is often used for soil stabilization because of root system and fast growth.
