Lowell K. Halls

Total forage yield (TFY) on a pine-hardwood forest site in east Texas was sampled before and I growing season after clearcutting (1972 and 1973), also I and 3 growing seasons after planting site preparation by burning, choping, or KG blading (1974 and 1976). Total forage yield was only 359 kg/ ha in the uncut forest, but 2217 kg/ ha after clearcutting. On control plots (no site preparation), TFY peaked in the first growing season after clearcutting with 2917 kg/ ha, but by 1976 decreased to 1983 kg/ ha. On burned plots, TFY peaked the first growing season after burning (3540 kg/ ha) and...

Burning reduced the dense growth between 3-year-old Japanese honeysuckle plants and prevented the resprouting of runners. Mowing removed the dense accumulation of vines, but the severed runners resprouted to create a uniformly dense carpet. Crude protein of foliage was highest on the burned plots, but neither calcium nor phosphorus were significantly affected by the treatments.

In an east Texas pine-hardwood forest moderately stocked with white-tailed deer. average utilization of 73 recorded species of browse was 18 percent. Fifteen to 20 species furnished most of the browse diet. On the average. laurel greenbrier was grazed most heavily. Although most deciduous species received heaviest use in spring and summer, many of them were also eaten in fall and winter. Heavy browsing during winter was confined primarily to evergreens.

Twig growth of young browse plants growing in the open was several times greater than that of plants beneath pine trees. The difference was most pronounced when plants were youngest. Most twig growth was within reach of deer (below 5 feet) until plants were 5 or 6 years old, but the proportion decreased with age for tall shrubs and small trees. Although twigs constitute only a small fraction of the browse consumed by deer (Harlow and Hooper 1972), twig length is a good indication oftotal browse yields (Schuster 1965). This paper presents data on the length of annual twig growth for...