More info for the terms:
competition,
cover,
forest,
treeNew Mexico locust competes with conifer seedlings and saplings for
moisture and light [
26]. Because of its rapid growth and prolific
sprouting, efforts are made to suppress New Mexico locust, especially
after timber harvest [
13,
14,
39]. Brush competition is usually
detrimental to seedling or juvenile tree growth [
10,
26,
30]. However,
Coffman [
10] showed that under adverse planting conditions, the highest
establishment rates of planted Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
seedlings occurred under moderate or heavy cover of New Mexico locust
and Gambel oak.
Mechanical methods alone do not successfully control New Mexico locust
[
26]. Gottfried [
26] tested combinations of mechanical and chemical
control methods on New Mexico locust in central Arizona. There was no
significant difference among the various treatments after 1 year.
However, 4 years after the combination treatment of (1) cutting stems
during dormancy, (2) painting stumps with 2,4-D, and (3) spraying
sprouts with 2,4,5-T, stems were reduced from 104 to 9.
Within 8 years of an 80-acre (32.4 ha) harvest of mixed-conifer forest
in Arizona, 20 acres (8.1 ha) were covered by New Mexico locust. The
New Mexico locust plants were treated with picloram; 86 percent of the
plants were dead after 2 years [
13]. Single applications of soil
herbicides may not eliminate New Mexico locust due to delayed recovery of
plants and establishment of seedlings. Therefore, follow-up spot
treatment is recommended [
13].
In open ponderosa pine stands in northern Arizona, production values for
New Mexico locust were 3 pounds per acre (3.4 kg/ha) [
9]. Ffolliott
[
22] has developed models for predicting understory production in
ponderosa pine or mixed conifer forests of which New Mexico locust is a
component.