Managing Pine Trees and Bahiagrass For Timber and Cattle Production

Since the early 1950's, many southern landowners have accidentally grown pine trees and bahiagrass on the same land. During the Conservation Reserve Soil Bank Program, over 1.7 million acres were planted to pine trees in the Coastal States where Bahiagrass is frequently used a a pasture grass. Although there are no accurate estimates of the acres of trees planted in bahiagrass fields, large acreages of the Soil Bank pine trees were established in bahiagrass fields.

The information here applies primarily to the eastern coastal plain region and to the south, where sandy and gently sloping or level sites are found. This is intended to help foresters and related professionals to assist landowners who have both cattle and timber management capabilities and objectives, along with the financial and physical resources needed to make such management practical and profitable.