NEWS

Dr. Paul Jackson, Ray & Dorothy Young Professor of Plant Science in the School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry, designed a graduate course called Longleaf Pine Dynamics, which gained excitement from The Longleaf Alliance’s national magazine.

“The Longleaf Alliance (TLA) is the premier organization that promotes the restoration, awareness, and sustainable usage of longleaf pine ecosystems. It was an honor to have our focus of studying longleaf pine featured in TLA’s quarterly magazine,” Jackson said. “It is an exciting time as we are beginning to understand through our research more about the natural hybridization of longleaf pine, which has not been looked at for a century.”

The organization publishes a quarterly magazine focused on all aspects of longleaf pine restoration. Jackson has been involved in longleaf pine regeneration research for 20 years, mainly focusing on seed and seedling research in the nursery with some of that spilling over to outplanting performance and establishment in the field.

Kelsey Shoemaker is in her second year as Jackson’s graduate student, and he saw the need for her knowledge to be expanded through a new course designed to provide lectures from experts in longleaf pine across the South. Individuals from across seven states, including Jackson, delivered lectures on various topics related to the production and management of the tree and its ecosystem.

“I am so thankful that Dr. Jackson created this course,” Shoemaker said. “It was unique to any other learning experience I had before because I interacted with some of the most experienced leaders and researchers involved in longleaf pine regeneration and management every single class period. Each week, speakers would pose discussion-based questions as an assignment, which I would submit to them for feedback.”

The published article is based on answers submitted by Shoemaker to questions given by Mr. Ad Platt, the TLA Vice President for Operations. He was impressed with her work and felt it had to be shared.

“I am so grateful to Mr. Platt and TLA for giving Dr. Jackson and me the opportunity to be featured on their platform,” Shoemaker said. “I can confidently say that it’s been the greatest accomplishment that I am most proud of.”

To read the article and to learn more about the TLA, visit longleafalliance.org.