Table 3 Average abundance of needles (mean ± SE), average density (no. of needles per cm), and average needle length (cm) per strata (top, upper middle, lower middle, and bottom) by species type

Loblolly

148.2 (51.3)b

10.3 (4.2)b

5.9 (1.9)

Slash pine (typical)

306.6 (34.2)a

17.1 (2.8)b

6.9 (1.3)

Slash pine (south Florida)

288.7 (29.6)a

28.0 (2.4)a

9.5 (1.1)

p = 0.045

p = 0.002

p = 0.164

Loblolly

204.3 (54.5)b

13.5 (4.5)b

11.2 (3.6)b

Slash pine (typical)

276.0 (35.7)b

15.6 (2.9)b

15.9 (2.4)b

Slash pine (south Florida)

399.5 (35.7)a

37.9 (2.9)a

24.5 (2.4)a

p = 0.018

p < 0.001

p = 0.015

Loblolly

256.1 (33.0)

16.1 (2.0)b

19.6 (0.5)b

Slash pine (typical)

356.7 (33.0)

19.6 (2.0)ab

25.1 (0.5)a

Slash pine (south Florida)

282.5 (61.7)

27.9 (3.7)a

26.3 (0.9)a

p = 0.109

p = 0.030

p < 0.001

Loblolly

145.4 (25.8)a

9.5 (2.1)a

19.0 (3.0)a

Slash pine (typical)

0 (28.8)b

0 (2.3)b

0 (3.3)b

Slash pine (south Florida)

64.6 (19.2)b

6.2 (1.5)a

25.4 (2.2)a

p = 0.006

p = 0.025

p < 0.001