Land use at Fort Benning leaves small-scale features such as gullies, trails, and roads, and potentially affects soil texture and chemistry, and vegetation composition. Our preliminary results suggest soil texture in heavily used sites, those open to mechanized training, reflects sand deposition from upslope. These sites also may have a greater potential for nitrogen loss following soil disturbance. Clayey sites appear to be more productive and richer. More heavily used sites have a high proportion of pines in the canopy, lower tree density, and an “open site” ground layer. Goals of upland forest management at Fort Benning are to sustain the military mission and promote the longleaf pine ecosystem, which supports the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Upland pine ecosystems may be favored by military training and forest management practices such as frequent prescribed burning.

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