The vanishing long leaf pine forest
I am a dendrophile, that is, a person who loves trees and forests. One of my favorite trees is the longleaf pine. About 150 years ago, the Southeast United States contained 90 million acres of longleaf pine forests. Today, that number is less than 5 million acres. From Texas to Central Florida and north to Virginia, old growth longleaf pine forests were consumed at a staggering rate after the American Civil War. Reconstruction after the war demanded a lot of timber, and the abundant pine forests of the Southeast Coastal Plain region met that demand.
Longleaf pine was prized for its strength and straightness. They can grow up to 120 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter. As the longleaf pine tree ages, it develops a pith that runs through the center of the trunk. This pith is where resin accumulates and is referred to by many as the “heart of the pine.” Heart pine wood was used to construct many buildings in the coastal plain region. One of the many reasons for its popularity and use was that termites will not eat it, making it a preferred wood choice for builders.
Almost all the old growth pine trees have been cut down or replaced by faster growing pine trees developed for the pulp industry. There are a few enterprising individuals who roam the back roads of the Southeast looking for old barns and houses made of heart of pine. They will agree to demolish the building for the rights to the wood. They re-mill the wood and sell it to preservationists who restore old homes and buildings.
Many longleaf pine trees were cut and floated to market down rivers and streams. Today, many of those pines are sitting on the bottom of local waterbodies covered in silt. The trees are perfectly preserved and divers re-float these trees, mill them and sell the wood.
Longleaf pine was also prized for its naval stores and turpentine. In the Early 1900s, 70% of the world's turpentine supply came from the longleaf pine forests of the Southeast United States. Today, only 1% of the remaining longleaf pine forest contains “old growth" pine trees.
In time, large sections of the longleaf pine forest were turned into agricultural land, which fragmented the forest habitat. The U.S. Forest Service's policy of suppressing fire also contributed to the loss of longleaf pine forests. Fire was seen as bad for decades until scientists learned fire was necessary for growth and just as important as water and sunlight for longleaf pine forests. Remarkably, a burned longleaf pine forest floor will begin to recover from fire and burst with new life within three to four weeks.
Many animal and bird species depend on the longleaf pine forest. The red cockaded woodpecker, endemic to the Southeast, will spend 2 to 4 years building a cavity in a longleaf pine tree. These cavities remain in the red cockaded woodpecker family for generations. If a male red cockaded woodpecker dies, one of his sons will defend the nest. Mom will move out when her son finds a mate and another generation of woodpeckers will call the cavity its home.
In the 1700s it was estimated that there were millions of red cockaded woodpeckers in the longleaf pine forest. By 1970, there were fewer than 3,000 breeding pairs remaining. That number has risen to 7,500 breeding pairs thanks to breeding efforts by the U.S. Forest Service and other conservation groups.
Other species that utilize the longleaf pine forest include gopher tortoises. They withstand natural fires that occur in the forest by building a burrow in the sand. The gopher tortoise burrow provides shelter for many other species of animals such as the indigo snake and gopher frog.
The carnivorous pitcher plant is dependent on the sandy soils of the longleaf pine forest too. By trapping and consuming insects, the pitcher plant can grow and thrive in the nutrient-poor sandy soils of the longleaf pine forest. The pitcher plants entice all kinds of insects, including ants, moths and butterflies, to their mouths. Once in the mouth of the plant, the insect becomes trapped. The throat of the plant is lined with tiny hairs pointing down, making it impossible for insects to escape.
Today, with less than 5 million acres of longleaf pine forest remaining in the Southeast United States, restoration efforts continue to rebuild this important resource. Many of the pine forests we see in Nassau County are planted with a monoculture pine designed to mature in 18 years. These pine forests are being sold for development as paper product use declines globally.
Instead of selling pine forest agricultural land to developers, farmers have another tool available to them for consideration — land conservation easements. A land conservation easement is a legally binding agreement that permanently limits certain property uses to protect its conservation values. While the landowner retains ownership, they agree to restrict development or other activities that could harm the land’s natural, scenic, agricultural, or historic characteristics.
Most conservation easements are donated. But if your land has very high conservation value, your local land trust may be willing to raise funds to purchase an easement. Several federal, state, and local programs provide funding to purchase conservation easements on farmland and ranchland. For additional information about organizations creating and purchasing land conservation easements, visit the Land Trust Alliance.
In Nassau County, thousands of homes are planned for development on forested land. Most of this land is planted with monoculture pine trees designed to grow fast for pulp industry. I would love to see some of this land placed into conservation and replanted with longleaf pine trees to help restore old growth pine forests in the Southeast United States.
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BBillings
Yet another outstanding article by Lauri Holton.
Tuesday, October 28 Report this
PannoneLyn
North Florida Land Trust is our local land trust which has protected 100's of acres in Nassau county. Call them at 904 479-1967 or visit their website at nflt.org
Wednesday, October 29 Report this
Dennis
Excellent article, we are big supporters of pine straw for landscape. Danny's just delivered our Fall supply today!
Wednesday, October 29 Report this
Mark Tomes
With its sparse understory, diverse fauna and flora, and dappled sunlight ripping through the canopy, long leaf pine forests are some of the most harmonious and lovely of any forest type. Not mentioned in the article is that a major benefit of putting land into a conservation easement is a large property tax break for the property owner. We need to save as many trees as we can, even if they were planted as a timber crop, as tree plantations can eventually grow into mature forests, providing habitat for wildlife, intake of carbons to reduce climate change problems, recreation opportunities, and general benefits to quality of life. Laurie does a great service by mentioning land trusts, and I would add that ultimately it all comes down to who you vote for. Recruit, support, campaign for, and help maintain conservation-minded candidates.
Wednesday, October 29 Report this
EPD3EPD3
Amelia Island has a number of old growth long leaf pines worthy of protection as Heritage Trees.
Thursday, October 30 Report this
HelenRayner
I strongly recommend the book, Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray.
It’s a N.FL classic and an education in Longleaf ecology.
Also visit Appachicola National Forest south of Tallahassee to see ‘the real deal’.
Friday, October 31 Report this