Natural longleaf pine: An overview of stand dynamics
Abstract
Prior to the arrival of settlers to the United States. natural communities dominated by longleaf pine occurred throughout most of the southern Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains. These communities once covered an estimated ninety million acres, or two-thirds of the area in the Southeast. It covered more acreage than any other North American ecosystem dominated by a single tree species. Dissimilar to other southern pines, longleaf pine tolerates a wide variety of habits. It is found growing on dry mountain slopes and ridges, to the low, wet flatwoods, as well as the excessively drained sandhills found along the coast and fall line. Exploitation of longleaf pine-dominated forests led to a steady decline of its acreage. Today, estimates indicate that less than 3 million acres remain. A 1995 Biological Survey Report listed the longleaf pine forest as the third most endangered ecosystem in the U.S. Private, state, and federal land managers have recently undertaken ecological restoration and reforestation in the longleaf pine forests of the southeastern United States. Research from the Escambia Experimental Forest and the long-term U.S. Forest Service Regional Longleaf Pine Grow. Study will be used to present an overview of naturally regenerated longleaf pine stand dynamics. Among the topics discussed will be: its ahility to sustain growth at high densities and older ages, over 150 years; recent observations of increased growth; factors affecting regeneration success; and its use for high-value wood products and long-term carbon storage.