Longleaf Pine Current Range

Longleaf pine pinus palustris mill was once one of the most ecologically important tree species in the southern united states with longleaf pine forests spanning an estimated 92 million acres in a range that stretched from southwest virginia to eastern texas.

Longleaf pine current range. Longleaf pine forests were remarkable in the sense that they covered such a large geographical range. Although the species occurs in a wide variety of upland and flatwood sites it is common on sandy infertile well drained soils mostly below 660 feet elevation. The longleaf pine pinus palustris is a pine species native to the southeastern united states found along the coastal plain from east texas to southern maryland extending into northern and central florida. There are 2 36 million acres of longleaf pine ecosystems confirmed in florida.

Seeing longleaf pine forests today many natural resource specialists often erroneously assume that the species is relegated to dry sandy. Additional efforts to restore the current range and to improve natural resource management policies that favor the longleaf pine ecosystem are urgently needed. Longleaf pine is distributed throughout the southeast. Camp set longleaf pine and wiregrass in the early light of day 61.

Today even though there s a lot of interest longleaf pine forest ecosystems. Less than four percent of longleaf pine forests remain roughly 3 4 million acres. Significant landscapes for longleaf pine conservation. 25 mile buffer dod presence along the gulf of mexico.

Seventy three percent 1 72 million acres is longleaf dominant or co dominant in canopy. Suggest that longleaf pine provides advantages values and benefits that could mitigate negative impacts inherent within each of the five major categories that this review investigates. It reaches a height of 30 35 m 98 115 ft and a diameter of 0 7 m 28 in. In the past before extensive logging they reportedly grew to 47 m 154 ft with a diameter of 1 2 m 47 in.

The longleaf wiregrass system is intact in under 5 of its 90 million acre range. Photo by carlton ward jr. Alabama louisiana mississippi and texas forestry as a solution for gulf prosperity draft coastal management zone. What s more a mere 12 000 of those acres an area half the size of montana s largest city billings are populated by old growth longleaf pine.

Since european settlement longleaf pine decreased in area by an estimated of 96 which has contributed to an 80 decrease in population densities of gopher tortoise. Even worse the remaining longleaf pine is in largely fragmented stands and much is in poor condition. This means that there is only 4 of longleaf pine remaining. Forty percent of mapped.

Longleaf pine grows best in a warm wet temperate climate with an annual precipitation range of 43 to 69 inches. Longleaf pine forests include abundant low herbaceous plant growth and open canopy space for tortoise s eggs to incubate. Perhaps what is taken for granted is how diverse this forest type was and is across the landscape. Map courtesy of the longleaf alliance.