Life History and Disturbance Response of Pinus virginiana (Virginia pine)
Family: Pinaceae
Guild: pioneer, dry-site intolerant
Functional Lifeform: small to medium-size evergreen tree
Ecological Role: successfully competes on abandoned fields and dry ridges; on good sites a transitional type gradually replaced by more tolerant hardwood species
Lifespan, yrs (typical/max): 100/200
Shade Tolerance: intolerant
Height, m: 15-23
Canopy Tree: yes
Pollination Agent: wind
Seeding, yrs (begins/optimal/declines): 5/50/100
Mast Frequency, yrs: 3-4
New Cohorts Source: seeds
Flowering Dates: late spring
Flowers/Cones Damaged by Frost: no
Seedfall Begins: late fall -- winter
Seed Banking: 1-10 yrs
Cold Stratification Required: yes
Seed Type/Dispersal Distance/Agent: winged/ to 100 m/ wind
Season of Germination: spring
Seedling Rooting System: shallow spreading
Sprouting: common
Establishment Seedbed Preferences:
Substrate: mineral soil
Light: open areas only
Moisture: moist required
Temperature: neutral
Disturbance response:
Fire: Virginia pine is opportunistic with respect to fire but not fire-dependent. It requires some form of disturbance to regenerate; it decreases when fire or other disturbances are suppressed. It is thin-barked and has shallow roots, and so is sensitive to fire. Some large trees may survive a fire. In the past, moderate- to high-intensity fires probably burned at several-decade intervals, mostly during the dormant season. These fires served to expose mineral soil and eliminate competitors. Virginia pine does not sprout but aggressively colonizes burned sites with seed. Seedling establishment may occur from seeds of surviving trees onsite or from offsite seeds carried by wind.
Air pollution: Virginia pine is sensitive to ozone. Symptoms of foliar injury have been noted in areas of high ambient ozone and under fumigation. Seedlings exhibited reduced height growth and biomass accumulation under controlled fumigation with ozone.