Skip to Main Content
U.S. Forest Service
Caring for the land and serving people

United States Department of Agriculture

Home > Search > Publication Information

  1. Restoring longleaf pine forest ecosystems in the southern United States

    Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on Twitter
    Dislike this pubLike this pub
    Author(s): Dale G. Brockway; Kenneth W. Outcalt; Donald J. Tomczak; E. E. Johnson
    Date: 2002
    Source: In Gardiner, E.S. and Breland, L.J., Compilers. Proceedings of the IUFRO Conference on Restoration of Boreal and Temperate Forests-- Documenting forest restoration knowledge and practices in boreal and temperate ecosystems. Report No.11. Hørsholm, Denmark: Danish Center for Forest, Landscape and Planning: 52-53.
    Publication Series: Scientific Journal (JRNL)
    PDF: Download Publication  (20 KB)

    Description

    Longleafpine (Pinus palustris) forests were historically one of the most extensive ecosystems in North America, covering 38 million ha along the coastal plain from Texas to Virginia and extending into central Florida and the Piedmont and mountains of Alabama and Georgia. Throughout its domain. longleaf pine occurred in forests, woodlands and savannas on a variety of sites ranging from wet flatwoods to xeric sandhills and rocky mountain ridges. In the western coastal plain. longleaf pine understories are dominated by bluestem grasses (Andropogon spp. and Schizachyrium spp.) and from Florida eastward, longleaf pine is commonly associated with wiregrass (Aristida spp.) The open, park-like stand structure of longleaf pine ecosystems is a product of frequent understory fires, which are facilitated by the combustibility of grasses and accumulated pine needles. Lightning strikes and ignition by Native Americans were the principal sources of fire that shaped longleaf pine ecosystems for many millennia.

    Publication Notes

    • You may send email to pubrequest@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication.
    • (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
    • We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
    • This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

    Citation

    Brockway, Dale G.; Outcalt, Kenneth W.; Tomczak, Donald J.; Johnson, E. E. 2002. Restoring longleaf pine forest ecosystems in the southern United States. In Gardiner, E.S. and Breland, L.J., Compilers. Proceedings of the IUFRO Conference on Restoration of Boreal and Temperate Forests-- Documenting forest restoration knowledge and practices in boreal and temperate ecosystems. Report No.11. Hørsholm, Denmark: Danish Center for Forest, Landscape and Planning: 52-53.

    Related Search

    XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
Jump to Top of Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/6178