Southern
Research Station

Longleaf Pine Restoration and Hurricane Recovery

Historical Decline and Rebirth

Longleaf pine forests were once one of the most extensive ecosystems in North America, spanning 93 million-acres from Texas to Virginia. However, by the 1990s, they were reduced to 3 million acres through exploitive logging, land-use conversion and interruption of natural fire cycles. Despite this decline, longleaf pine is now viewed by a growing number of conservation and commodity-oriented groups as a resource of great ecological and economic value and an important part of the cultural heritage of the South. Through a joint public-private partnership, a Region-wide Conservation Plan was recently developed, which is aimed at restoring longleaf pine and expanding its occupancy to 8 million acres in the coming years.

What is Restoration?

Ecological restoration does not mean returning an ecosystem to conditions that prevailed at an earlier time in history. Since the physical and biological characteristics of natural systems change through time, it is erroneous to select a former condition as an appropriate reference for restoration. Even if discounting broad-scale climate change, widespread changes brought by humans, such as altered landscapes, missing species and introduced species make going backward through time impossible. Rather, ecological restoration is “an intentional activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem with respect to its health, integrity and sustainability.” Restoration’s principal goal is to improve (and re-establish where necessary) the composition, structure and functions of an ecosystem, so that its productivity, diversity and many life-support processes or “ecosystem services” will be sustained to benefit present and future generations.

Restoration Success

Successful approaches to restoration will focus on maintaining ecosystem functions and favor species that are compatible with current and predicted future conditions. Restoration must adequately address (1) species composition, (2) vertical structure, (3) horizontal pattern, (4) spatial variation, (5) natural processes and (6) ecosystem resiliency that permits recovery following disturbances. Restoration should mitigate threats to ecosystem integrity, accommodate those that cannot be mitigated and establish a community that is adapted to prevailing environmental conditions. In longleaf pine ecosystems, restoration success will be characterized by (1) overstory dominated by longleaf pine with other species being minor, (2) midstory composed of scattered groups of ascending longleaf pine, (3) understory dominated by native grasses and forbs with shrubs being minor, (4) periodic surface fire, (5) natural regeneration, (6) nutrient cycling and biological production, (7) reduced habitat fragmentation, population isolation and species rarity, (8) improved habitat quality and (9) enhanced biodiversity.

Methods and Prescriptions

A variety of techniques can be applied, either as single or a series of treatments, that lead toward restoration. These methods may be mechanical (mowing, shredding, thinning, harvesting), chemical (herbicide, fertilizer), pyric (prescribed fire) or biological (planting trees and plants, re-introducing animals, suppressing undesirable or invasive species). Methods should be chosen that address the needs of specific sites in various degrees of degradation.

References

• Oswalt, C.M., Cooper, J.A., Brockway, D.G., Brooks, H.W., Walker, J.L., Connor, K.F., Oswalt, S.N., Conner, R.C. 2012. History and Current Condition of Longleaf Pine in the Southern United States. Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, General Technical Report SRS-166. Asheville, North Carolina. 51 pp.
• Outcalt, K.W., Brockway, D.G. 2010. Structure and composition changes following restoration treatments of longleaf pine on the Gulf Coastal Plain or Alabama. Forest Ecology and Management 259, 1615-1623.
• Brockway, D.G., Outcalt, K.W., Estes, B.L., Rummer, R.B. 2009. Vegetation response to midstorey mulching and prescribed burning for wildfire hazard reduction and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystem restoration. Forestry 82(3), 299-314.
• Brockway, D.G., Outcalt, K.W., Tomczak, D.J., Johnson, E.E. 2005. Restoration of longleaf pine ecosystems. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, General Technical Report GTR-SRS-83. Asheville, North Carolina. 34 pp.
• Brockway, D.G., Outcalt, K.W., Tomczak, D.J., Johnson, E.E. 2005. Restoring longleaf pine forest ecosystems in the southern United States. In: Stanturf, J.A., Madsen, P. (Eds.), Restoration of Temperate and Boreal Forests. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. pp. 501-519.
• Brockway, D. G., Outcalt, K.W. 2000. Restoring longleaf pine wiregrass ecosystems: hexazinone application enhances effects of prescribed fire. Forest Ecology and Management 137(1-3), 121-138.
• Brockway, D.G., Outcalt, K.W., Wilkins, R.N. 1998. Restoring longleaf pine wiregrass ecosystems: plant cover, diversity and biomass following low-rate hexazinone application on Florida sandhills. Forest Ecology and Management 103(2, 3), 159-175.
• Dyson, D.S., Brockway, D.G. 2013. Intensive management of longleaf pine for hurricane recovery. Biennial Southern Silviculture Research Conference. Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Shreveport, Louisiana. March 2013. (Abstract)
• Kush, J.S., Brockway, D.G. 2009. What the Escambia Experimental Forest has and can provide for restoration efforts. Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration International, Auburn, Alabama. February 2009. (Abstract)
• Outcalt, K.W., Brockway, D.G. 2004. Restoration of pine communities on the Kisatchie National Forest with mechanical chipping and fire. Annual Conference of the Coastal Plain Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration. Raleigh, North Carolina. March 2004. (Abstract)

Contact Dale Brockway for more information on this topic.