04/28/2009
Look Out for Longleaf
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation is calling on its members to participate in a longleaf pine mapping project in partnership with the Longleaf Alliance.
 Longleaf pine foliage grows in bundles on the ends of sturdy branches. Click image for print quality version |
As part of the project, landowners who have a stand of longleaf pine on their property or know the location of a longleaf pine stand are encouraged to report the location and size of the stand to help the Longleaf Alliance develop a Geographic Information System (GIS) database of existing longleaf pine stands.
Using the information received, the Longleaf Alliance will identify restoration priority areas. NWTF forester Gary Burger said pinpointing these areas will help organizations like the NWTF identify key areas that will benefit most from receiving conservation funds.
"There aren't enough funds to restore the 87 million acres of longleaf pine stands that have been lost over the years," Burger said. "But expanding existing longleaf stands rather than planting new stands at random helps make a bigger difference. We can determine the areas that will benefit most from receiving our assistance by consulting other organizations and referring to maps like the one the Longleaf Alliance is developing."
 Longleaf pine cones are brownish gray, prickled and measure about 11 inches long. Click image for print quality version |
Though longleaf pine stands covered more than 90 million acres of America's landscape at the time of European colonization, today, longleaf pine forests have been reduced to only 3 million acres nationwide due to pasture and cropland conversion, landowners planting other pine species for timber and the absence of fire, on which longleaf is dependant.
To view a map of the longleaf pine's original range click here.
"For conservation-minded citizens who would like to help restore the longleaf pine to the Southeast, the first step is to help identify where stands are currently located," said John Gilbert, a research associate at the Longleaf Pine Stand Dynamics Lab in Auburn, Ala. "Before we can help organizations identify restoration priority areas, we must know where stands are located and what condition they are in."
Longleaf pine forests are an important and diverse habitat that is home to 26 federally listed endangered species such as the indigo snake, red-cockaded woodpecker and gopher tortoise. Longleaf pine can grow in landscapes that are poor, sandy and well-drained and are often more suitable for these sites than other tree species.
Those who report the location of a longleaf pine stand can remain anonymous if they wish.
To register a planned longleaf pine stand, click here.
To register an existing longleaf pine stand as part of this mapping project, click here
Longleaf Legacy
The NWTF and Georgia Pacific have partnered to restore thousands of acres of longleaf pines on both public and private land in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi through a $1.1 million grant from Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
"The value of longleaf pines for both wildlife and timber production is tremendous," said James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D., the NWTF's chief conservation officer. "It's a valuable addition to property managed for multiple uses and will help make the areas great habitat for many species of wildlife, including wild turkeys."
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Learn How to Identify a Stand of Longleaf Pines
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Longleaf pine forests allow prescribed fire to be introduced earlier and more often than other species of pine trees, which reduces the chance for wildfires and maintains grasses and other wildlife friendly plants. Another advantage is that numerous federal and state programs supplement the costs associated with planting and managing longleaf pines.
"With programs designed to help landowners, planting longleaf pine trees is a win-win situation for conservation, hunters, landowners and wildlife," Kennamer said.
In addition to planting longleaf pine seedlings, the cooperative agreement also provides for the planting of wiregrass, a groundcover native to the area, and conducting prescribed burns to manage undergrowth in the newly planted pine stands.
