The longleaf pine resource

Abstract

Area of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) in the Southern United States has declined from 12.2 to 3.8 million acres over the past 30 years. Longleaf pine, which once dominated vast portions of the region, now accounts for only 3 percent of the total timberland acreage in the 8 States where the species is found.Longleaf growing-stock volume has decreased by 12 percent in the past decade. Reduced numbers of saplings and seedlings indicate that a reversal of this trend is unlikely in the near future. Existing stands are maturing, but many are poorly stocked. Future prospects depend on effective management of existing stands and improvement of an unfavorable growth-to-removals ratio.

Citation

Kelly, John F.; Bechtold, William A. 1989. The longleaf pine resource. Proceedings of the Symposium on the Management of Longleaf Pine; 1989 April 4-6; Long Beach, MS.