Restoring Natural Red Pine Woodlands

Abstract

In Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, 76 percent of the more than 800,000 hectares of red pine (Pinus resinosa) forests are plantations. Plantations of commercial timber species have increased over the last several decades due to the global demand for wood. In the western Great Lakes region, many of these plantations are on sites where red pine occurred naturally and were sometimes established on abandoned farmland that was unproductive for agriculture.

Citation

​Palik, Brian; Kastendick, Douglas; Brandon, Andrea. 2025. Restoring Natural Red Pine Woodlands. Rooted in Research Issue 52, September 2025. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 2 p.