Longleaf covered much of the uplands that were frequently burned by fire. This ecosystem would appear to the untrained eye to be a monoculture similar to an intensively managed loblolly pine stand. It was however home to what are now 239 species of rare plants and 31 rare animals. Venus fly traps, pitcher plants, wire grass, fox squirrels, and the red-cockaded woodpecker were commonly found in this fire maintained ecosystem. Trees would live from 200 to 1500 years and would stock an acre with from 3 to 10 times the board feet of the best loblolly stand.

While longleaf provide decay resistant "heart pine" lumber and pitch, much of it was wasted in land clearing operations or lost to beetles when it was turpentined too heavily. "Heart pine" tombstones or fence post can be seen today that are over 100 years old. Many area forests still contain "cat-faced" stumps from the turpentine collecting days or donut shaped dirt mounds called tar coal beds which were dirt kilns for sweating pitch from pieces of fat lighter.

Several factors actually led to the disappearance of all but a few stands of longleaf pine. Wildfire control and free ranging (feral) hogs led to the disappearance of seedlings. Hardwood competition previously controlled by fire, shaded out the shade intolerant seedlings that escaped the hogs. Longleaf seedlings contain as much nutritional value as an equal weight of corn. Steam powered logging equipment and a well developed railroad system led not only to intensive harvesting, but to the need for fire control to protect the resulting people and property. More people led to the need for more food. Food production required land clearing and more hogs.

Foresters and other environmentalist are working to reestablish longleaf in at least a part of its natural range. Seedlings are currently being grown and planted by the Division of Forestry. Large companies currently growing extensive acreages of loblolly pine are looking at and planting longleaf on drier sites. Areas in public lands that were once in longleaf are being evaluated for reestablishment. Management plans have been developed to allow for not only reestablishment of the entire longleaf ecosystem, but for harvesting timber and pine straw as well.

Revised 2/16/2006.