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48-484: Before the HSNF was established, much of the land was abandoned agricultural land with rapidly eroding soils. These rolling hills are now covered with loblolly and shortleaf pines, and upland hardwoods. The Civilian Conservation Corps used loblolly pine because it was easy to plant, was suitable for the depleted soils of the north central hills, and cast a large load of needles to help prevent further erosion. The land owned by

96-409: A gap or no tree canopy is above it. In the grass stage, it is very resistant to low intensity fires because the terminal bud is protected from lethal heating by the tightly packed needles. While relatively immune to fire at this stage, the plant is quite appealing to feral pigs ; the early settlers' habit of releasing swine into the woodlands to feed may have been partly responsible for the decline of

144-449: A century ago, and these usually are dug up and sold as fatwood , "fat lighter", or "lighter wood", which is in demand as kindling for fireplaces, wood stoves, and barbecue pits. In old-growth pine, the heartwood of the bole is often saturated in the same way. When boards are cut from the fat lighter wood, they are very heavy and will not rot, but buildings constructed of them are quite flammable and make extremely hot fires. The seeds of

192-490: A cove near Rockingham, North Carolina, have needles up to 24 inches (61 centimeters ) in length. It is one of the two Southeastern U.S. pines with long needles, the other being slash pine . The cones , both female seed cones (ovulate strobili) and male pollen cones (staminate strobili ), are initiated during the growing season before buds emerge. Pollen cones begin forming in their buds in July, while seed conelets are formed during

240-413: A diameter of 0.4–1.5 m (1.3–4.9 ft). Exceptional specimens may reach 50 m (160 ft) tall, the largest of the southern pines. Its needles are in bundles of three, sometimes twisted, and measure 12–22 centimeters ( 4 + 3 ⁄ 4 – 8 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches) long, an intermediate length for southern pines, shorter than those of the longleaf pine or slash pine , but longer than those of

288-404: A midstory canopy ) leads to open longleaf pine forests or savannas . New seedlings do not appear at all tree-like and resemble a dark-green fountain of needles. This form is called the grass stage. During this stage, which lasts for 5–12 years, vertical growth is very slow, and the tree may take a number of years simply to grow ankle high. After that, it has a growth spurt, especially if it is in

336-560: A plan to reintroduce longleaf pines to the Dendron Swamp Natural Area Preserve , with seedlings propagated from cones collected at South Quay Sandhills Natural Area Preserve . Vast forests of longleaf pine once were present along the southeastern Atlantic coast and Gulf Coast of North America , as part of the eastern savannas . These forests were the source of naval stores – resin , turpentine , and timber  – needed by merchants and

384-722: A pot". In the southern United States, the word is used to mean "a mudhole; a mire," a sense derived from an allusion to the consistency of porridge. Hence, the pine is named as it is generally found in lowlands and swampy areas. Loblolly pines grow well in acidic clay soil, which is common throughout the South, thus are often found in large stands in rural places. Other old names, now rarely used, include oldfield pine due to its status as an early colonizer of abandoned fields; bull pine due to its size (several other yellow pines are also often so named, especially large isolated specimens); rosemary pine due to loblolly's distinctive fragrance compared to

432-522: A relatively short period of time in August. Pollination occurs early the following spring, with the male cones 3–8 cm ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 – 3 + 1 ⁄ 4  in) long. The female (seed) cones mature in about 20 months from pollination; when mature, they are yellow-brown in color, 15–25 cm (6– 9 + 3 ⁄ 4  in) long, and 5–7 cm (2– 2 + 3 ⁄ 4  in) broad, opening to 12 cm ( 4 + 3 ⁄ 4  in), and have

480-617: A relief measure under the Resettlement Administration . These landowners were resettled on more fertile land elsewhere. Today, the South Carolina Sand Hills State Forest comprises about half of the acreage, and half is owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as the adjacent Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge . At first, restoration of forest cover was the goal. Fire suppression

528-434: A sharp spine 3 to 6 millimeters ( 1 ⁄ 8 to 1 ⁄ 4  in) long. Bark is reddish brown and deeply fissured into irregular, broad, scaly plates on older trees. Branches are reddish-brown to dark yellowish brown. Loblolly pines are one of the fastest growing pines making it a valuable species in the lumber industry. The lumber marketed as yellow pine lumber and similar usage to other southern pines such as

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576-438: A small, but sharp, downward-pointing spine on the middle of each scale. The seeds are 7–9 millimetres ( 1 ⁄ 4 – 3 ⁄ 8  in) long, with a 25–40 mm (1– 1 + 5 ⁄ 8  in) wing. Longleaf pine takes 100 to 150 years to become full size and may live to be 500 years old. When young, they grow a long taproot , which usually is 2–3 metres ( 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 –10 feet) long; by maturity, they have

624-418: A wide spreading lateral root system with several deep 'sinker' roots. They grow on well-drained, usually sandy soil , characteristically in pure stands. Longleaf pine also is known as being one of several species grouped as a southern yellow pine or longleaf yellow pine, and in the past as pitch pine (a name dropped as it caused confusion with pitch pine, Pinus rigida ). The species epithet palustris

672-611: Is Latin for "of the marsh" and indicates its common habitat. The scientific name meaning "of marshes" is a misunderstanding on the part of Philip Miller , who described the species, after seeing longleaf pine forests with temporary winter flooding. Longleaf pine is highly pyrophytic (resistant to wildfire ) and dependent on fire. Their thick bark and growth habits help to provide a tolerance to fire. Periodic natural wildfire and anthropogenic fires select for this species by removing competition and exposing bare soil for successful germination of seeds. The lack of medium-tall trees (called

720-401: Is also known as "yellow pine" or "long leaf yellow pine", although it is properly just one out of a number of species termed yellow pine . It reaches a height of 30–35 m (98–115 ft) and a diameter of 0.7 m (28 in). In the past, before extensive logging, they reportedly grew to 47 m (154 ft) with a diameter of 1.2 m (47 in). The tree is a cultural symbol of

768-496: Is estimated at 50,172, of which 15,653 are already confirmed. Most of the genes are duplicates . Some genes have the longest introns observed among fully sequenced plant genomes. Gymnosperms are predominantly outcrossing , but lack genetic self-incompatibility . Loblolly pine, like most gymnosperms, exhibits high levels of inbreeding depression , especially in the embryonic stage. The loblolly pine harbors an average load of at least eight lethal equivalents. A lethal equivalent

816-478: Is home to some of the best-preserved stands of longleaf pines. These forests have been burned regularly for many decades to encourage bobwhite quail habitat in private hunting plantations. Before European settlement, longleaf pine forest dominated as much as 90,000,000 acres (360,000 km ) stretching from Virginia south to Florida and west to East Texas. Its range was defined by the frequent widespread fires that were lit by humans and occurred naturally throughout

864-434: Is now endangered as a result of this decline. Longleaf pine seeds are large and nutritious, forming a significant food source for birds (notably the brown-headed nuthatch ) and other wildlife . Nine salamander species and 26 frog species are characteristic of pine savannas, along with 56 species of reptiles , 13 of which could be considered specialists on this habitat. The Red Hills Region of Florida and Georgia

912-571: Is the number of deleterious genes per haploid genome whose cumulative effect is the equivalent of one lethal gene. The presence of at least eight lethal equivalents implies substantial inbreeding depression upon self-fertilization. Longleaf pine The longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) is a pine species native to the Southeastern United States , found along the coastal plain from East Texas to southern Virginia , extending into northern and central Florida . In this area it

960-543: Is the second-most common species of tree in the United States , after red maple . For its timber , the pine species is regarded as the most commercially important tree in the Southeastern U.S. The common name loblolly is given because the pine species is found mostly in lowlands and swampy areas. Loblolly pine is the first among over 100 species of Pinus to have its complete genome sequenced . As of March 2014, it

1008-555: The Apollo 14 flight. On its return, the seeds were planted in several locations in the US, including the grounds of the White House . As of 2016 , a number of these moon trees remain alive. Pines are the most common conifers and the genus Pinus consists of more than 100 species. Sequencing of their genomes remained a huge challenge because of the high complexity and size. Loblolly pine became

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1056-604: The Southern United States , being the official state tree of Alabama . This particular species is one of the eight pine tree species that falls under the "Pine" designation as the state tree of North Carolina . The bark is thick, reddish-brown, and scaly. The leaves are dark green and needle-like, and occur in bundles of mainly three, sometimes two or four, especially in seedlings. They often are twisted and 20–45 centimetres ( 7 + 3 ⁄ 4 – 17 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches) in length. A local race of P. palustris in

1104-480: The Wolf River Conservancy in 1999 to develop hiking trails there. Loblolly pine Pinus taeda , commonly known as loblolly pine , is one of several pines native to the Southeastern United States , from East Texas to Florida , and north to southern New Jersey . The wood industry classifies the species as a southern yellow pine . U.S. Forest Service surveys found that loblolly pine

1152-409: The navy for their ships . They have been cutover since for timber and usually replaced with faster-growing loblolly pine and slash pine , for agriculture , and for urban and suburban development. Due to this deforestation and overharvesting, only about 3% of the original longleaf pine forest remains, and little new is planted. Longleaf pine is available, however, at many nurseries within its range;

1200-402: The sandhills region of South Carolina, between the piedmont and coastal plain. The region is characterized by deep, infertile sands deposited by a prehistoric sea, with generally arid conditions. By the 1930s, most of the native longleaf had been logged, and the land was heavily eroded. Between 1935 and 1939, the federal government purchased large portions of this area from local landowners as

1248-657: The shortleaf pine and spruce pine . The needles usually last up to two years before they fall, which gives the species its evergreen character. Needles are yellowish-green to grayish green. Although some needles fall throughout the year due to severe weather, insect damage, and drought, most needles fall during the autumn and winter of their second year. The seed cones are green, ripening pale buff-brown, 7–13 cm ( 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 –5 in) in length, 2–3 cm ( 3 ⁄ 4 – 1 + 1 ⁄ 4  in) broad when closed, opening to 4–6 cm ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 2 + 1 ⁄ 4  in) wide, each scale bearing

1296-485: The 20th century by a private landowner (a property now owned and conserved by the LandTrust for Central North Carolina). The United States Forest Service is conducting prescribed burning programs in the 258,864-acre Francis Marion National Forest , located outside of Charleston, South Carolina . They are hoping to increase the longleaf pine forest type to 44,700 acres (181 km ) by 2017 and 53,500 acres (217 km ) in

1344-601: The Forest Service is intermingled with private farms and woodlots. The district ranger for the HSNF is headquartered in Oxford, Mississippi . In 1983, the Reagan administration proposed auctioning off the entire national forest to private bidders as part of a nationwide asset management program. The plan was largely abandoned. The HSNF is located in northern Mississippi and is divided into two major sections. The largest section lies to

1392-553: The Holly Springs National Forest, offering varying levels of facilities and services (campgrounds, picnic areas, swimming beaches and/or hiking trails). The source of the Wolf River , Baker's Pond, is located in the northernmost tip of the national forest, approximately 1-mile (1.6 km) southwest of where U.S. Highway 72 crosses the border between Tippah and Benton counties. The Forest Service began working with

1440-428: The South; by the 1920s, most of the "limitless" virgin longleaf pine forests were gone. In " pine barrens " most of the day. Low, level, sandy tracts; the pines wide apart; the sunny spaces between full of beautiful abounding grasses, liatris , long, wand-like solidago , saw palmettos , etc., covering the ground in garden style. Here I sauntered in delightful freedom, meeting none of the cat-clawed vines, or shrubs, of

1488-584: The alluvial bottoms. Efforts are being made to restore longleaf pine ecosystems within its natural range. Some groups such as the Longleaf Alliance are actively promoting research, education, and management of the longleaf pine. The USDA offers cost-sharing and technical assistance to private landowners for longleaf restoration through the NRCS Longleaf Pine Initiative. Similar programs are available through most state forestry agencies in

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1536-430: The first species with its complete genome sequenced. This was the largest genome assembled until 2018, when the axolotl genome (32Gb) was assembled. The loblolly pine genome is made up of 22.18 billion base pairs, which is more than seven times that of humans. Conifer genomes are known to be full of repetitive DNA , which make up 82% of the genome in loblolly pine (compared to only 50% in humans). The number of genes

1584-756: The generally fast-growing southern pines. The yellowish, resinous wood is prized for lumber, but is also used for wood pulp . This tree is commercially grown in extensive plantations . Loblolly pine is the pine of the Lost Pines Forest around Bastrop, Texas , and in McKinney Roughs Nature Park along the Texas Colorado River . These are isolated populations on areas of acidic sandy soil, surrounded by alkaline clays that are poor for pine growth. A study using loblolly pines showed that higher atmospheric carbon dioxide levels may help

1632-409: The long term. In addition to longleaf restoration, prescribed burning will enhance the endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers' preferred habitat of open, park-like stands, provide habitat for wildlife dependent on grass-shrub habitat, which is very limited, and reduce the risk of damaging wildfires. Since the 1960s, longleaf restoration has been ongoing on almost 95,000 acres of state and federal land in

1680-759: The longleaf's native range. In August 2009, the Alabama Forestry Commission received $ 1.757 million in stimulus money to restore longleaf pines in state forests. Four large core areas within the range of the species provide the opportunity to protect the biological diversity of the coastal plain and to restore wilderness areas east of the Mississippi River. Each of these four ( Eglin Air Force Base : 187,000+ ha; Apalachicola National Forest : 228,000+ ha; Okefenokee - Osceola : 289,000+ ha; De Soto National Forest : 200,000+ ha) have nearby lands that offer

1728-578: The more stronger Longleaf and Shortleaf pines. They are also used as pulpwood. It grows at an average of 2 feet per year. The tallest loblolly pine currently known, which is 51.4 m (169 ft) tall, and the largest, which measures 42 cubic meters (1,500 cubic feet) in volume, are in Congaree National Park . The word "loblolly" is a combination of "lob", referring to thick, heavy bubbling of cooking porridge , and "lolly", an old British dialect word for "broth, soup, or any other food boiled in

1776-518: The other southern pines; and North Carolina pine. For the scientific name , Pinus is the Latin name for the pines and taeda refers to the resinous wood. With the advent of wildfire suppression , loblolly pine has become prevalent in some parts of the Deep South that were once dominated by longleaf pine and, especially in northern Florida , slash pine . Its rate of growth is rapid, even among

1824-565: The potential to expand the total protected territory for each area to well beyond 500,000 ha. These areas would provide the opportunity not only to restore forest stands, but also to restore populations of native plants and animals threatened by landscape fragmentation. Notable eccentric populations exist within the Uwharrie National Forest in the central Piedmont region of North Carolina. These have survived owing to relative inaccessibility, and in one instance, intentional protection in

1872-577: The preserve, primarily from timber companies. One of its main goals is the restoration of longleaf pine forest, to which end he has had 8 million longleaf pine seedlings planted on the land. A 2009 study by the National Wildlife Federation says that longleaf pine forests will be particularly well adapted to environmental changes caused by climate disruption . In 2023, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation announced

1920-516: The remaining trees and seedlings. The exposed earth left behind by clear-cutting operations was highly susceptible to erosion, and nutrients were washed from the already porous soils. This further destroyed the natural seeding process. At the peak of the timber cutting in the 1890s and first decade of the new century, the longleaf pine forests of the Sandhills were providing millions of board feet of timber each year. The timber cutters gradually moved across

1968-477: The request outright. In February 2014, an ice storm severely damaged the Eisenhower Tree. The opinion of arborists was that the tree could not be saved and should be removed, which it subsequently was. The "Morris Pine" is located in southeastern Arkansas; it is over 300 years old with a diameter of 142 cm (56 in) and a height of 35.7 m (117 ft). Loblolly pine seeds were carried aboard

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2016-626: The southeast of the city of Holly Springs and straddles U.S. Highway 78 . The second section 20,776 acres (84.08 km), sits about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of the main section, in Yalobusha County , between Coffeeville and Oakland, just east of Interstate 55 . In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Benton , Lafayette , Marshall , Yalobusha , Tippah , and Union counties. The Chewalla Lake, Puskus Lake, Lake Tillatoba, Baker's Pond Hiking Trail, and North Cypress Non-Motorized Trail recreation areas are found in

2064-416: The southeast. In the late 19th century, these virgin timber stands were "among the most sought-after timber trees in the country." This rich ecosystem now has been relegated to less than 5% of its presettlement range due to fire suppression and clear-cutting practices: As they stripped the woods of their trees, loggers left mounds of flammable debris that frequently fueled catastrophic fires, destroying both

2112-746: The southernmost known point of sale is in Lake Worth Beach, Florida . The yellow, resinous wood is used for lumber and pulp . Boards cut years ago from virgin timber were very wide, up to 1 m (3.3 ft), and a thriving salvage business obtains these boards from demolition projects to be reused as flooring in upscale homes. The extremely long needles are popular for use in the ancient craft of coiled basket making. Annual sales of pine straw for use as mulch were estimated at $ 200M in 2021. The stumps and taproots of old trees become saturated with resin and will not rot. Farmers sometimes find old buried stumps in fields, even in some that were cleared

2160-434: The species. Longleaf pine forests are rich in biodiversity . They are well-documented for their high levels of plant diversity, in groups including sedges, grasses, carnivorous plants, and orchids. These forests also provide habitat for gopher tortoises , which as keystone species, dig burrows that provide habitat for hundreds of other species of animals. The red-cockaded woodpecker is dependent on mature pine forests and

2208-481: The trees to endure ice storms better. The famous " Eisenhower Tree " on the 17th hole of Augusta National Golf Club was a loblolly pine. U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower , an Augusta National member, hit the tree so many times that at a 1956 club meeting, he proposed that it be cut down. Not wanting to offend the President, the club's chairman, Clifford Roberts, immediately adjourned the meeting rather than reject

2256-538: Was practiced until the 1960s, when prescribed fire was introduced on both the state forest and the Sandhills NWR as part of the restoration of the longleaf/wiregrass ecosystem. Nokuse Plantation is a 53,000-acre private nature preserve located around 100 miles east of Pensacola, Florida . The preserve was established by M.C. Davis, a wealthy philanthropist who made his fortune buying and selling land and mineral rights, and who has spent $ 90 million purchasing land for

2304-409: Was the organism having the largest sequenced genome size. Its genome, with 22 billion base pairs , is seven times larger than that of humans . As of 2018, assembly of the axolotl genome (32Gb) displaced loblolly pine as the largest assembled genome. The loblolly pine was selected as the official state tree of Arkansas in 1939. Loblolly pine can reach a height of 30–35 meters (98–115 feet) with

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