The longleaf pine ecosystem, once one of the most extensive in North America, has been reduced over the past few centuries to about 2.2% of its original size. Still, the range of the longleaf still extends from Florida and the Carolinas to Texas, and extensive conservation and restoration programs are underway. The pines are valued for their aesthetic appeal, and for the habitats they provide, as well as for the quality of their lumber. Longleaf pines are naturally resistant to fire and some insects, and support more than thirty threatened or endangered plant and animal species, including the red-cockaded woodpecker and the gopher tortoise. This book unites a wealth of current information on the ecology, silviculture and restoration of the longleaf pine ecosystem, and includes a discussion of the historical, social and political aspects of longleaf pine ecosystem management.
