Longleaf Pine

"Longleaf pine is an evergreen conifer that got its common name for having the longest leaves of the eastern pine species . . . The trees naturally prune their lower branches and grow almost perfectly straight . . . The historic range of the longleaf pine once extended from southeastern Virginia to Florida, west through Louisiana to east Texas . . . Longleaf pines, which once covered an estimated 90 million acres, now cover less than 3 percent of their original range. This tree was once so abundant that it seemed like an inexhaustible resource to early settlers. Forests of longleaf pines were cleared to make space for development and agriculture. The lumber, which is of exceptional quality, was used for building ships and railroads. Most of the longleaf pines were gone by the 1920s, and they had a hard time coming back on their own because of fire suppression. Rather than replanting the longleaf pines, foresters replaced them with faster-growing pines that would produce more short-term economic benefits.Restoration of longleaf pine forests has become a major conservation priority in recent years though. More than 30 endangered and threatened species, including red-cockaded woodpeckers and indigo snakes, rely on longleaf pines for their habitat. Additionally, longleaf pines are more resilient to the negative impacts of climate change than other southeastern pines. They can withstand severe windstorms, resist pests, tolerate wildfires and drought, and capture carbon pollution from the atmosphere."