Upland pine restoration

Longleaf pines occur naturally only on sites that support frequent fires. Forests dominated by longleaf pines were once the most frequent upland forest type in north central Florida. In pre-Columbian times, fires started by lightning burned unchecked over thousands of acres and maintained the openness required for longleaf pine reproduction. Now lightning-started fires are usually quickly checked by roads or fire fighters. Furthermore, upland sites that once supported longleaf pines have now largely been cleared and converted to pastures, slash pine plantations, or other intensely managed uses. Thus upland pine ecosystems are now scarce, and NATL is fortunate to have 15 acres of upland ecosystem still dominated by longleaf pine and thus restorable within a few decades. NAAC recommends that 12.1 acres be restored and 3.0 acres be left to illustrate the effects of fire exclusion on the upland pine ecosystem.

Thus far NAAC's program to restore NATL's upland pine has been implemented by cutting and girdling laurel oaks and by sponsoring controlled burns in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002. In December 2001, UF's Physical Plant Division planted more than 2,300 longleaf pine seedlings in NATL's upland pine areas. Unfortunately, the severe drought of the spring of 2002 caused high mortality to the planting.

	In its pre-Columbian condition, upland pine had scattered large longleaf pines and little understory.
	When fire is excluded from an upland pine ecosystem, fire-intolerant species, especially laurel oaks, begin to thrive and soon shade the open sites needed for longleaf pine reproduction.
	Controlled burns can take the place of natural fires in the restoration of upland pine that has been degraded by fire suppression. These will become much more difficult with a four-lane road to the south in combination with the six-lane road on the west.