Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) was once the dominant tree across much of the Southeast, and the ecosystem that bears its name covered on the order of ninety million acres. Over time, logging, land development, and other factors destroyed most of these old growth pine forests. By 2008, only about 3.4 million acres of this unique habitat existed, reflecting a 97 percent decline, and one of the most drastic reductions of any major natural ecosystem across the United States. As the longleaf pine forests declined, so too did many of the species dependent on these habitats. Although some species are quite adaptable and able to survive equally well in one type of forest over another, others have highly specific requirements that tie them tightly to a particular habitat. Such is the case with the red-cockaded woodpecker. This species is the only woodpecker that creates cavities in live rather than dead trees, and these roosting and nesting cavities are located primarily in longleaf pines at least eighty years old.
In 1918, when Fort Bragg was created, longleaf pine was still widespread across the Southeast, and the area of North Carolina where the base was established was considered a remote and desolate region. Much has changed since that time, and as longleaf pine forests disappeared across most of their former range, the relative importance of remaining reservoirs of this habitat, such as Fort Bragg, increased. Of Fort Bragg’s 161,000 acres, nearly half are covered with longleaf pine, representing one of the last strongholds for this disappearing ecosystem—and the red-cockaded woodpeckers that depend on them.
Next Page: Jeopardy and Beyond
Author
Bruce Stein, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and Associate Vice President
National Wildlife Federation
Balancing Mission and Biodiversity at Fort Bragg Sections
Balancing Mission and Biodiversity at Fort Bragg
Longleaf Pine: A Declining Ecosystem