Vanishing Longleafs

In 1776, this forest was dominated by stately longleaf pines and shaped by periodic wildfires, creating more open glades and hardly any underbrush. By 190o, a growing population was suppressing most wildfires and shifting to an economy based on faster-growing loblolly pines, the species most frequently seen in the area today. Recently, the National Park Service began planting longleaf pine seedlings so that in time the area will more closely resemble the historic scene.

North Carolina · United States