|
 ForestNorth America’s Forests: Page 4 The military conducts munitions tests on Eglin Air Force Base, causing fires that have inadvertently benefited the ecosystem. The piney woods of the Southeast need fire, without which shade-tolerant hardwoods begin to intrude on Longleaf and other native pine stands (Jonas 1993). At present, Eglin officials conduct controlled burns to maintain this habitat (Stevens 1996) and are removing non-native and overabundant plants and trees (Biondo 1997). To return the Longleaf Pines to former abundance, more than 3 million seedlings have been planted, restoring 200,000 acres over the past five years (Biondo 1997).
The Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership, a plan to link populations of Longleaf Pine forests, was formed in 1996 to protect 840,000 acres of contiguous forest held by seven major landowners in northern Florida and southern Alabama (Biondo 1997). The partnership has signed a memorandum of understanding that encourages cooperation between the diverse owners, from private logging companies to state forest departments and water management districts (Biondo 1997). More than 160 rare or imperiled plants and animals reside in these lands, and Eglin Air Force Base's land has been the best preserved of any because of limited human intrusion and very little logging. It also protects a sizeable population of threatened Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). This keystone reptile excavates deep tunnels and cavities which provide habitat and shelter during fires for hundreds of animals, including threatened species.
Southern Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) swamp forests were once found in many low-lying areas of the South, but today, the Okefenokee Swamp is the largest remaining tract. Plans to clearcut this huge forest were abandoned early in the century after logging proved unprofitable. Later, the Okefenokee was declared a National Wildlife Refuge, and it is one of the most important examples of this ecosystem, home to River Otters (Lutra canadensis), Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) and abundant water birds.
Massive stands of ancient Live Oaks (Quercus virginianus) draped in Spanish moss evoke the very essence of the South. Although the majority of these huge trees have been logged, many survive that are 10 to 12 feet in diameter. They have a dense wood that was used in the construction of ships such as the USS Constitution. This ship was called "Old Ironsides" because this hardwood was impervious to cannonballs. The last sizeable stands of these picturesque trees are disappearing, however. Companies are buying wood lots with Live Oaks, cutting and replacing them with tree farms of fast-growing pine. As an added threat, a fungus first identified in the 1940s as "oak wilt," has been killing many Live Oaks. The disease chokes the flow of water into the tree and gradually kills it from the inside out, spreading through root connections which link Live Oaks growing in close proximity. In Texas, where this disease has killed many of these oaks, the Texas Forest Service has been successful in injecting chemicals that kill the fungus and digging trenches that break connections between these oaks.
|
|
