Longleaf Pine Restoration
A Fire-Dependent Ecosystem
Longleaf pine ecosystems once covered 90 million acres across the southeastern United States. Today, less than 3% remains. These fire-dependent forests support extraordinary biodiversity—they're home to more plant species per acre than nearly any other ecosystem in North America. However, without regular fire, longleaf pine forests become overgrown with hardwoods and shrubs, degrading habitat for the hundreds of species that depend on open, grassy understories.
Prescribed Fires
Encourage production of native grasses and herbaceous vegetation that wildlife use as cover and food sources.
Restoring Longleaf Pine in Sentinel Landscapes
This project aims to restore longleaf pine ecosystem habitats in Southeastern Sentinel Landscapes to benefit at-risk species, improve ecosystem resilience, and decrease wildfire risk to surrounding communities and military installations. Sentinel Landscapes are partnerships between the Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Department of the Interior that work to protect working lands near military bases while supporting conservation goals.
The Role of Prescribed Fire
Prescribed fires are essential to longleaf pine restoration. These carefully controlled burns encourage the production of native grasses and herbaceous vegetation that wildlife use as cover and food sources. Fire removes competing vegetation, returns nutrients to the soil, and maintains the open forest structure that at-risk species like the red-cockaded woodpecker and gopher tortoise require. Prescribed burning also reduces fuel loads, decreasing the risk of catastrophic wildfires to nearby communities.
Project Activities
Proposed activities include prescribed burns, wetland restoration, pollinator habitat improvement, and surveys to assess and remediate barriers to aquatic connectivity. This comprehensive approach ensures that longleaf pine ecosystems are restored as functioning, interconnected landscapes that support the full range of species that depend on them.
How You Can Help
America the Beautiful grant funds require cost share and matching contributions. Your donation helps North Carolina meet its portion of this match to perform valuable conservation work for at-risk species, helping them recover and avoid federal listing. By restoring longleaf pine ecosystems, we're protecting biodiversity, improving forest resilience, and safeguarding communities from wildfire risk.