A big footprint, many habitats
The Longleaf Alliance notes that longleaf pine is often thought of as a sandhill species, but historically it covered about two-thirds of the Southeast. At a landscape scale, longleaf forests occur across multiple habitat types (mountains, rolling hills, sandhills, and flatwoods).
Fire + sunlight = diversity
According to The Longleaf Alliance, a longleaf stand maintained by fire is among the most biologically diverse habitats in North America. Frequent burns help maintain open conditions and encourage a diverse ground layer of grasses, wildflowers, and legumes—fuel for fire and food for wildlife.
Wildlife examples in well-managed stands
The Longleaf Alliance gives practical examples of the kinds of wildlife that benefit from frequently burned longleaf:
- Bobwhite quail thriving where frequent fire supports high legume populations.
- Fox squirrels, wild turkeys, and white-tailed deer using open pine woodlands.
- Songbirds and native butterflies associated with diverse groundcover.
- Reptiles and amphibians—some found nowhere else—living in these habitats.
- Longleaf pine savannas providing habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.
If you’re restoring diversity
The diversity story is tightly linked to the ground layer. Next: Groundcover Restoration.