Pine Forests
Overview
Despite popular belief, no single species of pine is designated as the official tree of North Carolina. In fact, the 1963 act which proclaimed the pine as the state tree mentions that eight species of pine are native to North Carolina. Table Mountain pine typically lives at elevations above 2500 feet in the mountain region, while pond pine favors the pocosins of the coastal plain. The other species are loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, Virginia pine, Eastern white pine, longleaf pine and pitch pine.
Pine species are vital to commercial forestry in the state, with loblolly pine being the most commonly planted tree in the state. While the economical, historical and ecological value of the pine tree cannot be called into question, most habitat benefit in pine forests comes from the plants growing under the trees themselves. Management decisions, throughout the life span of a pine stand, can help to balance wildlife habitat and forest production objectives.
Pine forests are adapted to a variety of sites and are often favored by landowners because they produce valuable forest products more rapidly than hardwood forests. Pine forests are often thought of as poor wildlife habitat, but they can be managed to provide high-quality habitats. Habitat quality is a reflection of how pine stands are managed, given most habitat benefit in pine forests comes from the plants growing under the trees themselves. The key to having pine forests with abundant wildlife is frequent disturbance. Tools that are useful in managing pine forests for wildlife are thinning, burning, herbicides, and soil disturbance. Pine forests can be excellent wildlife habitat when managed with frequent disturbance (thinning, burning, spot herbicides, soil disturbance) to maintain open canopy and diverse groundcover; uneven‑age approaches and longleaf/shortleaf selections can further enhance habitat values.
Best Management Practices
- Thinning schedules
- Prescribed fire
- Selective herbicide release (e.g., imazapyr for hardwoods while preserving legumes/blackberry)
- Maintain fire lines
Species That Use This Habitat
- Brown‑headed nuthatch
- Pine warbler
- Red‑headed woodpecker
- Bachman’s sparrow
- Turkey
- Deer
- Rabbits
- Various reptiles & amphibians
Management Strategies
General Wildlife Management
- Control hardwood competition selectively
- Avoid broadcast herbicides that remove beneficial herbaceous plants
- Install permanent fire lines
Thinning
Pre-commercial thinning reduces the density of a young forest stand to promote crop tree growth. An added benefit is that it improves food and cover availability by increasing groundcover growth and diversity. To enhance wildlife habitat, stands should be pre-commercially thinned to a density between the 250 and 350 trees per acre. Create small gaps and thin some areas more heavily to create diverse cover and further enhance wildlife habitat in these young stands.
The best time to enhance wildlife habitat in a pine stand is during a commercial thinning. Heavy equipment is already on site, and the landowner gets paid for the material that is removed from the forest. Generally, thinning to improve wildlife habitat reduces the stand density 15 to 25% below the density of stands where production is the sole objective. Variable density thinning can remove more trees in significant habitat areas such as field edges, road shoulders, utility right of ways, and unique natural areas. It is important that landowners hire a registered forester to manage commercial timber harvests and that foresters clearly understand landowners’ wildlife objectives.
In some instances, pine stands can be managed to promote a longer rotation through natural regeneration of crop trees in the understory. Periodic harvests remove a portion of the commercially valuable overstory trees, allowing sunlight to reach the natural seedlings which will form the next generation of the forest. This management style is a good fit for longleaf forests but can be adapted to other pine species as well. Uneven age management results in a “perpetual forest” which is appealing to some landowners. The esthetic benefits do have costs associated with more intensive management and less efficient harvests. A forester, knowledgeable with this management style, should be consulted to assist with uneven aged projects.
Key Ecological Features
- Spacing: Plant at 10×10 or 10×12 ft to allow sunlight and natural pruning; avoid overly dense early stands.
- Thinning targets: First commercial thinning typically to 65–75 ft² BA; second thinning 40–60 ft² BA (≈40 ft² if managing for quail).
- Fire: Reintroduce after first thinning (or earlier in longleaf); burn on 1–2‑year cycles for quail, 2–4‑year for deer/turkey.
Species‑Specific Approaches
Quail
Thin to ≈40 ft² BA so ~60% of forest floor receives midday sun; annual burns until herbaceous cover, then every 2 years.
Turkey
Maintain open midstory with frequent burns; integrate openings for brood habitat.