Pine Forests

Overview

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. 

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. 

Management Strategies

General Wildlife Management

  • Control hardwood competition selectively
  • Avoid broadcast herbicides that remove beneficial herbaceous plants
  • Install permanent fire lines 

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. 

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
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