Covering 92 million acres from Virginia to Texas, the longleaf pine
ecosystem was, in its prime, one of the most extensive and biologically
diverse ecosystems in North America. Today these magnificent forests
have declined to a fraction of their original extent, threatening such
species as the gopher tortoise, the red-cockaded woodpecker, and the
Venus fly-trap. Conservationists have proclaimed longleaf restoration a
major goal, but has it come too late?
In Looking for Longleaf, Lawrence S. Earley explores the history of
these forests and the astonishing biodiversity of the longleaf
ecosystem, drawing on extensive research and telling the story through
first-person travel accounts and interviews with foresters, ecologists,
biologists, botanists, and landowners. For centuries, these vast
grass-covered forests provided pasture for large cattle herds, in
addition to serving as the world's greatest source of naval stores. They
sustained the exploitative turpentine and lumber industries until nearly
all of the virgin longleaf had vanished.
Looking for Longleaf demonstrates how, in the twentieth century,
forest managers and ecologists struggled to understand the special
demands of longleaf and to halt its overall decline. The compelling
story Earley tells here offers hope that with continued human
commitment, the longleaf pine might not just survive, but once again
thrive.
Covering 92 million acres from Virginia to Texas, the longleaf pine
ecosystem was, in its prime, one of the most extensive and biologically
diverse ecosystems in North America. Today these magnificent forests
have declined to a fraction of their original extent, threatening such
species as the gopher tortoise, the red-cockaded woodpecker, and the
Venus fly-trap. Lawrence S. Earley explores the history of these forests
and the astonishing biodiversity within them, drawing on extensive
research and telling the story through first-person travel accounts and
interviews with foresters, ecologists, biologists, botanists, and
landowners. The compelling story Earley tells here offers hope that with
continued human commitment, the longleaf pine might not just survive,
but once again thrive.
