leaf areas are in east Texas and in the Piedmont, 

 especially the Carolinas.'* Throughout much of the 

 loblolly-shortleaf pine ecosystem, the two species 

 often grow in association. But shortleaf pine is also 

 found in commercial quantities well beyond the 

 botanical range of loblolly pine. 



Bordering the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from 

 South Carolina to east Texas is the longleaf-slash 

 pine ecosystem. Altogether, there are over 17 million 

 acres in the ecosystem, of which two-thirds is concen- 

 trated in Florida and Georgia. Widespread fire con- 

 trol enabled slash pine to invade sites formerly occu- 

 pied by longleaf; slash pine has also been extensively 

 planted through the ecosystem. 



Nearly 32 million acres or 91 percent of the entire 

 oak-pine ecosystem is found in the South, frequently 

 in residual stands left after cutting of merchantable 

 pine in mixed pine-hardwood forests. Through cultu- 

 ral practices such as cull hardwood removal, some 

 areas have been converted to productive timberlands, 

 and other areas offer similar opportunities. The oak- 

 pine ecosystem, though not as productive as the pine 

 ecosystems for timber production, provides valuable 

 habitat for numerous wildlife species. 



The 69 million acres in the oak-hickory ecosystem 

 make up one-third of the total forest land area in the 

 South. This ecosystem is composed of a large number 

 of species in many local associations growing on a 

 wide variety of sites. Some localities within the eco- 

 system are capable of growing choice industrial 

 hardwoods — examples are the loessial bluffs that 

 flank the eastern edge of the lower Mississippi Valley 

 and the deep coves of the southern Appalachians. 

 The ecosystem also occurs on millions of acres, espe- 

 cially on the Coastal Plain, that are regarded as better 

 adapted to growing pine than hardwoods. ^ 



The relatively valuable swamp and bottomland 

 forests that make up the oak-gum-cypress and elm- 

 ash-cottonwood ecosystems total 33 million acres. 

 These ecosystems have long been the mainstay of the 

 southern hardwood forest products industry. In 

 recent years, however, changing land-use patterns 

 have adversely affected them. Extensive acreages of 

 prime bottomland hardwoods have been cleared for 

 agriculture on the alluvial soils of the Mississippi Val- 

 ley.^ At the same time, reservoirs in the South have 

 inundated sites capable of producing sweetgum, 

 tupelo, sycamore, and other preferred hardwood spe- 



" Sternitzke, H. S., and T. C. Nelson. The southern pines of the 

 United States. Econ. Bot. 24(2): 142-150. 1970. 



'Sternitzke, H. S. Coastal plain hardwood problem. J. For. 

 76(3): 152-153. 1978. 



* Sternitzke, H. S. Impact of changing land use of Delta 

 hardwood forest. J. For. 74(1): 52-57. 1976. 



Areas of bottomland hardwoods, like this site formerly covered with 

 cypress and gum, have been cleared for crop or pasture use, 

 destroying prime timber stands and wildlife habitat for many 

 species. 



cies. Though the impoundments are a boon to fishing 

 and other water-based recreation, they usually flood 

 acres that are above average in hardwood-producing 

 capability, and are also prime habitat for many wild- 

 life species.' 



Other forest ecosystems that occur in the South 

 account for less than 10 percent of the total forest 

 area. Most of this acreage consists of woodlands in 

 central and west Texas and Oklahoma that are largely 

 useful for nontimber goods and services such as graz- 

 ing, wildlife, and recreation. 



Most forests of the South provide good to excellent 

 habitat for wildlife. The hardwood and mixed 

 hardwood-conifer ecosystems, however, provide gen- 

 erally better habitat for a wide variety of wildlife than 

 do the pine forests. Deer and squirrel are important 

 game animals throughout the South. Hunting for 

 quail and turkey attracts people from outside the 

 South, and management of large tracts for these birds 

 is common in the Southeastern region. In addition, 

 parts of the South, especially along the Gulf Coast 

 and lower Mississippi, are important wintering areas 

 for migratory birds. 



Recreational opportunities abound in the South's 

 forests. Forested areas of the southern Appalachians 

 in Virginia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, and the 

 Ouachita and Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, are 

 focal points for many forms of outdoor recreation 

 and draw visitors from many parts of the country. 

 Throughout the South, most forested areas are 

 locally important to nearby populations for camping, 

 hunting, hiking, and other outdoor recreational 

 activities. 



'Sternitzke, H. S. Eastern hardwood resources: trends and 

 prospects. For. Prod. J. 24(3): 13-16. 1974. 



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