Restoring longleaf pine forests a major conservation issue

Billions of magnificent trees that were nearly annihilated a century ago are making a slow, yet promising, comeback.  And Clemson University researchers and their collaborators are right in the middle of it.  Colossal stands of longleaf pines once dominated swaths of the U-S from southeastern Virginia to Florida and west through Louisiana to Texas.  But in the 18th and 19th centuries, more than 90 million acres of longleaf forest were obliterated to build ships and railroads.  By 1920, the towering trees had been nearly wiped out.  And equally distressing, the understory of those forests disappeared along with the trees.  In recent years, the restoration of longleaf pine forests and understories has become a major conservation issue.  The USDA, the Department of Interior, and other agencies have joined the cause.  Longleaf pines can grow to 100 feet tall and can live for more than 300 years.