Page 12 - aruba-today-20210107

A12 HEALTH
Thursday 7 January 2021
Restoring longleaf pines, keystone of once vast ecosystems

By JANET McCONNAUGHEY cies including the U.S. De-
Associated Press partment of Agriculture's
DESOTO NATIONAL FOR- Natural Resources Conser-
EST, Miss. (AP) — When vation Service to provide
European settlers came to incentives for owners to re-
North America, fire-depen- turn land to longleaf pines,
dent savannas anchored Johnson said.
by lofty pines with footlong Most of the land planted in
needles covered much of the last 10 years had been
what became the southern "highly erodible cropland,"
United States. he said. "Better a longleaf
Yet by the 1990s, logging plantation than a cotton
and clear-cutting for farms field."
and development had all The initiative is trying to en-
but eliminated longleaf sure that at least half the re-
pines and the grasslands stored land is close enough
beneath where hundreds to existing forests that
of plant and animal spe- plants and animals could,
cies flourished. over generations, turn the
Now, thanks to a pair of new stands into functioning
modern day Johnny App- ecosystems.
leseeds, landowners, gov- When the ecosystem re-
ernment agencies and turns, landowners can look
nonprofits are working in forward to annual income
nine coastal states from from activities such as hunt-
Virginia to Texas to bring ing and wildlife photogra-
back pines named for the Silviciulturist Keith Coursey stands in a thicket of gallberries - one of the shrubs that would block phy rather than only from
the sun from grasses and wildflowers in longleaf pine forests without regular fires - in front of a
long needles prized by Na- stand of 80- to 85-foot-tall longleaf pines in the DeSoto National Forest on Wednesday, Nov. 18, intermittent timber har-
tive Americans for weaving 2020. vests, said Kevin Norton,
baskets. Associated Press acting chief of the National
Longleaf pines now cover Resources Conservation
as much as 7,300 square tall, straight and widely grasses and wildflowers. Plants and animals have Service.
miles (19,000 square kilo- spaced pines will ever gain "The diversity of the long- lost ground along with the Because most long-
meters) — and more than anything near their once leaf pine system is be- longleaf. Nearly 30 are en- leaf acreage is privately
one-quarter of that has vast extent. But their reach low our knees," sad Keith dangered or threatened. owned, 80% to 85% of the
been planted since 2010. is, after centuries, expand- Coursey, silviculturist for Dozens more are being planting so far has been
"I like to say we rescued ing rather than contract- about 70% of the 529,000- studied to decide whether on private land, said Carol
longleaf from the dustbin. ing. acre (214,100-hectare) they should be protected. Denhof, president of The
I don't think we had any Scientists estimate that DeSoto National Forest in Johnson, who retired in Longleaf Alliance.
idea how successful we'd longleaf savannas once south Mississippi. 2006 as director of Au- Another 5,160 square miles
be," said Rhett Johnson, covered up to 143,750 Of the 1,600 plant species burn's Solon Dixon Forestry (13,360 square kilometers)
who founded The Longleaf square miles (372,000 found only in the South- Education Center in south must be planted or re-
Alliance in 1995 with anoth- square kilometers), an east, nearly 900 are only in Alabama, said working sur- claimed from stands overly
er Auburn University forestry area bigger than Germa- longleaf forests, including rounded by longleaf made mixed with other tree spe-
professor. ny. By the 1990s, less than species that trap bugs as him realize that stands were cies to meet the initiative's
That's not to say that the 3% remained in scattered well as fire-adapted grass- losing quality and shrinking 2025 deadline, she said.
patches. Most are in areas es and wildflowers. in range. "Just as alarming, "I'm hopeful we can get
too wet or dry to farm. The forests harbor turkeys people who understood there but ... we have a lot
Fire suppression played a and quail — but also about longleaf were disappear- of work to do."
critical role on the longleaf's 100 other kinds of birds, ing as well," he said. About 400 acres (160 hect-
decline. Fires clear and fer- nearly 40 types of animals Johnson and alliance co- ares) of land returned to
tilize ground that longleaf and 170 reptile and am- founder Dean Gjerstad longleaf were planted by
For all Time share Owners seeds must touch to sprout. phibian species found only spread the word about the Alabama-Coushatta
On the Island of aruba Properly timed, they also among longleaf. One is the tree's importance. Tribe of Texas, for their nee-
halley Time Travel aruba spark seedlings' first growth the gopher tortoise whose "We were like Johnny Ap- dles. But branches from
Free Listings Fees spurt. And, crucially for the burrows shelter scores of pleseed — we were on most of the first planting
Free appraisal report entire ecosystem, they kill animal species including the road all the time," said are now too high to reach.
sell your week for you shrubs and hardwood trees mice, foxes, rabbits, snakes, Johnson, who retired from So Gesse Bullock, the tribe's
Transfer all legal documents that would otherwise block even birds, and hundreds the alliance in 2012. fire management special-
36 years in business the sun from seedlings, of kinds of insects. By 2005, the alliance, gov- ist, said he is pushing for
Call : (297) 630-1307 ernment agencies, non- another planting on the
johnnypaesch@gmail.com profits, universities and 10,200-acre (4,100-hect-
www.halleytimetravelaruba.com Time Share Resales + Realty private partners were are) reservation.
Own or Rent a piece of the Rock working together. In 2010, Basket weavers include the
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eagle or palm beach Time www.halleyymetravelaruba.com 12,500 square miles (32,370 work – something my aunts
For more info call:
share resort For more info call:(297) 630-1307 square kilometers) of long- made me do,"
From week 2 to 10 johnnypaesch@gmail.com leaf by 2025. Now, Abbey said, "It strikes
More info: (297) 630-1307 also visit(new): The initiative built on efforts me in the heart that this
johnnypaesch@gmail.com www.halleyadventures.com by federal and state agen- could die out." q