Longleaf Pine built soil The famous plantations of the south
were because the Longleaf Pine built soil. The iconic image from
the Great Plains is the tall prairie grass where Bison roamed
and Indians followed the trail. This same environment was in the
southern United States but it looked just a little different.The
Longleaf Forests that dominated the landscape with over 90
million acres had a unique environment that was resistant to
fire and was the breeding ground for a diverse plant and animal
population. Many scientists compared the Longleaf Forests
diversity to the Rain Forests of South America. The diversity
was lost as the Longleaf Forests were logged until there was
virtually nothing left. The Longleaf Pine was not replanted due
to the fast growth rate of species such as Loblolly Pine. While
the Loblolly does have a fast growth rate it does not have the
same fire resistance and longevity that Longleaf does. It is
exactly the fire resistance that allows the Longleaf Pine to
thrive and build the prairie