The Ecology and Management of Shortleaf Pine Ecosystems

The Ecology and Management of Shortleaf Pine Ecosystems is the first range-wide, comprehensive book about shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata). This edited volume features the perspectives of leading scientists and managers from diverse disciplines throughout shortleaf pine's range in the eastern and southern USA. It synthesizes information on shortleaf pine ecology, including a review of historical influences on shortleaf pine's distribution, ecological classification frameworks, and the species' regeneration ecology and stand development pathways. Separate chapters address topics that include describing understory plant communities and wildlife species associated with shortleaf pine ecosystems, as well as silvicultural systems and fire regimes suitable for managing shortleaf pine ecosystems. The book discusses a variety of interdisciplinary management considerations, from economics and human dimensions to genetics and forest health. It concludes by providing practical guidance on how to manage shortleaf pine in a variety of real-world scenarios, including plantations, silvopasture, open woodlands and savannas, pine-oak mixedwoods, and old-growth forests. This book is intended for forest, fire, and wildlife managers, ecologists, silviculturists, scientists, students, and others who have the pleasure of working in shortleaf pine ecosystems.