Using the Gap Analysis Project land cover to map potential restoration sites within the range of Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris)

Historically the longleaf pine ecosystem covered vast acreages (some 92 million acres) in the Southeastern U.S.  Currently, it is thought that less than 2% of the original distribution remains.  With such a scant representation on the landscape, restoration and active management will be necessary for these systems to persist and expand.  In this study, we are modeling the historic distribution of longleaf pine throughout the Atlantic and East Gulf Coastal Plains using county level soils, fire block boundaries, and topography.  We assume that substrate (soils) and fire frequency (block size, topography) would be the primary factors determining the historic distribution.  We then rank potential restoration sites based on the historic suitability model and the current land cover.  The detailed vegetation data from the Southeast Gap Project provides the basis for rating restoration potential.    This project will provide coarse filter data for identifying concentrations of restoration sites throughout a 7 state area and at the same time will provide information on existing land cover at a 30x30 m resolution.  The resulting map will give resource managers a starting point for range-wide conservation planning for this endangered ecosystem and the hundreds of species of plants, birds and animals that depend upon it for survival.