Over the past decade, a ground swell of interest has formed around restoring functional longleaf pine ecosystems. In many instances, the goals in restoring longleaf pine forests have been to enhance regional biodiversity and to increase the abundance of target species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, gopher tortoise, eastern indigo snake, flatwoods salamander, etc. Restoration of longleaf ecosystems is needed adjacent to focal areas of existing longleaf ecosystems to enhance acreage and sustainability which provides threatened and endangered species habitat, thereby increasing the possibility of delisting some species. However, without proper conservation planning tools in place, the allocation of restoration dollars continues in a shotgun approach and thus adding little to the restoration of a functioning landscape scale longleaf pine ecosystem. While the longleaf pine ecosystem now covers only a fraction of the millions of acres it once occupied, efforts to protect and restore this ecological system must focus on specific geographic areas that historically supported this forest type. The purpose of this study is to create a GIS database of existing spatial data about longleaf pine which will provide a baseline of knowledge and aid conservation and restoration efforts.
Results/Conclusions
The Longleaf Alliance is working in coordination with numerous partners on an effort to develop a GIS database of existing longleaf pine stand data. The GIS database was created by collecting and compiling existing available spatial data about longleaf pine stands using the best available technology. Sources include natural and planted stands from all types of land ownership (public and private), old growth stands, and known populations of target species like red-cockaded woodpeckers and gopher tortoises. This GIS database helps assess the extent and condition of available spatial data on longleaf pine forests, which provides a building block in the restoration of the longleaf pine ecosystem. The database will serve as an effective conservation tool by targeting areas of high ecological potential and thereby maximizing the impact of restoration dollars. Among the various utilities of this database are the abilities to identify areas that lack spatial data about longleaf pine stands, to develop potential ways to prioritize likely restoration focal areas and/or corridors, and to serve as an educational tool to promote longleaf restoration.
