PINE SAVANNAH: Background

Pine savannahs occur in two distinctly different situations within the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. These include 1) inland pine savannahs that occur on uplands throughout the southeast and 2) maritime pine savannahs that occur along the margins of large estuaries. These two savannahs have different recent histories and differ somewhat in floristics.

The mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain is the northern limit of distribution for the historic southeastern pine ecosystem (inland pine savannahs). Prior to European settlement, the Southeastern Coastal Plain was characterized by old-growth pine forests that covered more than 24 million ha. This ecosystem was maintained by low-intensity ground fires caused by lightening strikes and indigenous people. Fires occurred over vast areas on approximately 3-5 year intervals and maintained forests with an open midstory and dense cover of forbs and grasses. Land clearing for agriculture, exploitation of mature pines for the naval stores industry, and the suppression of wild-fires lead to severe declines in the abundance and distribution of inland pine savannahs by the early 1800's. Three centuries of fragmentation and fire suppression have led to the development of dense hardwood midstories and replacement of open pine forests with closed-canopy pine

and pine-hardwood forests. Currently, pine savannahs occur on only about 1% of their former range.

Maritime pine savannahs historically occurred along the margins of extensive salt or brackish marshes and on barrier and bay islands. Structure within this forest type was maintained by fire and the underlying hydrology. As with inland pine savannahs, maritime forests have been fragmented by changes in landuse and have been degraded by hardwood encroachment.

Within the planning unit, mature pine savannahs occur only within relatively few small remnants of maritime forest. Because shoreline development has been pervasive over the past 30 years, the majority of remaining sites occur on government-owned lands. Although approximately 15,000 ha of mature pine occur in southern Virginia, no lands have been maintained as open savannah. Currently, no intact inland pine savannahs remain within the region. However, renewed interest in this ecosystem is leading to restoration efforts.

Restoration and maintenance of pine savannahs is important to the avifauna of the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Four species are endemic to this habitat type including the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman's Sparrow, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Chuck-will's-widow.