Forestry

Management Methods

Forest management techniques are crucial to the protection of red-cockaded woodpecker habitat and the maintenance of a healthy forest ecosystem. All activities follow the guidelines set forth by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and include selective thinning, reforestation, and understory control. Revenues generated from timber harvests are used to cover management expenses. A comprehensive timber inventory, conducted in 2003, is being used to develop a complete and sustainable management plan for the preserve’s forestlands.

Working Lands

The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve is also an example of how The Conservation Fund protects working landscapes. Working lands serve multiple roles in rural communities; in addition to sheltering wildlife, protecting water resources, and buffering suburban growth they are often the community’s economic backbone. To date, the Fund has protected more than 1 million acres of working lands across the country.

Forces of Nature

Recent natural events have altered the composition and structure of the forests at the preserve. An infestation of southern pine beetle (SPB) in 2001 and 2002 damaged nearly 500 acres. These insects live in the inner bark of pine trees and feed on the tree’s woody tissue. The beetles are able to attack a tree in large numbers over a very short period of time. As one tree dies, SPBs move to adjacent trees, quickly devastating large areas of forest. SPBs attack pines stressed by drought, salt water intrusion, or other factors. When beetles find a stressed tree they emit pheromones, chemical signals, that attract more beetles. If enough beetles respond, they overwhelm the tree's defenses. Once southern pine beetles have invaded, the only truly effective control tactic is to remove the infested trees, which isolates the beetles, making it hard for them to spread to new trees. Changes in foliage color from yellow to red indicate an SPB attack.

In addition to SPB infestations, the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve is prone to hurricane damage. Hurricane Isabel hit the preserve in September 2003 damaging 400 acres of the forest. Only one red-cockaded woodpecker was lost as a direct result of the storm, but 56 cavity trees were broken or blown down. Artificial cavity inserts were placed in pine trees to replace those that were lost. Other recovery efforts include salvage logging to remove dead and damaged timber, aerial surveys to assess forest health, and reforestation.

The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve’s habitat structure has been altered as a result of the southern pine beetle and Hurricane Isabel. Although the red-cockaded woodpecker population appears to be relatively unaffected, it will be several years before the full impacts will be realized.