Long Island’s Pine Barrens

The Long Island Pine Barrens is a unique ecosystem. It is known for The Long Island Pine Barrens is a unique ecosystem. It is known for its nutrient poor, acidic, sandy soils, as well as its trees, plants and its nutrient poor, acidic, sandy soils, as well as its trees, plants and animals. Long Island’s Pine Barrens once covered an area of 250,000 animals. Long Island’s Pine Barrens once covered an area of 250,000

acres across central Long Island, from eastern Nassau County to acres across central Long Island, from eastern Nassau County to eastern Suffolk County.eastern Suffolk County.

The Pine Barrens is important as The Pine Barrens is important as Long Island’s largest and most Long Island’s largest and most significant groundwater significant groundwater watershed due to the porous and watershed due to the porous and sandy soils found there. sandy soils found there. Precipitation is able to percolate Precipitation is able to percolate down through the soil to the down through the soil to the underlying aquifer system. We underlying aquifer system. We pump our precious drinking water pump our precious drinking water from this aquifer system.from this aquifer system.

Pine Barrens plants must be drought tolerant and able to live in hot, dry conditions. Common plants of the Pine Barrens include pitch pines, the large trees seen in the picture to the left, huckleberry, blueberry, bearberry and scrub oaks, which form a shrub understory.

Scrub oak acorns are pictured here to the right.

Within the Pine Barrens is a unique and globally rare community known Within the Pine Barrens is a unique and globally rare community known as the Dwarf Pine Plains. It spans an area of about 2,500 acres. It is as the Dwarf Pine Plains. It spans an area of about 2,500 acres. It is dominated and distinguished by a dwarf type of pitch pine tree that dominated and distinguished by a dwarf type of pitch pine tree that only grows as big as the height of a shrub.only grows as big as the height of a shrub.

Adaptations for life by plants in the desert-like Adaptations for life by plants in the desert-like conditions of the Pine Barrens include, thick conditions of the Pine Barrens include, thick waxy leaves to reduce water loss, shallow roots waxy leaves to reduce water loss, shallow roots that spread across a wide area to catch that spread across a wide area to catch available water, and deep roots that extend available water, and deep roots that extend into the ground to obtain available stored into the ground to obtain available stored water. Cranberry, top right, leatherleaf, water. Cranberry, top right, leatherleaf, bottom right, and bearberry, left, share some bottom right, and bearberry, left, share some of these adaptations.of these adaptations.

Pine Barrens plants can also be quite Pine Barrens plants can also be quite rare and beautiful as in this dragon’s rare and beautiful as in this dragon’s mouth orchid, right, pink lady’s mouth orchid, right, pink lady’s slipper orchid, center, and this slipper orchid, center, and this bird’s foot violet, left . bird’s foot violet, left .

The Long Island Pine The Long Island Pine Barrens is also unique Barrens is also unique because it is known as a because it is known as a fire-climax ecosystem. fire-climax ecosystem. Fire is necessary for Fire is necessary for some of its plants so some of its plants so that they may that they may reproduce. Fires sweep reproduce. Fires sweep through the Pine Barrens through the Pine Barrens and consume the and consume the vegetation. vegetation.

However, plants like the However, plants like the pitch pine and the scrub pitch pine and the scrub oak are adapted to oak are adapted to survive. Plant species survive. Plant species not adapted for fire not adapted for fire will perish. will perish.

After a fire, the pine barrens appears to be a burned wasteland… After a fire, the pine barrens appears to be a burned wasteland…

yet, the fire-adapted pitch yet, the fire-adapted pitch pine is able to survive: pine is able to survive: epicormic buds allow for the epicormic buds allow for the growth of new branches to growth of new branches to replace burned branches; replace burned branches; the thick bark of the tree the thick bark of the tree will blacken but rarely burn; will blacken but rarely burn; and serotinous or closed and serotinous or closed pine cones stay closed until pine cones stay closed until the heat of a fire forces the heat of a fire forces them open. The pitch pine them open. The pitch pine seeds are then able to grow seeds are then able to grow in what is now nutrient rich in what is now nutrient rich soil, created by the burned soil, created by the burned plant matter and leaf litter.plant matter and leaf litter.

Some plants, like scrub oaks, can also begin to re-emerge by Some plants, like scrub oaks, can also begin to re-emerge by sending up new shoots from their large underground sending up new shoots from their large underground rootstocks. Look closely at the small green growth at the rootstocks. Look closely at the small green growth at the center of this picture. Life will begin again.center of this picture. Life will begin again.

As hot and desert-As hot and desert-like as the Pine like as the Pine Barrens may seem, Barrens may seem, wetland communities wetland communities occur in the Pine occur in the Pine Barrens as well. Barrens as well. These include These include streams, swamps, streams, swamps, bogs, marshes, bogs, marshes, ponds, lakes, and ponds, lakes, and the Peconic River.the Peconic River.

Some Pine Barrens plants living in Some Pine Barrens plants living in these wetland areas have some rather these wetland areas have some rather uncommon adaptations for life – they uncommon adaptations for life – they are carnivorous. Sundews, top right, are carnivorous. Sundews, top right, catch their prey when insects land on catch their prey when insects land on their sticky, red, hair-like structures. their sticky, red, hair-like structures. Pitcher plants, below, named for their Pitcher plants, below, named for their pitcher shaped leaves, catch insects pitcher shaped leaves, catch insects that have fallen into their pitchers. that have fallen into their pitchers. The insects then drown in the plant’s The insects then drown in the plant’s digestive juices.digestive juices.

A number of animal species are also A number of animal species are also found in the Pine Barrens, including found in the Pine Barrens, including mammals such as white-tailed deer, red mammals such as white-tailed deer, red fox and raccoons. The Pine Barrens is fox and raccoons. The Pine Barrens is also frequented by many different bird also frequented by many different bird species. species.

Native reptile and amphibian Native reptile and amphibian species such as hognose snakes, species such as hognose snakes, eastern box turtles, spadefoot eastern box turtles, spadefoot toads and eastern tiger toads and eastern tiger salamanders are also among Pine salamanders are also among Pine Barrens residents.Barrens residents.

The buck moth is another interesting Pine Barrens inhabitant. Like The buck moth is another interesting Pine Barrens inhabitant. Like the pitch pine tree, these organisms are also fire-adapted. The the pitch pine tree, these organisms are also fire-adapted. The stages of its life cycle occur at certain times of year so that the stages of its life cycle occur at certain times of year so that the insect has the least risk of encountering a forest fire. Adults mate insect has the least risk of encountering a forest fire. Adults mate in the fall, when the chance of fire frequency is low. The eggs then in the fall, when the chance of fire frequency is low. The eggs then overwinter on the scrub oak, and the buck moth caterpillars become overwinter on the scrub oak, and the buck moth caterpillars become active in the spring. The caterpillars pupate underground, during active in the spring. The caterpillars pupate underground, during the summer, when the risk of a forest fire is highest, and are thus the summer, when the risk of a forest fire is highest, and are thus protected. In the fall, the adults emerge once again to begin the protected. In the fall, the adults emerge once again to begin the cycle anew.cycle anew.

The largest remaining area of Pine The largest remaining area of Pine Barrens spans about 100,000 acres Barrens spans about 100,000 acres across eastern Brookhaven, western across eastern Brookhaven, western Southampton, and southwestern Southampton, and southwestern Riverhead Towns. This area contains Riverhead Towns. This area contains the largest continuous block of forest the largest continuous block of forest left on Long Island. Today, left on Long Island. Today, fortunately, much of the Pine Barrens fortunately, much of the Pine Barrens has been preserved so as to protect has been preserved so as to protect its unique and interesting plant and its unique and interesting plant and animal species, as well as to protect animal species, as well as to protect our precious drinking water supply for our precious drinking water supply for generations to come. generations to come.

http://www.georgian.edu/pinebarrens

http://www.pinebarrens.org

Some pictures taken from: