Fire Dependent Ecosystems

As part of an ongoing effort to restore sensitive ecosystems, the Forest Service in conjunction with the Heritage Service is working to restore nearly 1,700 acres of pitch pine and oak forests at Elk Neck State Forest by reintroducing fire into the system.

With exceptionally thick bark and the ability to re-sprout at the trunk, pitch pines are structurally adapted to survive wildfires. When natural fires spread through the forest, these trees survive while limiting the growth of the hardwood species they normally compete with. Fire also necessitates the pines’ ability to reproduce; the cones usually open up to disperse the seeds only after exposure to a blaze.