Hobbies And Interests
Identification
More specifically, the loblolly pine is a moderately tall pine commonly found in the Mid-Atlantic and southern states of the eastern seaboard. It typically grows in sandy soils of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Piedmont and along the valleys and ridges of the eastern and southern flanks of the Appalachian Mountains. Mature height for a loblolly pine is around 100 feet in height, plus the tree can grow to be well over 100 years old.
Significance
Loblolly pine is frequently harvested for lumber. It is often referred to at the lumberyard as yellow pine, where it is often used as a building material. Loblolly pine is not the most desirable pine product to build with because it can be knotty and tough to penetrate. However, it is still very useful because of its durability and structural strength. As a result, loblolly pine is often managed and harvested as a timber product. It is sometimes grown in large plantations that are common throughout the south.
Features
The loblolly pine is naturally part of the southern forest. It prefers the coastal plains and hills from southern New Jersey to central Florida and west to east Texas. It is part of the mixed conifer-hardwood forest, which can include the other pine species of Virginia Pine, Longleaf and shortleaf pine. Within this range it seems to prefer the areas with a higher moisture content. Fire helps this tree compete against hardwoods, for the pine has a thick bark that is fire-resistant. As a young sapling, it is shade-intolerant, so it can sometimes be crowded out by leafy hardwoods.
Function
The loblolly pine can be used as either pulpwood or saw timber. Not only can the tree be used in construction, but also to make plywood, composite boards, posts, poles, furniture, pilings, crates, boxes and pallets. Since it grows well in poor, sandy soils, the tree can be used for erosion control and to stabilize damaged soils. The bark is also used to make mulch.
Effects
The tree can also act as a stately ornamental planting, especially with its rapid rate of growth and tolerance for sandy soils. The pine is also food for the white-tailed deer, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, bobwhite quail and wild turkey. The standing dead trees are often used as shelter by woodpeckers, and the seeds are consumed by a variety of bird life, most notably the pine warbler, brown-headed nuthatch and Bachman's warbler.