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The shortleaf pine in Missouri: Restoring a former foundation of the Ozark forest

Informally Refereed

Abstract

A lone shortleaf pine stands nearly 100 feet tall, rooted in the stony soils of a cliff, overlooking a valley. Protected by its thick bark, the pine has survived a long history of frequent fires set by Osage Indians and Scotch-Irish immigrants. It escaped the woodsman's axe by its remote location. Over its 350 years of life, it has seen dramatic changes from the days when the Osage people plied the waters of the river below in their canoes. It stood through the agricultural and industrial revolutions that swept through the Missouri Ozarks in the later 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, it stands witness to the tourists who drift upon this Ozark spring-fed stream in their canoes, kayaks, and tubes.

Citation

Dey, Dan. 2022. The shortleaf pine in Missouri: Restoring a former foundation of the Ozark forest. Missouri Conservationist. 83(11): 10-15.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/65555