Station 25: Old-Field White Pine

Pastures abandoned in the nineteenth century were often filled by naturally seeded white pine. This stand was fully established by natural seeding within about 20 years, beginning about 1890.

Open grown pines

The larger pines with heavy lower branches seeded in early and grew in the open for some years. Their "open grown" form is caused by the continuing growth of lower branches in direct sunlight.

Forest grown pines

The smaller trees without large limbs near the ground seeded in later and were more shaded so that their lower limbs soon died, giving the characteristic "forest grown" form.

Evidence of damage

The crooked and forked trees have been attacked by the white pine weevil (a snout beetle a little smaller than a lady bug), which feeds on the bud and lays its eggs under the bark of the leader, or vertical growing tip of white pines. The larvae feed on and kill the leader, allowing one or more of the uppermost side branches to take over as the main stem(s). This damage creates the typical "cabbage pine", or crooked, multiple-stem form. The weevil is a native insect and its population greatly increased when old-field pine was so abundant.

Succession

Note that hardwoods such as sugar and red maple, beech, red oak, and white ash are already present under the pine, ready to take over when the pine dies. The shade in this mature forest makes this section of the trail very easy to maintain, since few shrubs can grow here.