The Nature Conservancy has targeted Long Island's Central Pine Barrens for conservation

Long Island’s Central Pine Barrens

This region is a diverse mosaic of pitch pine woodlands, pitch pine-oak forests, coastal plain ponds, swamps, marshes, bogs and streams. Ecological Importance We have been given a rare op­portunity to pre­serve a large, con­tiguous, ecologically func­tional landscape in the midst of a heavily ur­banized area. It is our challenge to protect the hydrological and ecological integrity of the Long Is­land Pine Barrens, while recog­nizing human needs and accom­modating develop­ment in the adja­cent compatible growth area (Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Area). For a wealth of information, visit the Central Pine Barrens Commission website. Conservation Concerns Extensive residential and commer­cial devel­opment has consumed much of the Pine Bar­rens in recent decades. About 52,000 acres of relatively intact Pine Barrens still remain in what we call the core area. Much of this core is contigu­ous, expansive Pine Barrens. Al­though various roads cross the core area which also contains some houses, agricultural fields, golf courses, and limited commer­cial development. The surrounding area has a greater density of resi­dential, commercial, and agricul­tural devel­opment. Wildland fires play a very prominent role in the Pine Barrens which are considered by Conser­vancy scientists and others as "fire dependent" natural communities.

Pine Barrens Facts Size: 53,000 acre core area; 50,000 acre Compatible Growth Area Location: Central Long Island Animals: A variety of animals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians make use of the diverse and varied habitats of the Pine Barrens ranging from water dependent tiger salamanders to fire adapted Coastal Barrens Buckmoth. A long list of rare damselflies, lepidoptera as well as a variety of migratory and breeding bird species make the Pine Barrens a hotspot for naturalists of all interests. Plants: Globally rare Dwarf Pine Plains with stunted pygmy pitch pines, Coastal Plain Pond shores host more than 50 species of state rare plants including numerous species of bladderworts the shrubby scrub oak, and smaller heath species such as huckleberry, blueberry, sheep laurel, wintergreen are also characteristic Pine Barrens plants. Click for: Complete Details on Central Pine Barrens @ the Nature Conservancy’s website © The Nature Conservancy 2007