VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Pinus virginiana | Virginia Pine 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Virginia pine was previously used only for mine props, railroad ties,
rough lumber, fuel, tar, and charcoal.  It currently has little
importance for lumber, but is becoming more important as a pulpwood
species, especially through the reforestation of abandoned agricultural
lands, cutover, and mined sites [7,14,54].  Several thousand acres of
land are planted in Virginia pine annually [25].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Virginia pine seeds are an important food source for many small mammals
and birds, including northern bobwhites [14,52].  Virginia pine forms
good nesting sites for woodpeckers due to a preponderance of softened
wood in older trees [7].  When used for revegetation of mine spoils,
Virginia pine has high value for wildlife cover and food [61].  It
provides browse for white-tailed deer, and probably for other animals as
well [52].

Virginia pine forests are the second highest producers of choice browse
for white-tailed deer in the Oconee National Forest, Georgia [21].
Young Virginia pine stands provide good habitat for rabbits, northern
bobwhite, and many nongame birds.  Mature stands with a sparse shrub
layer are less valuable habitat [50].


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
The nutrient content (percent dry weight) of Virginia pine foliage was
reported as follows [44]:

Ca        0.55
Mg        0.08
P         0.10
K         0.32
lignin   33.6


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Within its natural range, Virginia pine is often a pioneer on mined
soils [61].  Virginia and loblolly pines have naturally reforested some
surface coal mines in Alabama, and are substantial producers of
commercial softwoods [30].  Natural revegetation on manganese mine
spoils in Virginia and Tennessee includes Virginia pine.  It is widely
planted in the middle and southern Appalachian region on surface coal
mine spoils, and has good potential for revegetation of other disturbed
sites [6,34,36,54].

Virginia pine is adapted to a wide range of mined soils and performs
well on acidic and droughty sites [61].  On dark-colored coal mine wastes
in Pennsylvania, Virginia pine was more resistant to heat damage than
eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), Scotch pine (P. sylvestris) or jack
pine (P. banksiana).  Plantings of Virginia pine outside its native
range are usually invaded by hardwoods within 15 to 20 years [61].

Performance of Virginia pine on surface coal mine spoils varies with
planting conditions and post-planting environmental conditions
[42,53,54,59,62].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Virginia pine is planted for Christmas trees [7,14].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Virginia pine can produce good yields on sites that are marginal for
loblolly pine.  Yields and performance vary with seed source [25,49].

Virginia pine is best managed with even-aged silvicultural systems.
Strip and patch cutting in short rotations are successful techniques for
harvest and regeneration of Virginia pine [18,50,58].  The transition
from mostly pure Virginia pine stands to oak-pine or oak-hickory (Carya
spp.) can be hastened by harvesting techniques [50,58].

Results of plantation trials of Virginia pine in the Cross Timbers area
of Oklahoma varied with moisture availability; survival rates are mostly
very high.  Virginia pine, therefore, has good potential for
reforestation projects in this area [39].  

Virginia pine is a common woody competitor of loblolly pine in
plantations [35].

It is recommended that old, decaying trees be left standing near the
margins of clearcuts for woodpecker nest sites [7].
 
Virginia pine can be propagated by grafting, and can be rooted from
cuttings [7].

Principal diseases of Virginia pine include heart rot and pitch canker.
Principal insect pests include the southern pine beetle, Ips spp.,
Virginia pine sawfly, redheaded pine sawfly, and pales weevil.  Meadow
mice may girdle young trees [7].  Virgina pine is resistant to damage
by ozone [13,20].

Related categories for Species: Pinus virginiana | Virginia Pine