Conservation and Management: Forests

Spring Island has diverse forests consisting of shady live oaks to open pine savannas.

The forests of Spring Island have been manipulated for centuries. What you see now is not what you would have seen 50 years ago or 500 years ago. We continue to manipulate the forest to maximize biodiversity and to achieve certain goals. One of our goals is to restore the longleaf pine to some parts of the island. The longleaf pine is a fire-adapted pine tree that thrives on regular burning. Other forest compartments are left thick to provide nesting habitat for songbirds and provide cover for wildlife.

Timber harvests have been a regular part of Spring Island since it was first inhabited. The Trust still harvests timber as part of its sustainable forestry program to improve the overall health of the forest. A reduction of tree density can improve habitat quality by increasing the amount of light reaching the forest floor. Increased light stimulates growth of wildflowers and native grasses, which provides valuable wildlife habitat and food.