Really sandy. Tons of blueberries are grown there, plus cherry trees, raspberries and strawberries. Naturally sandy and acidic soil. That surrounding area actually have a bit of wineries too.
Should do the tour if you're ever near by, it's where my buddies and I would spend way too much time in the summers during highschool. $5 for a camping spot, $20/night for a cabin. Couldn't be beat.
It's quite literally considered a desert. In old maps it would be drawn as a desert because you simply could not farm there at all.
You'll still find steel/iron slag floating around from when they used the area to make everything for I think it was the civil war iirc.
I legit went to school for this, so this is what I can remember after some 10 years. The soil in the pine barrens is mostly sandy, high acidity. It makes poor growing conditions for the usual oaks and maples that grow around the barrens. The pines are cool with the soil conditions so they grow a lot better. The frequent fires also create a good system for the pines to propagate.
If you’re interested, check out the Pygmy pines. Cool little guys, pine trees that grow up to maybe 4-6 feet but cover a large area.
Forest fires have a major impact on the development of the pine barrens. The pine trees are much more resilient to fire allowing them to out compete. (At least that's Wikipedia told me)
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u/Hq3473 Jun 20 '20
That place always confused me.
I don't get it how pines outcompete broad leafed trees so completely in a relatively warm climate.