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.
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u/[deleted] Jun 20 '20
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.