Conifer Plantation

Pine Trees 

Starting in the 1940s, several species of pine (Pinus spp.) and other conifers were planted in the northeast section of the Lower Arb. None of the trees planted are native to the area (though they are native to Minnesota). In keeping with the overall goal of restoring native communities in the Arb, no new conifer plantations are planned. In 2001. some conifers were removed from plantings in the Lower Arb. Smaller stands of pines are being removed from areas near prairies and oak savannas, where they would be vulnerable to management burns. Other conifers will be allowed to remain since they provide habitat for some species, particularly in the winter, and increase the diversity of the Arb landscape. These trees are generally unable to reproduce successfully here (though some seedlings seem to be thirving in the 1992 Field), and they will disappear gradually as old trees die without replacement. It is expected that deciduous upland forest will take over most of the current conifer plantation areas.