Increasing White Pine in Hardwood Stands

Pines are more competitive with hardwoods in areas of dry, sandy soil than on rich, moist sites. On these dry sites it may be advantageous to supplement the hardwood trees with groups of white pine. At the time the dioramas were developed there was a strong emphasis on managing forests for pine production because pines had the greatest value in the local market. Today hardwoods are more valuable and it is unlikely that efforts would be made to convert a hardwood stand to pine.

Approaches to conversion of a hardwood stand to pine:

On the left-hand side, a cluster of white pine seedlings is being planted on a small knoll.

In the center-right a young stand of white pine mixed with hardwoods is being "weeded." Poor quality hardwoods are cut to give the pines more room to grow

In each case forest management is seeking to establish a forest mosaic with groups of white pine and groups of hardwoods. These distinct groups create a diverse structural pattern in the landscape, which enables the pines to grow more effectively than they would if completely intermixed with the rapidly growing hardwoods.