Hitchiti Experiment Forest

 

Tree hugging & sticking my hand down into the unknown

 Wild ginger is a plant native to North America with a distinctive heart-like shape.  They have a strong ginger scent when cut open or rubbed. They are found in clusters and need rich, moist soil to grow.

Decomposition of leaf litter is an important source of nutrients for plants.  Leaves are broken down by bugs and other decomposers and nutrients are released into the soil.

  

                               

     The southern pine beetle is an extremely harmful insect to pines and infects trees from Pennsylvania to Texas and from New Mexico to Honduras. The beetle attacks all pines and typically attacks in groups ranging from a few trees to several hundreds of acres of trees. First the leaves turn a yellowish color, then red, then turn brown within one to two months.

     


An aerial photo taken in North East Georgia showing pine trees affected by the southern pine beetle.