Human-generated pattern in commercial forests of southern Mississippi and consequences for the spread of pests and pathogens

Modern management practices have radically changed the spatial structure of pine forests in the southeastern United States. This study quantifies the modern distribution of loblolly ( Pinus taeda) and slash pine ( P. elliottii) forest at three sites in southern Mississippi, USA, by examination of aerial photographs. Distributions prior to European settlement were reconstructed from soil maps. Before European settlement, loblolly and slash pine were restricted to bottomlands along streams, separated from similar stands by 610–950 m of upland forest/savanna. Basal areas of Pinus species were probably