Blackwater Ecological Preserve

               In late March I joined ten other lucky passengers on a Norfolk Botanical Garden field trip to ODU’s 319-acre Blackwater Ecological Preserve in Isle of Wight County, VA. Union Camp donated this land to ODU in 1985 through The Nature Conservancy. This Preserve is part of the 1000-acre Zuni Pine Barrens State Natural Area. The ecosystem here is unique to Virginia and represents the northernmost remnant of what once was 93 million acres spread across the southeast. Our driver was Theresa Augustin, NBG VP of Education. Our host was Preserve Manager Nicholas (Nick) Flanders. Both studied under Professor Lytton Musselman, who was the first Manager of the Preserve.

               Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is the keystone species here. I am accustomed to seeing Longleafs early in their life cycle when they look like a clump of grass. Nick pointed out the youngest seedlings that looked more like a blade of grass than the clumps I am familiar with. Longleafs have the largest cones of all pines, they are the tallest, with the densest wood, and live the longest of any pines in our region. Interestingly, their bark is fireproof after three years. 

               Unfortunately, some of these same characteristics made them desirable in the shipbuilding industry when this country was colonized. Deforestation resulted, allowing faster-growing trees to move into the Longleaf Pine ecosystem. Another problem for Longleaf Pines was feral hogs. Explorers left hogs here so there would be meat available when they returned. Later studies, comparing fenced areas versus unfenced areas, found over 6,000 Longleaf Pine seedlings per acre in the fenced area versus only 8 per acre where hogs were present! That’s perhaps one reason that nearby Smithfield, VA became known as the “Ham Capital of the World.''

               Fire suppression also caused a decline in the Longleaf Pine population. Fires helped clear out competing species. By putting out fires as soon as possible the early lumbermen were actually harming the trees they most depended on. Today at the Preserve they have prescribed fires every couple of years to clear undergrowth and give the Longleafs a better opportunity to repopulate and compete.

               Some of the other native plants that we saw at the Preserve were Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra), Pixie-moss (Pyxidanthera barbulata), Sheep Laurel (Kalmia angustifolia), Southern Twayblade (Listera australis =Neottia bifolia), and Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens).