Conifer Forests

Conifer Forests. . , Off in the distance, near the river, is a stand of conifer trees. Can you find it? Conifers are trees that produce cones, such as pines, spruces, cedars, firs and tamaracks., In this part of Minnesota, conifer forests often exist only in small patches. Sometimes they blend into other habitat zones. For example, jack pines can form unique savanna habitats that mix prairie and woodland species. Some of the older conifer stands you see today were planted as windbreaks or landscaping., Tamarck stands grow in wetlands among trees like elm, ash and spruce., Humans Shape the Land , In the 1800s, settler-colonists valued pine trees as building materials. Loggers swarmed into the valley to cut down every pine tree large enough to be cut into boards. This sled-load of logs was one of many hauled to the shore of the St. Croix River in 1892., Lumber from the St. Croix Valley built homes and barns across the Midwest, from St. Louis, Missouri, to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Then farmers moved in and cleared entire fields., Logging and farming transformed the local landscape., Tough Trees , Under ideal growing conditions, broadleaf trees usually out-compete conifers. But where growing conditions are challenging, conifers are right at home. Some species grow in rocky or sandy soils. Tamaracks thrive in wetlands. White pines will quickly take over a dry prairie in the absence of fire., In at least one way, conifers create their own ideal environment. Conifer needles are highly acidic. Over time, layers of fallen needles decompose to create acidic soils. It just so happens that conifers are much better adapted to acidic soils than their deciduous competitors.