Lost Pines Forest
Encyclopedia
The Lost Pines Forest is a 13 miles (20.9 km) belt of loblolly pines (Pinus taeda) near Bastrop
in Central Texas
. The stand of pines is unique in Texas because it is a disjunct population
of trees that is more than 100 miles (160.9 km) separated from, and yet closely genetically related to, the vast expanse of pine trees of the East Texas
Piney Woods
. It is thought to have originated as part of a much larger pine forest that shrank in size during the last glacial period of the Pleistocene era
.
A portion of the Lost Pines is located inside the boundaries of Bastrop State Park
and Buescher State Park
, which ensure the trees are protected from development and logging. However, a large portion of the forest was burned down in the 2011 Bastrop County Complex fire
.
Bastrop, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there are 5340 people in Bastrop, organized into 2034 households and 1336 families. The population density is 734.8 people per square mile . There are 2,239 housing units at an average density of 308.1 per square mile...
in Central Texas
Central Texas
Central Texas , is a region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is roughly bordered by San Marcos to Fredericksburg to Waco, and to Brenham, and includes the Austin–Round Rock, Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Bryan-College Station, and Waco metropolitan areas...
. The stand of pines is unique in Texas because it is a disjunct population
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
of trees that is more than 100 miles (160.9 km) separated from, and yet closely genetically related to, the vast expanse of pine trees of the East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
Piney Woods
Piney Woods
The Piney Woods is a temperate coniferous forest terrestrial ecoregion in the Southern United States covering of East Texas, southern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma. These coniferous forests are dominated by several species of pine as well as hardwoods including hickory and...
. It is thought to have originated as part of a much larger pine forest that shrank in size during the last glacial period of the Pleistocene era
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
.
A portion of the Lost Pines is located inside the boundaries of Bastrop State Park
Bastrop State Park
Bastrop State Park is a state park in Bastrop County in central Texas. The park was established in 1938 and consists of stands of Loblolly Pines mixed with Post Oak and junipers.-History:...
and Buescher State Park
Buescher State Park
Buescher State Park is a state park located just north of Smithville, Texas. The park consists of of public land donated to the state by Mr. Emil and Mrs. Elizabeth Buescher, as well as the City of Smithville.-History:...
, which ensure the trees are protected from development and logging. However, a large portion of the forest was burned down in the 2011 Bastrop County Complex fire
Bastrop County Complex fire
The Bastrop County Complex fire was a major wildfire that struck Bastrop County in the U.S. state of Texas in September 2011. The fire started on September 4, 2011, during Labor Day weekend, and burned east of the city of Bastrop. 1,645 homes were destroyed by the fire, making it the most...
.