De Soto National Forest, named for 16th-century Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto, is of pine forests in southern Mississippi. It is one of the most important protected areas for the biological diversity of the Gulf Coast ecoregion of North America.Keddy, P.A. 2009. "Thinking big: A conservation vision for the Southeastern coastal plain of North America". Southeastern Naturalist 8: 213-226 .
It is a nationally important site for protection of longleaf pine savannas, pine flatwoods, and longleaf pine forests. More than 90 percent of this ecosystem type has been lost in the United States.White, P.S., S.P. Wilds, and G.A. Thunhorst. 1998. "Southeast", pp. 255–314, In M.J. Mac, P.A. Opler, C.E. Puckett Haecker, and P.D. Doran (Eds.). Status and Trends of the Nation’s Biological Resources. 2 vols. US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey, Reston, VA.Northwest Florida Environmental Conservancy, Part 2 (Bogs, Seepage Slopes, Savannas & Carnivorous Plants) Retrieved 2017-01-16. The wet pine savannas support rare and endangered plant and animal species, such as the orchid Calopogon multiflorus, gopher frogs, and gopher tortoises. These habitats also have numerous carnivorous plants, particularly pitcher plants;Nelson, Gil. 2005. East Gulf Coastal Plain Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Wildflowers of the East Gulf Coastal Plain, Including Southwest Georgia, Northwest Florida, Southern Alabama, Southern Mississippi, and Parts of Southeastern Louisiana. The Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, CT. Buttercup Flats has an international reputation in this regard.Clark, M.A., J. Siegrist and P.A. Keddy. 2008. "Patterns of frequency in species-rich vegetation in pine savannas: effects of soil moisture and scale". Ecoscience 15: 529-535.
This national forest also offers year-round opportunities for outdoor activities, including camping, canoeing, bird-watching, photography, hunting, fishing, and more. There are two nationally significant wilderness areas within DeSoto: Black Creek Wilderness and Leaf River Wilderness. Black Creek is a popular stream for canoeing, camping, and fishing, and is Mississippi's only designated National Wild and Scenic River. Two National Recreational Trails, the Black Creek Trail and Tuxachanie Trail, offer more than of hiking opportunities.
The forest headquarters office is in Jackson, the state capital, as are those for all six national forests in Mississippi. The local ranger district office is in Wiggins, which is surrounded by the national forest on three sides: north, east, and south.
De Soto National Forest is located between Hattiesburg and Gulfport, and can be easily accessed by U.S. Highway 49 and U.S. Highway 98. It lies in parts of ten counties. In descending order of land area they are Perry, Wayne, Harrison, Forrest, Stone, Greene, Jones, Jackson, George, and Pearl River counties.
See also De Soto National Memorial, on the west coast of Florida List of national forests of the United States Brooklyn, Mississippi Perry County, Mississippi Black Creek Wilderness Red Creek Red Creek Wildlife Management Area (Mississippi) Leaf River Wildlife Management Area Gopher Farm sandhill
References
External links National forests in Mississippi Longleaf pine conservation savannas and carnivorous plants