Transforming the landscape:

Impact of European Settlement: European settlers cleared vast tracts of forests for farming in the 1800s, replacing longleaf pine and hardwood forests with agricultural lands, which were often poorly managed, leading to severe soil erosion, particularly in the Piedmont region (which includes Senoia).
Land Reclamation & Conservation: After the collapse of the cotton industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s, vast areas of farmland were abandoned. Loblolly pine played a crucial role in reclaiming and restoring these lands, converting worn-out farmlands into productive forest lands, a major conservation success story.
Space Exploration: In a unique historical footnote, loblolly pine seeds were part of the Apollo 14 mission in 1971, orbiting the Moon before being planted back on Earth.