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Keith Coursey of Hattiesburg was trained to be an industrial forester\u2014learning how to grow trees like any other crop.\xa0 Now a prescription forester for the De Soto National Forest, he explains how prescription forestry requires a much broader scope of knowledge.

The clear cutting of Mississippi\u2019s longleaf pine forests during the period between 1870 \u2013 1930, radically altered our state\u2019s ecosystem. After the longleaf forests were clear cut, loblolly pines were planted in their place because they were easier to cultivate and reached maturity faster. In this episode Coursey details the new plan to restore our biodiversity, discusses how fire helps the longleaf flourish and how the two species battle for dominance.