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The Pine Barrens, also knows as the Pinelands, are a heavily forested area which cover 1.1 million acres (4,500 kmē) of coastal plain across southern and central New Jersey. The name "barrens" refers to their sandy soil, which is nutrient-poor, and certainly not the area's ecological diversity. They are part of the Pinelands National Reserve , and were designated a United Nations International Biosphere Reserve in 1983. They are subject to frequent fires. Oddly, despite being near metropolitan areas such as New York City, Philadelphia, and Atlantic City, and even having the Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway run directly through them, they remain largely rural. They are also notable for their population of pygmy Pitch Pines and Scrub Pines, and other unique flora, such as carnivorous plants.
During colonial times, the Pine Barrens region was home to various industries. Bog ironBog iron refers to impure iron deposits that develop in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation of iron carried in the solutions. was mined from the streams and waterways and worked in furnaces such as Batsto , Atsion , Ferrago , Hanover Furnace , as well as dozens of others. Iron from these early furnaces were instrumental in supplying colonial troops during the American RevolutionThe American Revolution refers to the series of events, ideas, and changes that resulted in the political separation of thirteen colonies in North America from the British Empire and the creation of the United States of America. The American Revolutionary and the War of 1812The North American War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom is one of several wars associated with that year. It is more normally known in British texts as the British-American War to distinguish it from Napoleon's war against Russia w. The bog iron industry fell in the mid 1800s when cheaper iron could be found in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania (the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is one of four states of the United States of America that is called a commonwealth. It has given its name to the Pennsylvanian time period in geology. Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State. Although Swed. CranberryVaccinium macrocarpon Vaccinium microcarpum Vaccinium oxycoccus The cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccus or in some treatments, in the distinct genus Oxycoccus . They are found in acidic bogs througho growing was also another large industry that flourishes to this day. Ghost townA ghost town is a town that has been abandoned, usually because the economic activity that supported it has failed or because of natural or human-caused disasters. Ghost towns are almost stereotypically common in mining areas: Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Ms - remnants of these industries can still be seen at various locations. Smaller industries such as charcoaling and glassmaking also were attempted and met with varying degrees of success.
The Pine Barrens are allegedly the base of operations for the Jersey DevilThe most famous legend from the state of New Jersey is the Jersey Devil a strange creature alleged to inhabit the Pine Barrens area of south Jersey. The Devil is most often described as a bipedal, flying creature with hooves, though reports vary. Others h. The Devil is said to have born to a local named Mrs. Leeds, in an area known as "Leeds Point", sometime during the 1700s. Most of the sightings of the Devil have occurred in or near the Pine Barrens.
The Pine Barrens were also home to the KallikaksThe Kallikak Family''. The Jukes and the Kallikaks were pseudonyms for two families used as examples during the latter 19th century and early 20th century to argue that there was a genetic disposition toward anti-social behavior or low intelligence. The a, a poor, backwoods family which were held up as a case study in genetic inferiority by eugenicists in the early 20th century. Today, it is now understood that the facts in the Kallikaks case study were misrepresented [1].
A rural resident of the area is sometimes derogatorily know as a "Piney."
One of the most acclaimed episodes of the television series The Sopranos was titled Pine Barrens. The episode involved two of the main characters lost in the wooded region during the winter after a failed murder and body disposal attempt.
