AbstractRestoration of a Piedmont transitional longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) site was undertaken in Wake County. North Carolina. Restoration followed a two-stage examination of land-use history and botanical composition. Factors affecting extant forest composition were identified, and desired characteristics of a restored longleaf stand were posited. Measurement of residual trees after the restoration harvest confirmed gradual, then rapid decline of longleaf recruitment, attributed to infilling by competitor tree species. Radical alteration of stand conditions to liberate longleaf trees resulted in mortality of some residuals but effected changes that would ensure biodiversity associated with longleaf pines in this transitional ecosystem.