Pitch pine forest communities can be called pine barrens. Pine barrens exist among Northeastern American hardwood forests. Northeastern New York is the northernmost limit of pitch pine. Pitch pine thrives where most other trees don't, on sandy and gravel soil. However they can also exist in wetlands and in water- saturated mossy areas.

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Pitch pine is a pioneer species and can be the first tree to populate a recently disturbed area. Pitch pines are adaptable to less than optimal site conditions like those that have experienced fire, high acidity, and low nutrient availability. 

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Pitch pine barrens depend on fire because most cones produce are serotinous. Serotinous cones need high temperatures from forest fires to melt resin encasing the cone and release seeds. This presents challenges for forest management, as forest fires must be carefully maintained and in some cases prescribed burns are necessary for regeneration.