When the glaciers receded, soil formed on the earth's surface, and white pines moved northward as the climate of the region warmed.  The best habitat for the white pine was in midlatitudes of North America, half way between the equator and the North Pole.  North of Lake Superior, you will notice that the white pine is less and less common because it is simply not warm enough.  The natural range of the white pine is determined both by the soil characteristics of the region and the climate and weather patterns.  Click here for a map of 1993 pine habitat.