Florida's Native Plant Communities
Scrubby Flatwood
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Information
Community Variants:
N/A
Description:
Scrubby flatwoods are intermediate in character between scrub and flatwoods. They often occur on low rises within mesic flatwoods or in ecotones between flatwoods and scrub. Compared to scrub, scrubby flatwoods are less well drained, and their soils often contain a hardpan at depth.
These are fire-dominated communities, with natural fire return intervals of approximately 4–10 years.
Vegetatively, scrubby flatwoods are characterized by longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) or slash pine ( Pinus elliottii ), with an understory of scrub oaks and wiregrass ( Aristida stricta ). Tarflower ( Bejaria racemosa ) is also strongly associated with this community.
Scrubby flatwoods provide important habitat for several Florida endemics, including the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens ) and the Florida mouse ( Podomys floridanus ).
References:
Duever, L. (1983, August). Florida's natural communities: Inland sand ridges. The Palmetto, 3(3), 1–3, 10.
Duever, L. (1984–1985, Winter). Florida's natural communities: Flatwoods. The Palmetto, 4(4), 6.
Florida Natural Areas Inventory. (2010). Guide to the natural communities of Florida: 2010 edition. Florida Natural Areas Inventory. http://fnai.org/naturalcommguide.cfm
— For scrubby flatwoods: https://www.fnai.org/PDF/NC/Scrubby_Flatwoods_Final_2010.pdf
Myers, R. L., & Ewel, J. J. (Eds.). (1990). Ecosystems of Florida. University of Central Florida Press.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (1999). South Florida multi-species recovery plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Whitney, E. N., Means, D. B., & Rudloe, A. (2004). Priceless Florida: Natural ecosystems and native species. Pineapple Press.
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