Native Plant Communities
Scrubby Flatwoods
Scrubby flatwoods are intermediate in character between scrub and flatwoods. They often occur on low rises in areas otherwise occupied by mesic flatwoods and sometime in ecotones between flatwoods and scrub. Relative to scrub, they are less well drained and soils often have a hardpan at depth.
Scrubby flatwoods are fire-dominated communities with fire frequencies on the order of 4-10 years.
Vegetatively, they are characterized by longleaf pine or slash pine with scrub oaks and wiregrass understory. Tarflower Bejaria racemosa is strongly associated with scrubby flatwoods.
Scrubby flatwoods is a preferred habitat of the Florida scrub-jay and the Florida mouse.
References:
Duever, Linda. 1984-85 (Winter). Florida's Natural Communities: Flatwoods. The Palmetto 4, #4:6. http://fnps.org/assets/pdf/palmetto/duever_linda_conway_natural_communities_of_floridas_flatwoods_vol_4_no_4_winter_1984.pdf
Duever, Linda. 1983 (August). Florida's Natural Communities: Inland Sand Ridges. The Palmetto 3, #3:1-3, 10. http://fnps.org/assets/pdf/palmetto/duever_linda_conway_natural_communities_of_floridas_inland_sand_ridges_vol_3_no_3_aug_1983.pdf
Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI). 2010. Guide to the natural communities of Florida: 2010 edition. Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee, FL. http://fnai.org/naturalcommguide.cfm and (for scrubby flatwoods) https://www.fnai.org/PDF/NC/Scrubby_Flatwoods_Final_2010.pdf.
Myers, R.L. and J.J. Ewel (eds.). 1990. Ecosystems of Florida University of Central Florida Press: Orlando.
Whitney, E.N., D. B. Means, A. Rudloe. 2004. Priceless Florida: Natural Ecosystems and Native Species. Pineapple Press.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1999. South Florida Multi-Species Recovery Plan. Atlanta, Georgia.
Date Updated 2020-05-17 11:49:18
Coastal scrubby flatwoods at Pumpkin Hill State Park by Shirley Denton.