Floridasand pine scrub is an endangered subtropical forestecoregion found throughout Florida in the United States. It is found on coastal and inland sand ridges and is characterized by an evergreen xeromorphicplant community dominated by shrubs and dwarf oaks. Because the low-nutrient sandy soils do not retain moisture, the ecosystem is effectively an arid one. Wildfires infrequently occur in the Florida scrub. Most of the annual rainfall falls in summer. It is endangered by residential, commercial and agricultural development, with the largest remaining block in and around the Ocala National Forest. Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge also holds a high proportion of remaining scrub habitat, while the Archbold Biological Station near Lake Placid contains about of scrub habitat and sponsors biological research on it.
Plant communities
There is a high level of endemism in the flora and fauna, including an estimated 40 species of plants, 4 vertebrates and at least 46 species of arthropod found nowhere else.
s are often found adjacent to the scrub. They consist of stands of longleaf pine on very well-drained, sandy hills. These stands are maintained by frequent fires. Turkey oak is common in the understory and pineland threeawn makes up the ground layer.
The southern coastal plainoak dome and hammocks occur as thick stands of evergreen oaks in small patches on shallow depressions or slight hills. These forests are distinct from their surrounding habitats, which are often dominated by longleaf pine. On mesic sites, common species are southern live oak, sand laurel oak, and American persimmon. The understory is sparse, with trumpet creeper and greenbriers. On xeric sites, common species are sand live oak, southern live oak, longleaf pine, pineland threeawn, and southern dawnflower.
es are highland marshes found in shallow peat-filled valleys, the basins of dried lakes, and the borders of existing lakes. The vegetation mosaic includes a range of mostly herbaceousplant communities, varying based on water depth. Deep water supports various submerged and floating plants. Meter-deep water supports emergent herbaceous perennial plants, typically in dense, monospecific stands, such as bulrush, pickerelweed, and American lotus. Shallow areas submerged only during the wet season support more grasses, including maidencane and southern cutgrass. Subsidence and drainage pattern changes make these habitats shift and change over time. Soils can be mucky, loamy, or sandy, but they are generally above permeable subsoils that create standing water much of the year. These marshes may also be called meadows or prairies.
