Sandhill
A sandhill is a type of ecological community or xeric wildfire-maintained ecosystem. It is not the same as a sand dune. It features very short fire return intervals, one to five years. Without fire, sandhills undergo ecological succession and become more oak dominated.
Entisols are the typical sandhill soil, deep well-drained and nutrient poor. In Florida, sandhills receive cm of rainfall per year, just like the more hydric ecosystems surrounding them. Sandhills are xeric because they have poor water holding capacity.
Dominant vegetation includes longleaf pine, American turkey oak, and wiregrass. A number of rare animals are typical of this habitat including the gopher tortoise, red-cockaded woodpecker, Sherman's fox squirrel, and striped newt. Invasive species that are a problem on sandhills include Cogongrass, camphor laurels, and Natal grass.
