Shallow Sandy or Loamy Upland Pine

Description

Upland pine is upland with sand/clay substrate; mesic-xeric; frequent fire (1-3 years); savanna of widely spaced pines over primarily herbaceous understory; longleaf pine, slash pine, loblolly pine, and/or shortleaf pine, southern red oak, wiregrass. (FNAI, 2010).

Upland pine is a woodland of widely spaced pines with a sparse to moderate shrub layer and a dense, species rich groundcover of grasses and herbs, occurring on gently rolling terrain. The canopy is dominated by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris); shortleaf pine (P. echinata) also may be present. There is an intermittent subcanopy layer of smaller pines, and hardwoods including southern red oak (Quercus falcata), blackjack oak (Q. marilandica), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), bluejack oak (Q. incana), post oak (Q. stellata), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), Darlington oak (Q. hemisphaerica), winged sumac (Rhus copallinum), common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), sand post oak (Q. margaretta), mockernut hickory (Carya tomentosa), and blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica). Though typically present as low shrubs and occasional midstory trees, these species can form a dense midstory (subcanopy and tall shrubs layers) in areas that have experienced a lack of fire for many years.

Shrub cover can vary from sparse to dense. Shrub cover includes low-growing species such as dwarf huckleberry (Gaylussacia dumosa), running oak (Q. pumila), inkberry (aka gallberry) (Ilex glabra), and Darrow’s blueberry (Vaccinium darrowii).

Herbaceous cover varies, from sparse to abundant, dependent upon the density and shading effects of the shrubs. Threeawn (aka wiregrass) (Aristida beyrichiana and/or Aristida stricta) is often dominant, but a high diversity of grasses and forbs may be present. In addition to wiregrass, other common grasses are little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus), hairawn muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris), and Indiangrass (Sorghastrum spp.). Typical forbs include oblongleaf snakeherb (Dyschoriste oblongifolia), narrowleaf silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia), pineland silkgrass (Pityopsis aspera), scaleleaf aster (Symphyotrichum adnatum), western brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum), goldenrod (Solidago spp.), pineland nerveray (Tetragonotheca helianthoides), soft greeneyes (Berlandiera pumila), evening trumpetflower (Gelsemium sempervirens), rice button aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum), and often a diverse suite of legumes including sensitive partridge pea (Chamaecrista nictitans), fourvalve mimosa (Mimosa quadrivalvis), sidebeak pencilflower (Stylosanthes biflora), and Virginia tephrosia (Tephrosia virginiana). Woody vines such as greenbrier (Smilax spp.) and summer grape (Vitis aestivalis) are occasionally present.

Dominant plant species

1. longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), tree

2. slash pine (Pinus elliottii), tree

Submodel

Description

Managed grassland represents both improved and unimproved pasture including wooded pasture.

Submodel

Description

Pine plantations in Florida are often dominated by evenaged loblolly, sand, or slash pine (Pinus taeda, P. clausa, or P. elliottii, respectively). Dense pine plantations typically have sparse to absent herbaceous vegetation as a result of shading or a cover of deep pine needle duff. These plantations may be very shrubby or vine-dominated or open at ground level. The groundcover in most cases has been severely impacted by mechanical site preparation, such as roller chopping and bedding. However, while perennial grasses such as wiregrass (Aristida stricta var. beyrichiana) may be greatly reduced, many components of the native groundcover persist even though the relative abundance is altered. Groundcover can be partially restored by thinning and/or frequent burning, although some planting of perennial grasses such as wiregrass may be required. (FNAI, 2010)

Dominant plant species

1. loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), tree

2. slash pine (Pinus elliottii), tree

3. sand pine (Pinus clausa), tree

Submodel

Description

The degraded State represents vegetation conditions that have been degraded by the introduction and spread of non-native species.

Submodel