Natural Communities

All upland community descriptions are from the Florida Natural Areas Inventory “Guide to Natural Communities of Florida: 2010 edition” (www.fnai.org).

Depression Marsh

Small, isolated, often rounded depression in sand substrate with peat accumulating toward center; surrounded by fire-maintained community; seasonally inundated; still water; statewide excluding Keys; frequent or occasional fire; largely herbaceous; maidencane, sawgrass, pickerelweed, longleaf threeawn, sand cordgrass, peelbark St. John’s wort.

Depression MarshUCF Arboretum, Photo by Maria C. R. Harrington

Dome swamp

Small or large and shallow isolated depression in sand/marl/limestone substrate with peat accumulating toward center; occurring within a fire-maintained community; seasonally inundated; still water; statewide excluding Keys; occasional or rare fire; forested, canopy often tallest in center; pond cypress, swamp tupelo.

Dome SwampUCF Arboretum, Photo by Maria C. R. Harrington

Mesic flatwoods

Flatland with sand substrate; mesic; statewide except extreme southern peninsula and Keys; frequent fire (2-4 years); open pine canopy with a layer of low shrubs and herbs; longleaf pine and/or slash pine, saw palmetto, gallberry, dwarf live oak, wiregrass.

Mesic Flatwoods 2UCF Arboretum, Photo by Maria C. R. Harrington

Flatwoods/Prairie Pond

Generally shallow basin in flatlands with high water table; frequently with a broad littoral zone; still water or flow-through; sand or peat substrate; statewide except extreme southern peninsula and Keys; variable water chemistry, colored to clear, acidic to slightly alkaline, soft to moderately hard water with moderate mineral content (sodium, chloride, sulfate); oligo-mesotrophic to eutrophic.

PondUCF Arboretum, Photo by Maria C. R. Harrington

Scrub

Upland with deep sand substrate; xeric; statewide except extreme southern peninsula and Keys, mainly coastal in Panhandle; occasional or rare fire (usually 5-20 years); open or dense shrubs with or without pine canopy; sand pine and/ or scrub oaks and/or Florida rosemary.

ScrubUCF Arboretum, Photo by Maria C. R. Harrington

Scrubby flatwoods

Flatland with sand substrate; xeric-mesic; statewide except extreme southern peninsula and Keys; occasional fire (5-15 years); widely scattered pine canopy over saw palmetto and scrub oaks; longleaf pine, sand live oak, myrtle oak, Chapman’s oak, saw palmetto, wiregrass.

Scrubby Flatwoods

Xeric hammock

Upland community with deep sand substrate; xeric; primarily eastern Panhandle to central peninsula; rare or no fire; closed canopy of evergreen hardwoods; sand live oak, saw palmetto.

Xeric HammockUCF Arboretum, Photo by Maria C. R. Harrington