Loamy and Clayey Lowland Flats

Description

A bottomland forest is flatland with sand/clay/organic substrate; usually connected or adjacent to a riverine community; occasionally inundated; rare or no fire; closed canopy of mixed hardwoods; deciduous or mixed deciduous/evergreen; tuliptree, sweetbay, water oak, sweetgum, diamond-leaved oak, red maple, loblolly pine, spruce pine, Atlantic white cedar. (FNAI, 2010)

According to FNAI (2010) bottomland forest is a deciduous, or mixed deciduous/evergreen, closed-canopy forest on terraces and levees within riverine flood plains and in shallow depressions. Found in situations intermediate between swamps (which are flooded most of the time) and uplands, the canopy may be quite diverse with both deciduous and evergreen hydrophytic to mesophytic trees. Dominant species include sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), spruce pine (Pinus glabra), loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), swamp laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia), water oak (Q. nigra), live oak (Q. virginiana), swamp chestnut oak (Q. michauxii), and sugarberry (Celtis laevigata). More flood tolerant species that are often present include American elm (Ulmus americana) and red maple (Acer rubrum), as well as occasional swamp tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). Evergreen bay species such as loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus), and sweetbay are often mixed in the canopy and understory in acidic or seepage systems.

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)

Description

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