Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F154XA008FL
Moist Sandy Scrubby Flatwoods
Last updated: 2/21/2024
Accessed: 11/13/2024
General information
Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 154X–South-Central Florida Ridge
MLRA 154 is entirely in Peninsular Florida, and contains 8,285 square miles. The landscape of MLRA 154 is characterized by a series of parallel, prominent sandy ridges of Pleistocene marine origin, including the Brooksville and Mount Dora Ridges. These North to South oriented parallel ridges are interspersed with more low lying physiographic provinces, including: upland hills, plains, valleys and gaps (Puri and Vernon 1964). The extreme western portion of the MLRA consists of thin belt of coastal lowlands and marshlands.
Many of the soils of MLRA 154 are Pleistocene or Holocene sands that are underlain with older, loamy Pliocene marine sediments (Cypresshead formation) or the clayey Miocene marine sediments (Hawthorne formation). A combination of marine depositional events and the dissolution of underlying limestone (karst geology) is responsible for surficial topography throughout Peninsular Florida.
Classification relationships
All portions of the geographical range of this site falls under the following ecological / land classifications including:
-Environmental Protection Agency’s Level 3 and 4 Ecoregions of Florida: 75 Southern Coastal Plain; 75c Central Florida Ridges and Uplands (Griffith, G. E., Omernik, J. M., & Pierson, S. M., 2013)
-Florida Natural Area Inventory, 2010 Edition: Scrub, Scrubby Flatwoods, Xeric Hammock (FNAI, 2010)
Ecological site concept
The central concept of the Moist Sandy Scrubby Flatwoods site is very deep, white, acidic, somewhat poorly to well drained sands that have a sandy or loamy subsoil. This site occurs on 0 to 5% slopes (occasionally up to 8%). Soil series include deep to very deep, sandy, or sandy over loamy, somewhat poorly drained (Cassia, Electra, Electra Variant, Hurricane, Mandarin, Narcoossee, Newnan, Ridgeland, Zolfo), the moderately well drained (Orsino, Pomello), and the well drained (Deland). This site is dominantly mapped in the Central Valley, St. Johns River Offset, Tsala Apopka Plain, and Western Valley physiographic units, and to a less extent in the Duval Uplands, Marion Uplands, and the Northern Highlands.
Associated sites
F154XA004FL |
Moist Sandy Pine-Hardwood Woodlands This is a somewhat poorly to moderately well drained site that occurs in similar landscape positions |
---|---|
F154XA005FL |
Poorly Drained Upland Pine-Hardwood Forests This is a poorly drained sandy site that occurs in upland flats landscape positions |
F154XA006FL |
Dry White Sand Scrubs This is a moderately well to well drained site that occurs in higher, drier, more xeric landscape positions |
F154XA007FL |
Moist Sandy Wet-Mesic Flatwoods This is a poorly drained sandy site that occurs in lowland flats landscape positions |
F154XA010FL |
Moist Lithic Flatwoods And Hammocks This is a somewhat poorly to moderately well drained site that occurs in similar landscape positions with lithic contact within 152 cm |
F154XA012FL |
Wet Rich Forests And Woodlands This is a poorly drained loamy and clayey site that occurs in lowland flats landscape positions |
Similar sites
F154XA004FL |
Moist Sandy Pine-Hardwood Woodlands These are poorly drained sites with a depth to seasonal high water table less than 30 cm, which will resulting in more wet plant communities |
---|---|
F154XA007FL |
Moist Sandy Wet-Mesic Flatwoods These are somewhat poorly to moderately well drained sites that will have a loamy or clayey subsoil below 200 cm or is absent, resulting in more xeric plant communities |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Pinus palustris |
---|---|
Shrub |
(1) Quercus chapmanii |
Herbaceous |
(1) Aristida stricta |
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