Name:
Ceratiola ericoides Shrubland Alliance
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
Xeric sands dominated by Ceratiola ericoides, sometimes with substantial admixture of other shrubs, such as xeric scrub oaks or Chrysoma pauciflosculosa. This alliance includes stands along the coast and more interior areas of Florida and possibly Georgia. It can be considered one component of "Florida scrub." Associations in this alliance are found in the Florida peninsula (especially on the Lake Wales Ridge, but also on other inland sand ridges), along the Atlantic Coast of Florida (on near-coastal sand ridges), along the Gulf Coast of panhandle Florida and Alabama (on maritime dunes along this low energy coast), and possibly in inland river-associated deep sand deposits of Georgia and South Carolina. Communities in this alliance may also contain scrub oaks at low densities, primarily Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, Quercus chapmanii, and Quercus inopina (in Lake Wales Ridge examples). Other sclerophyllous or microphyllous shrubs may also be present along with Ceratiola ericoides. Pinus clausa or Pinus elliottii are typically absent, or occur at very low densities, in this phase of scrub vegetation. Some characteristic species in Gulf Coast examples include Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, Conradina canescens, Smilax auriculata, Helianthemum arenicola, Lechea sessiliflora, and Paronychia erecta. Some peninsular Atlantic Coast examples have Ceratiola as a single dominant. The ground cover frequently includes fruticose lichens such as Cladonia leporina, Cladonia prostrata, Cladina evansii, and Cladina subtenuis, which form 100% cover in some places. Ceratiola ericoides scrub is pyrogenic with fire frequencies of 30-40 years, depending on fuel availability and ignition sources. This alliance occurs on various kinds of deep sands: recent coastal or near-coastal dunes, inland sand ridges, ancient dune systems, and eolian-reworked riverine sand deposits. The Florida Central Ridge is composed of a variety of eolian, alluvial, and marine deposits of Miocene to early Pleistocene age. These soils are excessively well-drained Quartzipsamments which lack silt, clay, or organic matter and are very low in nutrients. While often associated with deep white sands ('sugar sands'), not all examples of scrub occur on these particular sands. It is inferred that whiter sands are associated with more ancient scrub vegetation. Early successional scrub vegetation occurs on younger, more exposed dune ridges; more protected examples may eventually develop a characteristic open pine overstory. The exposed occurrences tend to have much larger areas of open sand than do their more protected counterparts.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.20343.CERATIOLAERICOI
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
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