Name:
Quercus geminata - Quercus myrtifolia - Quercus chapmanii Scrub Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This alliance encompasses much of the oak-dominated scrub vegetation on coarse, dry sands in Florida and is only rarely found in adjacent states. On the Gulf Coast, this alliance is especially represented where coastal terraces reach the Gulf of Mexico, with no barrier island. It includes both coastal and interior oak scrub vegetation, with scrub oaks over and among other smaller shrubs. Associations affiliated with this alliance are found in three different areas: inland on the Florida peninsula; along the Atlantic Coast of Florida; and along the Gulf Coast of Panhandle Florida and a small portion of Georgia and Alabama. This includes "coastal scrub" as well as "Florida scrub." This alliance occurs on deep sands on recent coastal or near-coastal dunes, or on inland sand ridges and ancient dune systems, including the Lake Wales Ridge. These soils are excessively well-drained Quartzipsamments which lack silt, clay, or organic matter and are very low in nutrients. 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. Associations in this alliance generally have several scrub oak species, primarily <i>Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, Quercus chapmanii</i>, and <i>Quercus inopina</i> (in Lake Wales Ridge examples). Other sclerophyllous or microphyllous shrubs are often also present, such as <i>Ceratiola ericoides, Serenoa repens, Sabal etonia, Lyonia ferruginea</i>, and others. This oak scrub vegetation either lacks pines, or has them at very low densities. Widely scattered individuals of <i>Pinus clausa</i> or <i>Pinus elliottii</i> could be present. Some characteristic species in Gulf Coast examples include <i>Conradina canescens, Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, Lupinus westianus, Chrysopsis gossypina ssp. cruiseana</i>, and <i>Chrysopsis godfreyi</i>. The ground cover frequently includes fruticose lichens such as <i>Cladonia leporina</i> and <i>Cladonia evansii</i> which may have a high amount of cover in some places.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38098-{772A8D6A-ADEA-42AF-B3FB-61956C321B93}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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