Flatwoods
Encyclopedia
Flatwoods, Pineywoods, Longleaf Pine-Wiregrass Ecosystem refers to an ecological community
in the Southeastern coastal plain
of North America. Flatwoods are an ecosystem maintained by wildfire
or prescribed fire and are dominated by Longleaf Pine
(Pinus palustris), and Slash Pine
(Pinus elliotii) in the tree canopy and Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens), Gallberry (Ilex glabra
) and other flammable evergreen shrubs in the understory, along with a high diversity of herb species.
A number of rare and endangered animals are typical of this habitat including Red-cockaded Woodpecker
s (Picoides borealis), Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus
), Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders (Ambystoma cingulatum), and Striped newts (Notophthalmus perstriatus
).
Pineywoods are characterized by low basal area
and large widely spaced mature pine. Historically, the flatwoods were dominated by Longleaf Pine, which can live to 500 years old. Large scale overharvesting in conjunction with detrimental silvicultural practices like replacement with faster growing Loblolly Pine
has drastically reduced the range of the Longleaf Pine ecosystem. Longleaf requires frequent fires, ideally every 1–3 years, to out-compete more shade-resistant species, and decades of fire exclusion in the Southeast have contributed to the decline of this community type. The pineywoods have high understory diversity with numerous nitrogen fixing legumes, other forbs, and grasses.
Community (ecology)
In ecology, a community is an assemblage of two or more populations of different species occupying the same geographical area. The term community has a variety of uses...
in the Southeastern coastal plain
Coastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
of North America. Flatwoods are an ecosystem maintained by wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
or prescribed fire and are dominated by Longleaf Pine
Longleaf Pine
Pinus palustris, commonly known as the Longleaf Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia extending into northern and central Florida....
(Pinus palustris), and Slash Pine
Slash Pine
Pinus elliottii, commonly known as the Slash Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, from southern South Carolina west to southeastern Louisiana, and south to the Florida Keys....
(Pinus elliotii) in the tree canopy and Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens), Gallberry (Ilex glabra
Ilex glabra
Ilex glabra, also known as Appalachian Tea, Dye-leaves, Evergreen Winterberry, Gallberry, Inkberry, is a species of holly native to the Eastern and the South Central United States and southern Canada . This plant is often used as an ornamental plant...
) and other flammable evergreen shrubs in the understory, along with a high diversity of herb species.
A number of rare and endangered animals are typical of this habitat including Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a woodpecker found in southeastern North America.- Description :About the size of the Northern Cardinal, it is approximately 8.5 in. long, with a wingspan of about 14 in. and a weight of about 1.5 ounces...
s (Picoides borealis), Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus
Gopherus polyphemus
The gopher tortoise is a species of the Gopherus genus native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for 360 other animal species...
), Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders (Ambystoma cingulatum), and Striped newts (Notophthalmus perstriatus
Notophthalmus perstriatus
Notophthalmus perstriatus, commonly known as the Striped Newt, is a species of aquatic salamander that is native to the Southeastern United States...
).
Pineywoods are characterized by low basal area
Basal area
Basal area is the term used in forest management that defines the cross-sectional area of a tree at DBH, inside the bark.In most countries, this is usually a measurement taken at a specimen's breast height above the ground and includes the entire diameter of every tree, including the bark...
and large widely spaced mature pine. Historically, the flatwoods were dominated by Longleaf Pine, which can live to 500 years old. Large scale overharvesting in conjunction with detrimental silvicultural practices like replacement with faster growing Loblolly Pine
Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda is one of several pines native to the Southeastern United States, from central Texas east to Florida, and north to Delaware. It is particularly dominant in the eastern half of North Carolina, where there are huge expanses consisting solely of Loblolly Pine trees...
has drastically reduced the range of the Longleaf Pine ecosystem. Longleaf requires frequent fires, ideally every 1–3 years, to out-compete more shade-resistant species, and decades of fire exclusion in the Southeast have contributed to the decline of this community type. The pineywoods have high understory diversity with numerous nitrogen fixing legumes, other forbs, and grasses.
External links
- Guide to the Natural Communities of Florida. 1990. .pdf PDF at the Florida Natural Areas Inventory. Accessed 21 June 2008.