Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This xeromorphic, shrubby community consists primarily of evergreen scrub oaks (Quercus inopina, Quercus chapmanii, Quercus geminata), but also contains Lyonia ferruginea, Sabal etonia, and Serenoa repens. Ceratiola ericoides may be present but is not dominant. The fairly open to dense shrub stratum ranges from 25-60% cover and may include Sideroxylon tenax (= Bumelia ''lacuum''-type), Lyonia ferruginea, Persea humilis, and Sabal etonia on drier sites, and Lyonia lucida and Serenoa repens on wetter sites. Ximenia americana characterizes southern scrubs as well as the absence of deciduous shrubs such as Vaccinium stamineum and Ilex decidua. The herb layer is generally sparse (10-40% cover) and dominated by lichens (Cladonia leporina, Cladonia prostrata, Cladonia evansii (= Cladina evansii), and Cladonia subtenuis (= Cladina subtenuis)). A large proportion of the herbaceous species is endemic to Florida scrub habitats, including Ilex opaca var. arenicola, Persea humilis, Garberia heterophylla, Palafoxia feayi, Osmanthus americanus var. megacarpus, Carya floridana, Bonamia grandiflora, Ziziphus celata, Hypericum cumulicola, Eryngium cuneifolium, Lupinus westianus var. aridorum, and Polygonella basiramia.

Dynamics:  This is a pyrogenic community maintained by high-intensity, infrequent fires (Richardson 1989, Myers 1990, TNC 1992). Oak scrub is pyrogenic with typical fire frequencies of 10-50 years, depending on fuel availability, flammability of adjacent vegetation and ignition sources (Austin 1976, Myers 1990, TNC 1992). Persistent examples of this community occur in a matrix of other highly flammable vegetation types from which fire can burn into the shrubland at 20- to 25-year intervals (Christman 1988, A. Johnson pers. comm. 1994).

Post-fire regeneration of most of the taxa, including the Quercus species, occurs via sprouting. The lichens however are "seeder" species and take 25-30 years to return to preburn cover (Johnson and Abrahamson 1990). No significant flush of annuals take place in the first year following a fire. Coastal shrub may be more influenced by blowouts and windthrows during storms than by fire (Myers 1990).

Depending on fire regime and availability of seed sources, this community may intergrade on a temporal gradient with Pinus clausa-dominated scrub types. Quercus inopina, Quercus geminata, and Quercus chapmanii constitute the upper stratum in a former Pinus clausa woodland or sparse woodland which has experienced fire frequently enough to prohibit successful regeneration of the Pinus clausa seeder species. If the fire regime increases, this shrubland community may revert back to a Pinus clausa woodland, given sufficient Pinus clausa seed sources and adequate regeneration patches (B. Platt pers. comm. 1994). Following extended fire suppression on productive sites, this community is seral to a xeric hardwood woodland or forest, usually dominated by mature Quercus species (Abrahamson 1984, B. Platt pers. comm. 1994).