Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This evergreen woodland is dominated by a tall (typically 20-25 m) Pinus palustris canopy (approximately 30-60% cover). A sparse Pinus palustris subcanopy occurs at 7-15 m. Widely scattered hardwoods such as Liquidambar styraciflua and Quercus falcata may occur in the sparse subcanopy. Scattered shrubs (less than 2 m) occur, generally Vaccinium elliottii, Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera), Rhus copallinum, Callicarpa americana, and Cornus florida. The herbaceous layer is extremely rich and is dominated primarily by members of the Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae, although many other families are also represented. West Gulf Coastal Plain endemic or near-endemic species that may occur in this type include Echinacea sanguinea, Alophia drummondii, Astragalus leptocarpus, Lobelia puberula var. pauciflora, and Symphyotrichum pratense (= Aster sericeus var. microphyllus) (Correll and Johnston 1970, Bridges and Orzell 1989). The main factors affecting the variability in the community are the time since the last fire event and the moisture regime.

Dynamics:  This is a pyrogenic community with an average fire-return interval of 2-5 years (Bridges and Orzell 1989a, Martin and Smith 1991, 1993). The historical fire season in this region is from late March to July, peaking in May and June. These frequent fires are low-intensity surface fires, with needles and ground cover detritus being the main sources of fuel. The draping tendency of the long Pinus palustris needles over the branches of underlying shrubs increases the flammability of the deciduous plants. Fire often burns into the low-shrub stratum and at least top-kills the shrubs. If fire suppression occurs for approximately 8-12 years, this community will likely turn into an overgrown woodland. With continued fire suppression, this community will experience increased hardwood invasion and cover, and succeed to a mixed Pinus palustris forest.