Print Report
CEGL003863 Ceratiola ericoides - Quercus geminata - (Quercus inopina) - Serenoa repens / Cladonia spp. Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sand-heath - Sand Live Oak - (Sandhill Oak) - Saw Palmetto / Cup Lichen species Shrubland
Colloquial Name: Florida Peninsula Inland Sand-heath Scrub
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This community occurs in Florida on the interior ridges of the peninsula where Ceratiola ericoides often forms pure stands on slightly higher elevations surrounded by scrubby flatwoods. These areas have been called Rosemary balds. Ceratiola ericoides is the dominant species in this shrubland community and may be the only shrub species present in the natural condition. As Ceratiola plants mature, they approach a stable density of 0.3-0.6 shrub per square meter. Like other scrub vegetation, this type occurs on excessively well-drained quartz sands and is maintained by fire. The frequency of fire affects the density of Ceratiola as opposed to other taxa. The herb layer is generally sparse and dominated by lichens (Cladonia leporina, Cladonia prostrata, Cladonia evansii, and Cladonia subtenuis).
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This type is known from Archbold Biological Station and the Ocala National Forest.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Ceratiola ericoides is the single most dominant species in this shrubland community. As Ceratiola plants mature, they approach a stable density of 0.3-0.6 shrub per square meter although younger stands exhibit a much wider range of densities (Johnson 1982). An example attributed to this type on the Ocala National Forest had a sparse emergent overstory layer of Pinus clausa, over a dense shrub layer consisting of Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, Quercus chapmanii, Serenoa repens, and Lyonia ferruginea. Three Florida endemics (Garberia heterophylla, Persea humilis, and Ilex opaca var. arenicola) were also present in low levels (NatureServe Ecology unpubl. data). A sparse herbaceous layer was present, including Rhynchospora megalocarpa, Bulbostylis ciliatifolia, and Opuntia humifusa, with an abundance of lichens (Cladonia leporina, Cladonia prostrata, Cladonia evansii (= Cladina evansii), and Cladonia subtenuis (= Cladina subtenuis)) present. Quercus inopina may be present in some examples. Floral endemics include Ilex opaca var. arenicola, Persea humilis, Garberia heterophylla, Palafoxia feayi, Osmanthus americanus var. megacarpus, Carya floridana, Quercus inopina, Bonamia grandiflora, Hypericum cumulicola, Lupinus westianus var. aridorum, and Polygonella basiramia.
Dynamics: Like all scrub types, this is a pyrogenic community. Johnson (1982) noted that Ceratiola ericoides appears to be adapted to a fire regime of not less than 10 years, and not more than 40 years. Fires occurring more frequently than every 10 years would eliminate seed production and replacement of Ceratiola ericoides in the seed bank while fire returns longer than 40 years would also select against Ceratiola ericoides. Seeding rosemary stands in south-central Florida were estimated to have return intervals of 30-40 years.
Environmental Description: This scrub vegetation type is found on interior peninsula sand ridges or ancient dune systems oriented basically north-south. Soils are mapped as the St. Lucie series and are strongly acidic, excessively drained, low-nutrient quartz sands, most often white in color with almost no horizon development.
Geographic Range: This association is restricted to interior ridges of the Florida peninsula.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: FL
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687937
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2G3
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class | C02 | 2 |
| Subclass | 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass | S18 | 2.B |
| Formation | 2.B.2 Temperate Grassland & Shrubland Formation | F012 | 2.B.2 |
| Division | 2.B.2.Nh Southeastern North American Grassland & Shrubland Division | D102 | 2.B.2.Nh |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.2.Nh.1 Saw Palmetto - Myrtle Oak / Beyrich''s Three-awn Scrub & Dry Prairie Macrogroup | M162 | 2.B.2.Nh.1 |
| Group | 2.B.2.Nh.1.a Myrtle Oak - Sand Live Oak Xeric Scrub Group | G177 | 2.B.2.Nh.1.a |
| Alliance | A0817 Sand-heath - Woody-goldenrod Scrub Alliance | A0817 | 2.B.2.Nh.1.a |
| Association | CEGL003863 Sand-heath - Sand Live Oak - (Sandhill Oak) - Saw Palmetto / Cup Lichen species Shrubland | CEGL003863 | 2.B.2.Nh.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Rosemary Bald (Myers 1990a)
= Sand Pine Scrub - Rosemary (Abrahamson 1984)
< Sand Pine: 69 (Eyre 1980)
= Sand Pine Scrub - Rosemary (Abrahamson 1984)
< Sand Pine: 69 (Eyre 1980)
- Abrahamson, W. G. 1984. Post-fire recovery of the Florida Lake Wales Ridge vegetation. American Journal of Botany 71:9-21.
- Austin, D. F. 1976. Florida scrub. The Florida Naturalist 49:2-5.
- Christman, S. P. 1988. Endemism and Florida''s interior sand pine scrub. Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, Division of Wildlife, Nongame Wildlife Section. Project Report GFC-84-101. Tallahassee, FL. 246 pp.
- Christman, S. P., and W. S. Judd. 1990. Notes on plants endemic to Florida scrub. Florida Scientist 53:52-73.
- Eyre, F. H., editor. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC. 148 pp.
- FNAI [Florida Natural Areas Inventory]. 2010a. Guide to the natural communities of Florida: 2010 edition. Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee, FL. 228 pp. [https://fnai.org/naturalcommguide.cfm]
- Godfrey, R. K. 1988. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of northern Florida and adjacent Georgia and Alabama. University of Georgia Press, Athens. 734 pp.
- Heuberger, D. C., R. J. Kuehl, M. E. Collins, and B. Herring. 1997. Ecological inventory of the Ocala National Forest. Summary report submitted to USDA Forest Service. Challenge Cost-Share Agreement #94-018. Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida.
- Johnson, A. F. 1982. Some demographic characteristics of the Florida rosemary, Ceratiola ericoides Michx. The American Midland Naturalist 108:170-174.
- Johnson, A. F., and W. G. Abrahamson. 1990. A note on the fire responses of species in rosemary scrubs on the southern Lake Wales Ridge. Florida Scientist 53:138-143.
- Laessle, A. M. 1958. The origin and successional relationship of sandhill vegetation and sand pine scrub. Ecological Monographs 28:361-387.
- Myers, R. L. 1990a. Scrub and high pine. Pages 150-193 in: R. L. Myers and J. L. Ewel, editors. Ecosystems of Florida. University of Central Florida Press, Orlando.
- Myers, R. L., S. E. Boettcher, and H. A. Tuck. 1987. Sand pine (Pinus clausa) seeding response following fire. ASB Bulletin 34:68-69.
- NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Richardson, D. R. 1989. The sand pine scrub community: An annotated bibliography. Florida Scientist 52:65-93.
- Snedaker, S. C., and A. E. Lugo, editors. 1973. The role of mangrove ecosystems in the maintenance of environmental quality and a high productivity of desirable fisheries. Final report on Contract 14-16-008-606 to U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Washington, DC.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- TNC [The Nature Conservancy]. 1992a. Element stewardship abstract for Florida scrub. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Region, Winter Park, FL. 15 pp.
- White, W. A. 1970. The geomorphology of the Florida Peninsula. Florida Department of Natural Resources, Geological Bulletin No. 51. Tallahassee, FL. 161 pp.