Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This evergreen woodland is dominated by a tall (typically 20-25 m) Pinus palustris canopy. Pinus echinata and Pinus taeda may occasionally occur but are not dominant. A sparse Pinus palustris subcanopy occurs at 7-15 m. Widely scattered hardwoods such as Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus falcata, and Quercus stellata may occur in the sparse subcanopy. Scattered shrubs (less than 2 m) occur, generally Vaccinium stamineum, Cornus florida, Vaccinium arboreum, Callicarpa americana, and Rhus copallinum. The herbaceous layer is rich and is dominated primarily by members of the Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae, although many other families are also represented. Additional forb species include Chrysopsis mariana, Elephantopus carolinianus, and Pityopsis graminifolia. Schizachyrium scoparium is characteristic of the graminoid layer, and Rudbeckia grandiflora var. alismifolia is also a typical species in stands of this type. West Gulf Coastal Plain endemic or near-endemic species that may occur in this type include Aristolochia reticulata, Echinacea sanguinea, Alophia drummondii, Symphyotrichum pratense (= Aster sericeus var. microphyllus), Berlandiera betonicifolia (= Berlandiera x betonicifolia), Cnidoscolus texanus, Dalea phleoides, Delphinium carolinianum ssp. vimineum, and Silphium gracile (Correll and Johnston 1970, Bridges and Orzell 1989a). 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 2-8 years. 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 10-20 years or more, 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.