Print Report

A0779 Quercus geminata - Quercus myrtifolia - Quercus chapmanii Scrub Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance encompasses much of the oak-dominated scrub vegetation on coarse, dry sands in Florida and is only rarely found in adjacent states, it includes both coastal and interior oak scrub vegetation, with scrub oaks, primarily Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, Quercus chapmanii, and Quercus inopina (in Lake Wales Ridge examples), over and among other smaller shrubs, such as Ceratiola ericoides, Serenoa repens, Sabal etonia, Lyonia ferruginea, and others.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sand Live Oak - Myrtle Oak - Chapman Oak Scrub Alliance

Colloquial Name: Florida Oak Scrub

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance encompasses much of the oak-dominated scrub vegetation on coarse, dry sands in Florida and is only rarely found in adjacent states. On the Gulf Coast, this alliance is especially represented where coastal terraces reach the Gulf of Mexico, with no barrier island. It includes both coastal and interior oak scrub vegetation, with scrub oaks over and among other smaller shrubs. Associations affiliated with this alliance are found in three different areas: inland on the Florida peninsula; along the Atlantic Coast of Florida; and along the Gulf Coast of Panhandle Florida and a small portion of Georgia and Alabama. This includes "coastal scrub" as well as "Florida scrub." This alliance occurs on deep sands on recent coastal or near-coastal dunes, or on inland sand ridges and ancient dune systems, including the Lake Wales Ridge. These soils are excessively well-drained Quartzipsamments which lack silt, clay, or organic matter and are very low in nutrients. Early-successional scrub vegetation occurs on younger, more exposed dune ridges; more protected examples may eventually develop a characteristic open pine overstory. The exposed occurrences tend to have much larger areas of open sand than do their more protected counterparts. Associations in this alliance generally have several scrub oak species, primarily Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, Quercus chapmanii, and Quercus inopina (in Lake Wales Ridge examples). Other sclerophyllous or microphyllous shrubs are often also present, such as Ceratiola ericoides, Serenoa repens, Sabal etonia, Lyonia ferruginea, and others. This oak scrub vegetation either lacks pines, or has them at very low densities. Widely scattered individuals of Pinus clausa or Pinus elliottii could be present. Some characteristic species in Gulf Coast examples include Conradina canescens, Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, Lupinus westianus, Chrysopsis gossypina ssp. cruiseana, and Chrysopsis godfreyi. The ground cover frequently includes fruticose lichens such as Cladonia leporina and Cladonia evansii which may have a high amount of cover in some places.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Shrublands of this alliance generally are thickly vegetated with several scrub oak species, primarily Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, Quercus chapmanii, and Quercus inopina (in Lake Wales Ridge examples). Other sclerophyllous or microphyllous shrubs are often also present, such as Ceratiola ericoides, Serenoa repens, Sabal etonia, Lyonia ferruginea, and others. This phase of Florida scrub vegetation either lacks Pinus spp., or has them at very low densities.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Remaining examples of this alliance are highly threatened by development and alteration of natural fire regimes.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Shrublands with thickets of evergreen Quercus spp., patches with lower sclerophyllous or microphyllous shrubs are often also present, such as Ceratiola ericoides, Serenoa repens, Sabal etonia, Lyonia ferruginea, and others, and some open patches with herbaceous plants, including annuals.

Floristics: Communities in this alliance generally have several scrub oak species, primarily Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, Quercus chapmanii, and Quercus inopina (in Lake Wales Ridge examples). Other sclerophyllous or microphyllous shrubs are often also present, such as Ceratiola ericoides, Serenoa repens, Sabal etonia, Lyonia ferruginea, and others. This phase of Florida scrub vegetation either lacks Pinus spp., or has them at very low densities. Scattered individuals of Pinus clausa or Pinus elliottii could be present. Some characteristic species in Gulf Coast examples include Conradina canescens, Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, Lupinus westianus, Chrysopsis gossypina ssp. cruiseana, and Chrysopsis godfreyi. The ground cover frequently includes fruticose lichens such as Cladonia leporina and Cladonia evansii (= Cladina evansii). These may form 100% cover in some places.

Dynamics:  Oak scrub occurs in some areas where Pinus clausa has failed to regenerate due to severe drought in the year following fire, two fires within a five-year period, or no fire for a century or more (Wolfe 1990). Perhaps due to these dynamics, many isolated scrubs less than 40 hectares (100 acres) in size lack Pinus clausa (Wolfe 1990). Many sites of this vegetation have very small numbers of Pinus palustris or Pinus elliottii var. densa trees (Laessle 1942, Abrahamson et al. 1984) which may indicate transition with lack of fire after logging to oak scrub.
Environmental Description:  This alliance encompasses much of the oak-dominated scrub communities of coarse, dry sands of Florida and is only rarely found in adjacent states. On the Gulf Coast, this alliance is especially represented where coastal terraces reach the Gulf of Mexico, with no barrier island. This alliance occurs on various kinds of deep sands; recent coastal or near-coastal dunes, or inland sand ridges and ancient dune systems. The Florida Central Ridge is composed of a variety of eolian, alluvial, and marine deposits of Miocene to early Pleistocene age. These soils are excessively well-drained Quartzipsamments which lack silt, clay, or organic matter and are very low in nutrients. While often associated with deep white sands ("sugar sands"), not all examples of scrub occur on these particular sands. It is inferred that whiter sands are associated with more ancient scrub vegetation. Early successional scrub vegetation occurs on younger, more exposed dune ridges; more protected examples may eventually develop a characteristic open pine overstory. The exposed occurrences tend to have much larger areas of open sand than do their more protected counterparts.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found inland on the Florida peninsula (including the Lake Wales Ridge), along the Atlantic Coast of Florida and Georgia; and along the Gulf Coast of Panhandle Florida and a small portion of southern Alabama. It also occurs on river dunes in southern Georgia.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AL, FL, GA


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

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 A0779 Sand Live Oak - Myrtle Oak - Chapman Oak Scrub Alliance A0779 2.B.2.Nh.1.a
Association CEGL003823 Sandhill Oak - Sand Live Oak - Chapman Oak Shrubland CEGL003823 2.B.2.Nh.1.a
Association CEGL003825 Myrtle Oak - Sand Live Oak - Chapman Oak Shrubland CEGL003825 2.B.2.Nh.1.a
Association CEGL004715 Myrtle Oak - Sand Live Oak - American Witch-hazel - (Georgia Plume) Shrubland CEGL004715 2.B.2.Nh.1.a
Association CEGL007997 Scrub Hickory - Myrtle Oak - Sand Live Oak Shrubland CEGL007997 2.B.2.Nh.1.a
Association CEGL008593 Myrtle Oak - Sand Live Oak - Shining Fetterbush - Rusty Staggerbush Shrubland CEGL008593 2.B.2.Nh.1.a
Concept Lineage: bring in information from A.779. (Pasted in from A.779 and then edited in track changes).

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = IB7b. Chapman Oak - Myrtle Oak Woodland (Allard 1990)
>< IB8h. Gulf Coastal Scrub (Allard 1990)
> Oak Scrub (Johnson and Barbour 1990)
= Oak Scrub (Wolfe 1990)
< Scrub (FNAI 1992a)
= Scrubby Flatwoods (Abrahamson et al. 1984)
= Scrubby flatwoods: Quercus geminata-Quercus myrtifolia-Quercus chapmanii Association (Laessle 1942)
= Southern Scrub Oak: 72, scrubby flatwoods variant (Eyre 1980)
Concept Author(s): A.M. Laessle (1942)

Author of Description: C. Nordman and A.S. Weakley

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 01-08-14
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  • Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.
  • 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.
  • 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]. 1992a. Natural communities. Unpublished document. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. 6 pp.
  • FNAI [Florida Natural Areas Inventory]. 1992b. Natural community classification. Unpublished document. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. 16 pp.
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  • Johnson, A. F., J. W. Muller, and K. A. Bettinger. 1992a. An assessment of Florida''s remaining coastal upland natural communities: Panhandle. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. 12 pp. plus appendices.
  • Johnson, A. F., and J. W. Muller. 1992. An assessment of Florida''s remaining coastal upland natural communities: Southwest Florida. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. 12 pp. plus appendices.
  • Johnson, A. F., and M. G. Barbour. 1990. Dunes and maritime forests. Pages 429-480 in: R. L. Myers and J. J. Ewel, editors. Ecosystems of Florida. University of Central Florida Press, Orlando.
  • 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. 1942. Plant communities of the Welaka area. University of Florida Biological Sciences Series No. 4. 143 pp.
  • 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.
  • Schmalzer, P. A., and C. R. Hinkle. 1992b. Recovery of oak-saw palmetto scrub after fire. Castanea 57:158-173.
  • TNC [The Nature Conservancy]. 1992a. Element stewardship abstract for Florida scrub. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Region, Winter Park, FL. 15 pp.
  • Wolfe, S. H., editor. 1990. An ecological characterization of the Florida Springs Coast: Pithlachascotee to Waccasassa rivers. USDI Fish & Wildlife Service, Biological Report 90(21). Slidell, LA. 323 pp.