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A0817 Ceratiola ericoides - Chrysoma pauciflosculosa Scrub Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance includes shrub scrub vegetation dominated by Ceratiola ericoides or Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, sometimes with some other shrubs, such as scrub Quercus spp., found on deep, very dry sands along the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi and on more interior ridge areas and the Atlantic Coast of Florida and Georgia.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sand-heath - Woody-goldenrod Scrub Alliance

Colloquial Name: Sand-heath Scrub

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance includes shrub scrub vegetation along the coast of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi and in more interior areas of Florida and Georgia on deep, very dry sands dominated by Ceratiola ericoides or Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, sometimes with substantial admixture of other shrubs, such as scrub Quercus spp. It occurs in the Florida peninsula (especially on the Lake Wales Ridge, but also on other inland sand ridges), along the Atlantic Coast of Florida and Georgia (on near-coastal sand ridges), along the Gulf Coast of panhandle Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi (on maritime dunes along this low energy coast), and on inland river-associated deep sand deposits of Georgia and perhaps South Carolina. Communities in this alliance may also contain scrub oaks at low densities, primarily Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, Quercus chapmanii, and Quercus inopina (in Lake Wales Ridge examples). Other sclerophyllous or microphyllous shrubs may also be present along with Ceratiola ericoides. Pinus clausa or Pinus elliottii are typically absent, or occur at very low densities, in the Ceratiola ericoides scrub vegetation. Some characteristic species in Gulf Coast examples include Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, Conradina canescens, Smilax auriculata, Helianthemum arenicola, Lechea sessiliflora, and Paronychia erecta. Some peninsular Atlantic Coast examples have Ceratiola ericoides as a single dominant. The ground cover frequently includes fruticose lichens such as Cladonia leporina, Cladonia prostrata, Cladonia evansii, and Cladonia subtenuis, at very high cover in some places. Ceratiola ericoides scrub is pyrogenic with fire frequencies of 10-40 years, depending on fuel availability and ignition sources. This alliance occurs on various kinds of deep sands: recent coastal or near-coastal dunes, inland sand ridges, ancient dune systems, and eolian-reworked riverine sand deposits. The soils on the Lake Wales Ridge 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 has been inferred that whiter sands are associated with more ancient scrub vegetation. In coastal areas early-successional scrub vegetation occurs on younger, more exposed dune ridges; more protected examples may eventually develop a characteristic open Pinus clausa or Pinus elliottii overstory. The exposed occurrences tend to have much larger areas of open sand than do their more protected counterparts.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Shrub scrub on deep sands dominated by Ceratiola ericoides or Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, sometimes with other shrubs.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Notes on the old alliances include "This alliance (Ceratiola ericoides Shrubland Alliance (A.817)) should perhaps be combined with the similar former Quercus geminata - Quercus myrtifolia - Quercus chapmanii Shrubland Alliance (A.779)." We have done this. They are combined as separate new alliances (A0817 and A0779) in ~Florida Xeric Scrub Group (G177)$$.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Shrub-dominated, sometimes with very widely scattered Pinus clausa. This community is temporally variable in stature of the shrubs, since it experiences stand-replacing fires, or in coastal areas high winds and storm surge from tropical storms.

Floristics: These scrubs are dominated by Ceratiola ericoides or Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, sometimes with other shrubs, such as xeric scrub oaks or Conradina canescens. This includes Ceratiola ericoides-dominated coastal and interior scrub vegetation. Communities in this alliance may also contain scrub Quercus spp. at low densities, primarily Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, Quercus chapmanii, and Quercus inopina (in Lake Wales Ridge examples). Other sclerophyllous or microphyllous shrubs may be present along with Ceratiola ericoides, such as Serenoa repens, Sabal etonia, Lyonia ferruginea, various woody mints (in the genera Calamintha, Conradina, Dicerandra, and Trichostema), and others. Widely scattered individuals of Pinus clausa or Pinus elliottii may be present. Some characteristic species in Gulf Coast examples include Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, Conradina canescens, Galactia microphylla, Polygonella gracilis, Polygonella polygama (= var. polygama), Smilax auriculata, Helianthemum arenicola, Lechea sessiliflora, Schizachyrium maritimum and Paronychia erecta. Some peninsular Atlantic Coast examples have Ceratiola ericoides as a single dominant. The ground cover frequently includes fruticose lichens, such as Cladonia leporina, Cladonia prostrata, Cladonia evansii (= Cladina evansii), and Cladonia subtenuis (= Cladina subtenuis), which form nearly 100% cover in some places.

Dynamics:  Ceratiola ericoides scrub is pyrogenic with fire frequencies of 10-40 years, depending on fuel availability and ignition sources. In coastal areas high winds and storm surge from tropical storms are natural disturbances in scrubs in which vegetation is generally too sparse to carry fire. The ideal long-term natural successional pathway in coastal areas is from grasslands dominated by Schizachyrium maritimum, to dwarf-shrublands dominated by Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, to shrublands dominated by Ceratiola ericoides; this pathway is often interrupted by hurricane events, however.
Environmental Description:  This alliance occurs on various kinds of deep sands: recent coastal or near-coastal dunes (mainly on the Gulf Coast), inland sand ridges, ancient dune systems, and eolian reworked riverine sand deposits. 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 has been inferred that whiter sands are associated with more ancient scrub vegetation. Early-successional scrub vegetation in coastal areas occurs on younger, more exposed dune ridges; more protected examples may eventually develop a characteristic open Pinus clausa overstory. The exposed occurrences tend to have much larger areas of open sand than do their more protected counterparts. Scrub with an overstory of Pinus clausa is included in another alliance.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in several different geographic areas: inland on the Florida peninsula (especially on the Lake Wales Ridge, but also on other inland sand ridges), along the Atlantic Coast of Florida and Georgia (on near-coastal sand ridges), along the Gulf Coast of panhandle Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi (on maritime dunes along this low energy coast), and in inland river-associated deep sand deposits of Georgia and possibly South Carolina.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AL, FL, GA, MS, SC?


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 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
Association CEGL003864 Sand-heath - (Woody-goldenrod) / October-flower / Jester Lichen Shrubland CEGL003864 2.B.2.Nh.1.a
Association CEGL003946 Woody-goldenrod - (Scarlet Calamint) Dwarf-shrubland CEGL003946 2.B.2.Nh.1.a
Concept Lineage: bring in information from A.817. Pasted in text from A.817, then edited in track changes.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< IB8h. Gulf Coastal Scrub (Allard 1990)
? Rosemary Scrub (Wolfe 1990)
Concept Author(s): J.E. Mohan, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: C. Nordman

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.
  • Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, M. Hall, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, M. Russo, K. Schulz, L. Sneddon, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2013-2019b. Screening alliances for induction into the U.S. National Vegetation Classification: Part 1 - Alliance concept review. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
  • Johnson, A. F. 1982. Some demographic characteristics of the Florida rosemary, Ceratiola ericoides Michx. The American Midland Naturalist 108:170-174.
  • 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. 1993a. An assessment of Florida''s remaining coastal upland natural communities: Final summary report. The Nature Conservancy, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. 37 pp.
  • 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. 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.
  • 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.