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A3305 Pinus palustris - Pinus serotina Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Open Woodland Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: These open wet savannas are dominated by Pinus palustris and occur on the Atlantic Coastal Plain on fine-textured soils, which include wet Alfisols and Ultisols. It ranges from the Carolinas south to eastern Florida.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Longleaf Pine - Pond Pine Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Open Woodland Alliance

Colloquial Name: Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance includes mesic to wet savannas of the Atlantic Coastal Plain dominated by Pinus palustris, sometimes with Pinus serotina. These wet pinelands are often termed pine savannas, wet pine flatwoods, or wet pine savannas. They contain a diverse and variable field (herb) stratum, with much endemism of forb and graminoid herbs. The herbaceous layer in this woodland is well-developed and very species-rich. Lyonia lucida is a characteristic shrub. Ctenium aromaticum is a characteristic grass. Soils are fine-textured and include wet Alfisols and Ultisols. It ranges from the Carolinas south to eastern Florida.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance includes wet savannas of the Atlantic Coastal Plain dominated by Pinus palustris, sometimes with Pinus serotina.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Pinus palustris flatwoods on Spodosol soils are in ~Mesic Longleaf Pine Flatwoods - Spodosol Woodland Group (G596)$$.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Pine densities vary from low with widely spaced trees giving an open savanna-like aspect, to high with dense, nearly closed canopies of needle-leaved evergreen trees. Stands have discontinuous canopies which allow considerable light to penetrate to the forest floor.

Floristics: This alliance consists of wet pinelands typically dominated by Pinus palustris, sometimes with Pinus serotina. Pinus serotina may be present or codominant and Pinus elliottii var. elliottii may be present or codominant from South Carolina south to Florida. Probably the most significant disturbance affecting and promoting community composition is fire. In areas protected from fire, an understory of Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera) is likely to develop. Understory composition is variable, and includes both shrub- and shrub/graminoid-dominated systems. Typical shrubs may include Ilex coriacea, Ilex glabra, and Morella cerifera. Graminoids are typical in various associations of this alliance, and include Andropogon capillipes, Andropogon glaucopsis, Andropogon glomeratus, Aristida beyrichiana, Aristida palustris, Aristida stricta, Ctenium aromaticum, Dichanthelium spp., Fimbristylis puberula, Gymnopogon chapmanianus, Muhlenbergia expansa, Panicum spp., Rhynchospora spp., Schizachyrium spp., Scleria spp., Sorghastrum spp., Sporobolus curtissii, Sporobolus floridanus, Sporobolus pinetorum, Sporobolus silveanus, and Sporobolus teretifolius. Forbs typical of this alliance include Carphephorus odoratissimus, Chaptalia tomentosa, Eupatorium spp., Helianthus spp., Lachnanthes caroliana, Lachnocaulon spp., Liatris spp., Lobelia spp., Pinguicula spp., Pityopsis spp., Polygala spp., Sabatia spp., and Solidago spp. There are many endemic graminoids and forbs (Sorrie and Weakley 2001).

Dynamics:  Across the range of this alliance, pine densities vary from low with widely spaced trees giving an open savanna-like aspect, to high with dense, nearly closed canopies. Stands that have discontinuous canopies allow considerable light to penetrate to the forest floor. Probably the most significant disturbance affecting and maintaining community composition is fire. Heavily shrubby examples may be indicative of lower fire frequencies than are more herbaceous-dominated examples. Pinus elliottii is less tolerant of fire than Pinus palustris and may originally have been confined to wet savanna sites with lower burn frequencies than those typical of Pinus palustris-dominated communities.
Environmental Description:  Stands of this alliance consist of wet pinelands (often termed "pine savannas," "wet pine flatwoods," and "wet pine savannas") of the Atlantic Coastal Plain or "coastal flatlands." Soils are fine-textured and include wet Alfisols and Ultisols. Sites vary in soil pH (range from 3.1-7.8), and most have poor or very poor drainage. Pinus serotina may be present but tends to be codominant only on the wettest, often organic soils.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Atlantic Coastal Plain from the Carolinas south to eastern Florida. One rare association is attributed to the Piedmont of North Carolina.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  FL, GA, NC, SC


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 1 Forest & Woodland Class C01 1
Subclass 1.B Temperate & Boreal Forest & Woodland Subclass S15 1.B
Formation 1.B.1 Warm Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation F018 1.B.1
Division 1.B.1.Na Southeastern North American Forest & Woodland Division D006 1.B.1.Na
Macrogroup 1.B.1.Na.1 Longleaf Pine / Pineland Three-awn Woodland Macrogroup M007 1.B.1.Na.1
Group 1.B.1.Na.1.f Longleaf Pine - Slash Pine - Pond Pine Open Woodland Group G190 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Alliance A3305 Longleaf Pine - Pond Pine Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Open Woodland Alliance A3305 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL003659 (Longleaf Pine, Pond Pine) / Toothache Grass - Cutover Muhly - Pine Barren Sandreed Woodland CEGL003659 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL003660 Longleaf Pine - Pond Pine / Toothache Grass - Cutover Muhly - Sand-swamp Whitetop Woodland CEGL003660 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL003663 Longleaf Pine - Loblolly Pine - Pond Pine / Slender Woodoats - Switchgrass Piedmont Woodland CEGL003663 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004085 Longleaf Pine - (Pond Pine, Loblolly Pine) / Curtiss'' Dropseed - Cutover Muhly Woodland CEGL004085 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004086 Longleaf Pine / Little Bluestem - Cutover Muhly - Savanna Indian-plantain Woodland CEGL004086 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004495 Longleaf Pine / Switch Cane - Sweetgum / Bushy Bluestem - Hooded Pitcherplant Woodland CEGL004495 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004497 Longleaf Pine - Slash Pine / American Snowbell / Florida Dropseed Woodland CEGL004497 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004498 Longleaf Pine - Pond Pine / Longleaf Three-awn - Yellow Pitcherplant Woodland CEGL004498 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004499 Longleaf Pine - Pond Pine / Toothache Grass - Few-flower Nutrush - Yellow Pitcherplant Woodland CEGL004499 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004500 Longleaf Pine - Pond Pine / Sweetbay / Wireleaf Dropseed - Walter''s Sedge Woodland CEGL004500 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004501 Longleaf Pine - Pond Pine / Carolina Dropseed - (Pineland Three-awn) - Blueflower Eryngo Woodland CEGL004501 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004502 Longleaf Pine - Pond Pine / Carolina Dropseed - Toothache Grass - Ten-angle Pipewort Woodland CEGL004502 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004790 Longleaf Pine - Slash Pine / Toothache Grass - Beyrich''s Three-awn - (Florida Dropseed) Woodland CEGL004790 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004814 Pond Pine - (Longleaf Pine) / Plumegrass species - Small-flower Thoroughwort - Slender Rose-gentian Woodland CEGL004814 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Concept Lineage: Member associations are from old alliance A.578 (the Atlantic Coastal Plain part).

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? IIB1b. Wet Longleaf Pine Flatwoods (Allard 1990)
? IIB1c. Wet Longleaf Pine - Slash Pine Flatwoods (Allard 1990)
? IIB1d. Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna (Allard 1990)
? IIB1g. Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet-Mesic Longleaf Pine Savanna (Allard 1990)
? Longleaf Pine - Slash Pine: 83 (Eyre 1980)
>< Longleaf Pine: 70 (Eyre 1980)
>< North Florida Wet Flatwoods (Carr et al. 2010)
>< Pond Pine: 98 (Eyre 1980)
= Savannas and Seeps, Atlantic Coastal Plain (Peet 2006)
= Wet Flatwoods (FNAI 2010a)
Concept Author(s): R.K. Peet, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: C.W. Nordman and M. Pyne

Acknowledgements: We acknowledge the previous work done by D.J. Allard, R.K. Peet, M.P. Schafale, A.S. Weakley and the ecologists of Florida Natural Areas Inventory.

Version Date: 09-26-14
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