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A4104 Pinus palustris - Pinus elliottii East Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Open Woodland Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance includes mesic to wet savannas dominated by Pinus palustris on the East Gulf Coastal Plain from Georgia to Louisiana. It occurs on fine-textured soils, which include wet Alfisols and Ultisols.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Longleaf Pine - Slash Pine East Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Open Woodland Alliance

Colloquial Name: East Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Pine Open Woodland

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance includes mesic to wet savannas of the East Gulf Coastal Plain dominated by Pinus palustris, sometimes with Pinus elliottii var. elliottii. They contain a diverse and variable field (herb) stratum, with much endemism of forb and graminoid plants. 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. Heavily shrubby examples may be indicative of lower fire frequencies than are more herbaceous-dominated examples. This alliance is found in the East Gulf Coastal Plain from Florida and southern Georgia west to the Florida parishes of southeastern Louisiana.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance includes wet savannas of the East Gulf Coastal Plain dominated by Pinus palustris, often with Pinus elliottii var. elliottii.

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: Open woodlands dominated by Pinus palustris, often with Pinus elliottii var. elliottii over a graminoid field (herb) stratum.

Floristics: This alliance consists of wet pinelands typically dominated by Pinus palustris, sometimes with Pinus elliottii var. elliottii. Pinus serotina may be present in the panhandle of Florida. Pinus elliottii var. elliottii may be present or codominant from Florida and west to eastern Louisiana. Probably the most significant disturbance affecting and promoting community composition is fire. 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. 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 vegetation. Typical shrubs may include Ilex coriacea and Morella cerifera. Appreciable herb layers typically exist where the canopy and shrub layers are relatively open. Grasses usually make up the majority of total cover. Graminoids typical in various associations of this alliance include Andropogon capillipes, Andropogon glaucopsis, Andropogon glomeratus, Aristida beyrichiana, Aristida palustris, Ctenium aromaticum, Dichanthelium spp., Fimbristylis puberula, Gymnopogon chapmanianus, Muhlenbergia expansa, Panicum spp., Rhynchospora spp., Schizachyrium spp., Scleria spp., Sorghastrum spp., Sporobolus curtissii, and Sporobolus floridanus. 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., Sarracenia 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 (Beckage et al. 2009). Heavily shrubby examples may be indicative of lower fire frequencies than are more herbaceous-dominated examples. Both Pinus elliottii and Pinus serotina are less tolerant of frequent fire than is Pinus palustris. While Pinus elliottii can survive reasonably frequent fire, it has been estimated that natural fire frequencies are less than half that of longleaf pine, while typical regimes for Pinus serotina may be less than one-third as frequent (Landers 1989). Thus, it is often believed that these species were confined historically to wetter savannas 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 East Gulf 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 within its natural range (in the panhandle of Florida) but tends to be codominant only on the wettest, often organic soils.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the East Gulf Coastal Plain from Florida and southern Georgia west to the Florida parishes of southeastern Louisiana.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AL, FL, GA, LA, MS


Confidence Level: Low

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 A4104 Longleaf Pine - Slash Pine East Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Open Woodland Alliance A4104 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL003533 Florida Slash Pine / Cabbage Palmetto / Florida Little Bluestem - Gulf Hairawn Muhly - Spreading Beaksedge Woodland CEGL003533 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL003645 Longleaf Pine - (Slash Pine) / Toothache Grass - Gulf Chaffhead - (Yellow Trumpets) Woodland CEGL003645 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL003673 Slash Pine - (Pond Pine) / Beyrich''s Three-awn - Feather-bristle Beaksedge - Pitcherplant species Woodland CEGL003673 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL003797 Pond Pine / Florida Dropseed - Beyrich''s Three-awn Woodland CEGL003797 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL003860 Longleaf Pine - Pond Pine / Inkberry - Shining Fetterbush - Toothache Grass Woodland CEGL003860 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004556 Slash Pine - Pond-cypress / Tall Pinebarren Milkwort - Beaksedge species Woodland CEGL004556 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004792 Longleaf Pine - (Slash Pine) / Yaupon / Cutover Muhly - Jackson False Foxglove Woodland CEGL004792 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Association CEGL004956 Longleaf Pine / Little Bluestem - Cutover Muhly - Rayless Sunflower Woodland CEGL004956 1.B.1.Na.1.f
Concept Lineage: Most members are from old alliance A.578 (the East Gulf Coastal Plain part), with a few from A.520, A.574, A.581 and A.692.

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)
>< IIB1h. East Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna (Allard 1990)
? Longleaf Pine - Slash Pine: 83 (Eyre 1980)
>< Longleaf Pine: 70 (Eyre 1980)
> Lower Panhandle Savannas (Carr et al. 2010)
>< Pond Pine: 98 (Eyre 1980)
< Savannas and Seeps, Eastern Gulf Coastal Plain (Peet 2006)
> Upper Panhandle Savannas (Carr et al. 2010)
= Wet Flatwoods (FNAI 2010a)
Concept Author(s): R.K. Peet, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2014)

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

Acknowledgements: We acknowledge the previous work done by D.J. Allard, R.K. Peet, L. Smith, and the ecologists of Florida Natural Areas Inventory.

Version Date: 09-26-14
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