Florida scrub
Encyclopedia
Florida scrub is an endangered temperate coniferous forest ecoregion
of the state of Florida
in the United States
. It is found on coastal and inland sand
ridges and is characterized by a xeromorphic
plant community dominated by shrub
s and dwarf oak
s. Scrub soils, a type of entisol
, are derived from quartz
and are low in organic matter, silt
, and clay
. Because the low-nutrient sandy soils do not retain moisture, the ecosystem is effectively an arid
one. Wildfire
s infrequently occur in the Florida scrub. Most of the annual rainfall (about 135 cm (53.1 in)) falls in summer. It is endangered by residential, commercial and agricultural development, with the largest remaining block in and around the Ocala National Forest
. Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
also holds a high proportion of remaining scrub habitat, while the Archbold Biological Station
near Lake Placid
contains about 20 km² (7.7 sq mi) of scrub habitat and sponsors biological research on it.
found nowhere else.
. Common plant species include Sand Live Oak (Quercus geminata
), Myrtle Oak (Quercus myrtifolia), Sandhill Oak (Quercus inopina), Chapman Oak (Quercus chapmanii
), Florida Rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides
), Scrub Palmetto (Sabal etonia
), Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens), Garberia heterophylla
, Fetterbush Lyonia (Lyonia
lucida), Rusty Staggerbush (Lyonia ferruginea), Cup Lichens (Cladonia
spp.), Scrub Holly (Ilex opaca var. arenicola), Scrub Olive (Osmanthus
megacarpa), Scrub Pawpaw (Asimina obovata), Silk Bay (Persea
humilis), Adam's Needle (Yucca filamentosa
), and Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa).
Endangered plants of the Florida scrub include Florida golden aster (Chrysopsis floridana
), Ashe's Savory (Calamintha
ashei), Pygmy Fringetree (Chionanthus pygmaeus
), Sandlace (Polygonella myriophylla
), Scrub Plum (Prunus geniculata
), Short-leaved False Rosemary (Conradina brevifolia
), Etonia Rosemary (Conradina etonia
), Yellow Scrub Balm (Dicerandra christmanii
), Scrub Beargrass (Nolina brittoniana
), Scrub Blazingstar (Liatris ohlingerae
), Scrub Lupine (Lupinus aridorum
), and Scrub Morning Glory (Bonamia grandiflora
).
(Aphelocoma coerulescens), Florida Mouse
(Podomys floridanus), Sand Skink
(Neoseps reynoldsi), Bluetail Mole Skink
(Eumeces egregius lividus), Florida Scrub Lizard
(Sceloporus woodi), and Florida Worm Lizard
(Rhineura floridana).
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
of the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is found on coastal and inland sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
ridges and is characterized by a xeromorphic
Xerophyte
A xerophyte or xerophytic organism is a plant which has adapted to survive in an environment that lacks water, such as a desert. Xerophytic plants may have adapted shapes and forms or internal functions that reduce their water loss or store water during long periods of dryness...
plant community dominated by shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s and dwarf oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s. Scrub soils, a type of entisol
Entisol
In USA soil taxonomy, Entisols are defined as soils that do not show any profile development other than an A horizon. An Entisol has no diagnostic horizons, and most are basically unaltered from their parent material, which can be unconsolidated sediment or rock...
, are derived from quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
and are low in organic matter, silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
, and clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
. Because the low-nutrient sandy soils do not retain moisture, the ecosystem is effectively an arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
one. Wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
s infrequently occur in the Florida scrub. Most of the annual rainfall (about 135 cm (53.1 in)) falls in summer. It is endangered by residential, commercial and agricultural development, with the largest remaining block in and around the Ocala National Forest
Ocala National Forest
The Ocala National Forest is the second largest National Forest in the U.S. state of Florida and covers approximately of Central Florida. It is located three miles east of Ocala and southeast of Gainesville...
. Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
The Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in four separated areas on the Lake Wales Ridge east of US 27 between Davenport and Sebring Florida. The 1,194 acre refuge was established in 1990, to protect a host of plants and...
also holds a high proportion of remaining scrub habitat, while the Archbold Biological Station
Archbold Biological Station
The Archbold Biological Station is a research institute with a surrounding estate near Lake Placid, Florida, USA. It includes an extensive area of Florida scrub, a scientifically interesting and highly threatened ecosystem...
near Lake Placid
Lake Placid, Florida
Lake Placid is a town in Highlands County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the town's population as 1,878 on 1 July 2007...
contains about 20 km² (7.7 sq mi) of scrub habitat and sponsors biological research on it.
Flora and fauna
The flora and fauna have a high level of endemism including an estimated 40 species of plants, 4 vertebrates and at least 46 species of arthropodArthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
found nowhere else.
Flora
Clumps of Sand Pines (Pinus clausa) constitute the canopyCanopy (forest)
In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant community or crop, formed by plant crowns.For forests, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms .Sometimes the term canopy is used to refer to the extent...
. Common plant species include Sand Live Oak (Quercus geminata
Quercus geminata
Quercus geminata, commonly called Sand Live Oak, is an evergreen oak tree that is native to parts of the coastal southeastern United States, along the Atlantic Coast from Miami-Dade County, Florida northward to southeastern Virginia and along the Gulf Coast from Florida northward and westward to...
), Myrtle Oak (Quercus myrtifolia), Sandhill Oak (Quercus inopina), Chapman Oak (Quercus chapmanii
Quercus chapmanii
Quercus chapmanii, commonly referred to as the Chapman Oak, is a species of oak tree that grows in the Southeastern United States.-Taxonomy:...
), Florida Rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides
Ceratiola ericoides
The Sandhill-rosemary, Florida-rosemary or Sand heath, Ceratiola ericoides, is a shrub usually included in the plant family Ericaceae, though treated by some botanists in the Empetraceae....
), Scrub Palmetto (Sabal etonia
Sabal etonia
Sabal etonia, commonly known as the scrub palmetto is a species of palm which is endemic to Florida and southeast Georgia.-Description:...
), Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens), Garberia heterophylla
Garberia
Garberia is a shrub native to Florida. It grows in dry areas with sandy soils which do not contain much organic matter. It mostly flowers in the late fall, but can flower year round.- Classification :...
, Fetterbush Lyonia (Lyonia
Lyonia (Ericaceae)
Lyonia is a genus of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae.Species include:*Lyonia elliptica*Lyonia jamaicensis*Lyonia ligustrina*Lyonia maestrensis*Lyonia octandra*Lyonia truncata...
lucida), Rusty Staggerbush (Lyonia ferruginea), Cup Lichens (Cladonia
Cladonia
Cladonia is a genus of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer and caribou. Cladonia species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the Nenets in Russia. Antibiotic compounds are extracted from some...
spp.), Scrub Holly (Ilex opaca var. arenicola), Scrub Olive (Osmanthus
Osmanthus
Osmanthus is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae, mostly native to warm temperate Asia but one species occurring in North America . It is sometimes included in Nestegis.They range in size from shrubs to small trees, 2-12 m tall...
megacarpa), Scrub Pawpaw (Asimina obovata), Silk Bay (Persea
Persea
Persea is a genus of about 150 species of evergreen trees belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The best-known member of the genus is the avocado, P. americana, widely cultivated in subtropical regions for its large, edible fruit.-Overview:...
humilis), Adam's Needle (Yucca filamentosa
Yucca filamentosa
Yucca filamentosa, commonly known as Adam's needle, is a medicinal plant native to eastern North America.Usually trunkless, Yucca filamentosa is a multisuckering plant with heads of 30 inch long, filamentous, blue green strappy leaves. The plant is fully hardy...
), and Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa).
Endangered plants of the Florida scrub include Florida golden aster (Chrysopsis floridana
Chrysopsis floridana
Chrysopsis floridana is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Florida goldenaster. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where it is known from Hillsborough, Hardee, Manatee, and Pinellas Counties. It is considered an endemic of the west-central...
), Ashe's Savory (Calamintha
Calamintha
Calamintha is a genus of plants that belongs to the family Lamiaceae. Commonly called the calamints, there are about eight species in the genus which is native to the northern temperate regions of Europe, Asia and America.Calamintha species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera...
ashei), Pygmy Fringetree (Chionanthus pygmaeus
Chionanthus pygmaeus
Chionanthus pygmaeus is a rare species of flowering plant in the olive family known by the common name pygmy fringetree. It is endemic to Florida, where there are 46 known occurrences as of 2010. The plant is found in increasingly rare habitat in Central Florida that is being consumed for...
), Sandlace (Polygonella myriophylla
Polygonella myriophylla
Polygonella myriophylla is a rare species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by the common names sandlace, woody wireweed, and Small's jointweed. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where it is limited to the central ridges of the peninsula, including the Lake Wales Ridge....
), Scrub Plum (Prunus geniculata
Prunus geniculata
Prunus geniculata is a rare species of plum known by the common name scrub plum. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where it occurs on the Lake Wales Ridge in the central ridges of the peninsula...
), Short-leaved False Rosemary (Conradina brevifolia
Conradina brevifolia
Conradina brevifolia is a rare species of shrub in the mint family known by the common name short-leaved false rosemary. It is endemic to Central Florida, where it is known only from the Lake Wales Ridge. There are perhaps 36 occurrences of the plant remaining, and 10 of these are likely to be...
), Etonia Rosemary (Conradina etonia
Conradina etonia
Conradina etonia is a rare species of shrub in the mint family known by the common name Etonia rosemary. It is endemic to Putnam County, Florida, where it is known from about 8 populations containing fewer than 1000 total individuals. It has a specific habitat requirement and the main threat it...
), Yellow Scrub Balm (Dicerandra christmanii
Dicerandra christmanii
Dicerandra christmanii is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common names Garrett's mint, yellow scrub balm, and Lake Wales balm. It is endemic to Highlands County, Florida, in the United States, where it is known from only four sites on the Lake Wales Ridge...
), Scrub Beargrass (Nolina brittoniana
Nolina brittoniana
Nolina brittoniana is a rare species of flowering plant in the asparagus family known by the common name Britton's beargrass. It is endemic to Florida, where there are 72 known populations, only a few of which are large enough to be considered viable. It is federally listed as an endangered species...
), Scrub Blazingstar (Liatris ohlingerae
Liatris ohlingerae
Liatris ohlingerae is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names Florida blazing star, Florida gayfeather, scrub blazing star, and sandtorch. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where it occurs only on the Lake Wales Ridge along with many other rare...
), Scrub Lupine (Lupinus aridorum
Lupinus aridorum
Lupinus aridorum is a rare species of lupine known by the common name scrub lupine. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where there were 10 known populations remaining in 2003. Fewer than 6000 individual plants were counted. It is threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat...
), and Scrub Morning Glory (Bonamia grandiflora
Bonamia grandiflora
Bonamia grandiflora is a rare species of flowering plant in the morning glory family known by the common names Florida lady's nightcap, Florida bonamia, and scrub morning glory. It is endemic to Central Florida, where there are about 100 known populations remaining, many of which are within the...
).
Fauna
Notable animals of the Florida Scrub include the Florida Scrub JayFlorida Scrub Jay
The Florida Scrub-Jay is one of the species of scrub-jay native to North America. It is the only species of bird endemic to the U.S. state of Florida. Because of this, it is heavily sought by birders who travel from across the country to observe this unique species...
(Aphelocoma coerulescens), Florida Mouse
Florida Mouse
The Florida mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is the only species in the genus Podomys, which is the only mammal genus endemic to Florida...
(Podomys floridanus), Sand Skink
Neoseps
There is only one species known of the genus Neoseps, the Neoseps reynoldsi, commonly known as the Florida sand skink. The species has been described by Leonhard Hess Stejneger in 1910 and named in honor of one A. G...
(Neoseps reynoldsi), Bluetail Mole Skink
Mole Skink
The Mole Skink is a species of small lizard living in the Southeastern United States.-Taxonomy:The species is subdivided into five subspecies:...
(Eumeces egregius lividus), Florida Scrub Lizard
Florida Scrub Lizard
Sceloporus woodi, the Florida scrub lizard, is a species of lizard endemic to Florida.Sceloporus woodi is threatened by habitat loss because Florida scrub lizards prefer sandy uplands; the same well-drained habitats that are cleared for development and agriculture...
(Sceloporus woodi), and Florida Worm Lizard
Rhineuridae
The Rhineuridae are a monotypic family of worm lizards containing the monotypic genus, Rhineura, which contains the species R. floridana. This species is found only in Florida no further north than the panhandle. No subspecies are currently recognized...
(Rhineura floridana).