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FNAI COMMUNITY: Baygall
STAGE DESCRIPTION
- Overstory:. This community is typically structured as a dome shaped or strand type closed canopy forest dominated by mature hardwood "bay" tree species. These mature "bay type" evergreen hardwoods create a moderately tall closed canopy in the center of the system with a shorter and denser structure at its periphery . Species such as sweet bay, loblolly bay dominated with large red bay, red maple and swamp tupelo are common. The typical dome transactional structure of this vegetation type is a phenomenon of frequent fire activity at the habitat's periphery (promoted by Flatwoods vegetation) and its natural resistance to fire due to regular inundation or high moisture content of its peaty/humic organic soils. With the exception of extreme drought conditions, spreading fires approach the edge of the system, scorch prune the periphery vegetation, then self extinguish due to high soil, litter and live fuel moistures.
- Mid Story: This structural layer is typically sparse and dominated by sapling or larger specimens of the same species found in the overstory. Other flammable shrubs as fetterbushes and gallberry as well as fire pruned overstory bays are denser at the community periphery due to light/edge effects from fire prunning.
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