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FNAI
COMMUNITY:
No FNAI entry
STAGE DESCRIPTION
- Overstory:
Sand pine canopy of less density (about 70% closed)
than sand pine scrub Stage 2. About 1,600 trees exist
per acre (Latham, 1985) that are regularly dispersed.
Trees are usually above 30 feet in height. Minimum
sand pine dbh is 8 inches (Laessle, 1965).
- Mid
Story: Compared
to sand pine scrub Stage 2, a more dense and taller (5-8,
up to 12 feet in height) layer of oaks and other evergreen
shrubs dominate the mid story in stage 3. Most common
oaks include myrtle oak, sand live oak, and Chapman's oak.
Other shrubs include saw palmetto, rusty staggerbush, Florida
rosemary, blue huckleberry, fetterbush, wild olive, blueberry,
deerberry, and muscadine grape (Stout and Marion, 1993).
- Ground
Cover: Ground
layer vegetation is sparse and species poor with many bare
sandy patches alternating with dense stands of lichens and
sand spike-moss. Fewer grasses exist in Stage 3 than
in Stage 2 (Stout and Marion, 1993). Herbaceous species
include alicia and sandyfield beaksedge (Abrahamson et al.,
1984).
- Duff/Litter
Layer: Litter
composed of mostly oak debris with pine and oak limbs and
logs scattered between patches of bare sand. Many
1000-hr fuels on ground. Little to no duff.
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