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Habitats

Habitat Disclaimer: We recognize that this list of habitats is artificial and in no way describes the ecological diversity found in the southeastern United States. We made the decision not to follow The Nature Conservancy's National Vegetation Classification. Instead, we created a brief list of habitat categories to provide users with some basic idea of where a particular species occurs (e.g., is this a forest species or a wetland species?).

The intention was not to compile an exhaustive list of habitats of the southeastern United States, but rather to select a short-list of those habitats/plant communities that might be of most interest to a scientific or public user of the database with an interest in rare plant conservation.

So, ideally this list includes those communities types:

  1. where the greatest amount of conservation research is focused,
  2. that are particularly rich in endemics,
  3. that are particularly characteristic of the southeastern United States,
  4. and/or that have high levels of biodiversity and that are being destroyed at a rapid rate.

 
 

1. Sandhills and Scrub (shrubby vegetation in deep sands) (e.g., Lake Wales Ridge, Ohoopee Dunes)

  • inland
  • fall line sandhills
  • clayhills

 

2. Grasslands (grass-dominated communities)

  • prairies
  • savannas
  • meadows
  • glades
  • grassy balds

 

3. Rock Outcrops (rock islands - open, xeric with extreme temperatures) (e.g., Altamaha Grit, Pine Rockland)

  • limestone outcrops (rocklands, glades)
  • granite rock outcrops (domes and flatrocks)
  • sandstone outcrops
  • marl outcrops (mixture of clay, sand and a calcareous substrate)
  • serpentine outcrops

4. Pinelands (open or closed communities dominated by pines)

  • longleaf pine forests
  • mesic flatwoods

5. Temperate Forests (e.g., Smoky Mountains National Park) (major forests of the SE US dominated by a combination of evergreen and deciduous trees)

  • oak-hickory forests
  • mixed conifer/hardwood forests
  • high elevation montain spruce/fir forests
  • cove forests
  • hammocks dominated by live oaks

6. Freshwater Habitats (habitats within bodies of moving water) (e.g., Okeefenokee Swamp, Carolina Bays)

  • swamps
  • freshwater marshes
  • pocosins
  • lakes, ponds
  • sloughs
  • streams and rivers
  • shoals

7. Riparian Habitats (of, on, or relating to the bank of a natural course of water)

  • bluffs
  • stream banks
  • floodplain forests

8. Coastal Habitats (habitats along coasts or inland marshes) (e.g., the Everglades)

  • saltwater and brackish marshes
  • mangrove forests
  • tidal systems
  • coastal beaches, beach ridges
  • maritime forests

9. Bogs (wetlands with peaty soils, sphagnum moss, carnivorous plants)

  • shrub bogs
  • mountain pitcherplant bogs
  • cranberry bogs
  • coastal plain pitcherplant bogs

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