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Randy Kautz
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Upland Pine Forest
Upland
pine forests are characterized by widely spaced pines with a
dense understory of grasses and herbs. They require frequent
fire to persist. Historically, small areas of upland pine forest
occurred along the Chaires crossroads in the extreme eastern
portion of the WEA, and along Highway 27 in the central portion
of the area. Today, the upland pine forests on the L. Kirk
Edwards WEA are low-lying areas, similar to mesic flatwoods but
lacking many of the characteristic species, most notably, any
significant amount of saw palmetto. Due to lack of fire, this
pine community is now mostly dominated by planted slash pine,
with an understory of shrubs such as wax myrtle, piedmont
staggerbush and hardwoods such as water oaks and sweetgums.
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