Natural Communities
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David Copps
Pitcher Plants
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In addition to pine flatwoods
characterized by an open canopy forest, and
hardwood hammocks, with their ancient oaks and relatively open
understory, Split Oak Forest contains several less common
communities. These include oak scrub (with low canopy of myrtle oak,
Chapman's oak, and sand live oak), and the sandhill community,
consisting of scattered longleaf, blackjack oak and turkey oak
with wiregrass and palmetto understory. Split Oak is
bordered by Lake Hart to the north and Lake Mary Jane to the
northeast. The wetland fringes of both lakes are habitat for a
large number grasses, wild flowers, and shrubs. The area also
includes cypress swamps dominated by bald or pond cypress, and
wet prairies, which are seasonally flooded transitional areas
between freshwater marshes and pine flatwoods.
