Southeastern conifer forests
The Southeastern conifer forests are a temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the southeastern United States. It is the largest conifer forest ecoregion east of the Mississippi River. It is also the southernmost instance of temperate coniferous forest within the Nearctic realm.
Climate
This ecoregion has a humid subtropical climate with precipitation highest in the warmest months.Plant communities
Historic vegetation was dominated by open woodlands of longleaf pine with an understory of wiregrass. Other natural communities include to pine savannas, flatwoods, and xeric hardwood forests.Upland longleaf pine woodland
These are woodlands dominated by longleaf pine and subject to frequent fires. The Atlantic coastal plain upland longleaf pine woodlands occur on uplands and on the higher parts of upland-wetland mosaics, while the east [Gulf coastal plain interior upland longleaf pine woodland]s occur on rolling dissected uplands, inland of the coastal flatlands. Soils are well- to excessively drained. Scrub oaks such as turkey oak and bluejack oak are often in the understory. The herbaceous layer is dominated by grasses, particularly wiregrass: in the north and in the south.Longleaf pine sandhill
Florida longleaf pine sandhills consist of stands of longleaf pine on very well-drained, sandy hills of the coastal plains of Florida. These stands are maintained by frequent fires. Turkey oak is common in the understory. Wiregrass makes up the ground layer.Near-coast pine flatwood
East Gulf coastal plain near-coast pine flatwoods are forests and woodlands on broad, sandy flatlands along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Trees are typically longleaf pine or slash pine. Fires are naturally frequent, occurring every one to four years. Understory vegetation ranges from open and grassy to dense and shrubby, depending on fire history. Shrubs include swamp titi, gallberry, Appalachia tea, fetterbush lyonia, and saw palmetto.Nonriverine cypress dome
Southern coastal plain nonriverine cypress domes are small forested wetlands characterized by their dome-shaped appearance, with taller trees in the center and shorter trees around the perimeter. These wetlands occur on poorly drained depressions surrounded by pine flatwoods. Pond cypress dominates the canopy, which it shares with swamp tupelo and sweetgum.Oak dome and hammock
The southern coastal plain oak dome and hammock occurs as thick stands of evergreen oaks in small patches on shallow depressions or slight hills. These forests are distinct from their surrounding habitats, which are often longleaf pine-dominated. On mesic sites, common species are southern live oak, sand laurel oak, and American persimmon. The understory is sparse, with trumpet creeper and greenbrier. On xeric sites, common species are sand live oak, longleaf pine, southern live oak, wiregrass, and southern dawnflower.Hydric hammock
Southern coastal plain hydric hammocks are found on the flat lowlands of the southern and outermost parts of the coastal plain, usually over limestone substrates. These forests of evergreen and deciduous hardwood trees occur near the floodplains of spring-fed rivers with relatively constant flows. They can be large areas of broad, shallow wetlands. Common trees include Atlantic white cedar, elm, red maple, swamp laurel oak, southern live oak, american sweetgum, sugarberry, and cabbage palm. Dahoon holly is a typical shrub.Maritime forest
On the Gulf coastal plain, maritime forest consists of a mosaic of forests and shrublands on barrier islands and strands. It occurs in sheltered areas behind coastal dunes and grasslands. Forests are dominated by a mixture of needle-leaved and broad-leaved evergreen trees, including sand pine, slash pine, longleaf pine, southern live oak, cabbage palm, pignut hickory, and sand hickory. Wetland areas are dominated by pond cypress and sweetbay magnolia. Wind and salt spray from the ocean can make these forests appear pruned and sculpted.On the Atlantic coastal plain, maritime forest consists of forests and shrublands on stabilized upland dunes of barrier islands and strands. Oaks tend to dominate the overstory, often southern live oak and sand live oak. Woodlands dominated by pine species include southern species such as longleaf pine, pond pine, and slash pine. The understory is dense and shrubby, including southern live oak, sand live oak, laurel oak, Chapman oak, myrtle oak, and southern magnolia.
Dry upland hardwood forest
This includes a variety of deciduous oak forests and mixed evergreen forests dominated by oak. Pines are often present as well. This forest is found in fire-sheltered locations surrounded by pine-dominated uplands, including slopes near rivers and sinkholes. Sand laurel oak is the typical oak species; post oak, southern red oak, and white oak are associates. The forest canopy can be diverse, including hickories and other hardwood species. Common pines include loblolly pine, spruce pine, or shortleaf pine. To the south, this becomes the southern coastal plain oak dome and hammock.Mesic slope forest
On the southern Atlantic coastal plain, mesic slope forest is found on steep slopes, bluffs, and sheltered ravines. Fire is rare. They occur on mesic soils, and contain species not found in other forest systems in the area. These include American beech, southern magnolia, and purple anise. The related east Gulf coastal plain northern mesic hardwood slope forest occurs to the north and has more deciduous trees.On the inland east Gulf coastal plain, mesic slope forest consists of deciduous hardwood forests found in slopes and ravines. They inhabit mesic sites between drier uplands and moister streams. American beech, white oak, and cherrybark oak are the distinguishing tree species. Loblolly pine is common in the southern part of the range. The related southern coastal plain mesic slope forest is found to the south.