Sweetwater Creek Watershed Mgmt. Plan 2007 Update--Part 2

CHAPTER 8
Upland coniferous forest (410)
Upland coniferous forest is a general category defined by FLUCFCS as any natural upland
forest having a 66% canopy closure of coniferous species. In the Sweetwater Creek watershed,
this community currently (2004) occupies only 0.02% of the watershed, having been largely
replaced by agriculture.
Upland hardwood forest (420)
Upland hardwood forest is a general category defined by FLUCFCS as natural upland forest
having 66% crown canopy dominated by hardwood tree species. This community was not
identified on the 1950 or 2004 mapping.
Hardwood conifer mixed forest (434)
In a hardwood-conifer mixed forest, neither upland conifers nor hardwoods attain more than
66% dominance in the canopy. By definition, these areas typically occur on well-drained but
non-droughty soils and are often the result of fire suppression in pine flatwoods, and are often
successional to the flatwoods community on drier soils. This community has the same species
as the longleaf pine-xeric community (FLUCFCS 412) except that neither the pines nor the oaks
dominate. The percent coverage of this community increased from 0.01% to 1.7% between
1950 and 2004, probably as a result of natural successional activity.
Shrub and brushland (320)
Shrub and brushland occurs on the same
soils as pine flatwoods and longleaf pinexeric
oak communities. However, it is
dominated by herbs and shrubs; few to no
trees are present. Typical species include
saw palmetto, gallberry, wax myrtle,
species of bluestem, other woody scrub
plant species, and various short herbs and
grasses. It often develops following the
clearing of pines for timber or on longfallow
cropland. This community occupied
1.4% of the watershed in 1950 and 0.47% by 2004. The decrease in areal cover of this
community is likely related to the conversion of these lands to residential or commercial uses.
Mixed rangeland (330)
Mixed rangeland is defined by FLUCFCS as rangeland where there is more than 33% mixture of
grassland and shrub-brushland range species exists. This community, representing lands in
transition or lands used for cattle grazing after clearing of trees in flatwoods, was absent in 1950
mapping but occupied 0.58% of the watershed in 2004.
8-9
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan