- Florida scrub
Florida Scrub is an endangered
ecosystem of the state ofFlorida ,USA . It is found on coastal and inland sand ridges and is characterized by a plant community dominated byshrub s, dwarfoak s andsand pine s. Its soils are low in nutrients and it has a high frequency ofwildfire . Most of the annual rainfall (of about 135 cm) falls in summer. Because the low-nutrient sandy soils do not retain moisture, the ecosystem is effectively an arid one. It is endangered by residential, commercial and agricultural development, with the largest remaining block in and around theOcala National Forest . The Lake Wales Ridge also holds a high proportion of remaining scrub habitat, while theArchbold Biological Station near Lake Placid contains about 20 square kilometres of scrub habitat and sponsors biological research on it.Flora and fauna
The flora and fauna have a high level of
endemism including an estimated 40 species of plants, 4 vertebrates and at least 46 species ofarthropod found nowhere else. Notable animals of the Florida Scrub include theFlorida Scrub Jay ,Florida Mouse ,Sand Skink , Bluetail Mole Skink andFlorida Scrub Lizard .References
* Deyrup, Nancy D.; & Wilson, Charlotte B. (2000). "Discovering Florida Scrub: Exploring science in a native ecosystem". Archbold Biological Station: Lake Placid, Florida. [http://www.archbold-station.org/discoveringflscrub/ ] Accessed 5 March 2007
External links
* [http://www.archbold-station.org/discoveringflscrub/intro/intro.html An introduction to Florida Scrub]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.