Apalachicola Savannah
Location
County: Liberty
Forest: Apalachicola National Forest, National Forests in Florida
District: Apalachicola
SAF Cover Types (list acres):
- Longleaf Pine
- Slash Pine
- Cypress
View a searchable map for the Apalachicola Savannah RNA.
Related Reports and Publications
- Radfort, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. Univ. of N. C. Press, Chapel Hill, N. C. 1183 p.
- Hitchcock, A. S. 1950. Manual of Grasses of the United States. USDA Misc. Pub. No. 200, 1051 p.
- Little, E. L., Jr. 1953. Check List of Native and Naturalized Trees of the United States (including Alaska). USDA For. Serv. Agric. Handbook No 41, 472 p.
- Fernald, Merritt L. 1950. Gray’s Manual of Botany, 8th Ed. American Book Co., N. Y., 1632 p.
- Small, John Junkel, 1933. Manual of the Southeastern Flora. Scientific Press Printing Co. Lancaster, PA 1554 p.
- “Report on Endangered and Threatened Plant Species of the United States.” Presented to the Congress of the United States of America by the Secretary, Smithsonian Institution, Serial No. 94–A, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. 1975.
Ecological and Physical Description
Four distinct phases of vegetation indicative of savannah grasslands. Longleaf slash pine ecosystem. Herbaceous groundcover with 100+ native wildflower species. Saw grass, longleaf slash pine ecosystem. Many orchids, insectivorous plants, dense grasses and sedge dominate. Sands over clay, limestone parent material.
rainfall; average 57 in/yr, 31-104 in/yr; June-Sept wettest
US Dept of Commerce climatological station is located at Blountstown, FL which is approximately 20 miles north of the RNA. This station has kept weather records for 57 years prior to the establishment of the RNA.
The RNA is located within the major land form of North Florida known as the Apalachicola Lowlands. Elevations within this land form range up to 150 feet, however the elevation of the RNA varies from 30 to 35 feet above sea level. Limestone can generally be found at depths ranging up to 200 feet below this land form. This limestone typically is overlain by an assortment of heavy plastic materials of the Miocene period. These clays are in turn overlain by sands that are of varying depth and are of the Pleistocene origin. The impermeable clays perch ground water near the soil surface making the Apalachicola Lowlands a very swampy region. The typography of the lowlands is gently undulating. Few permanent streams have developed. Most of the depressions (savannah, etc.) lie no more than 6-10 feet below the surrounding pine land.
None mentioned, and few permanent streams have developed in the Apalachicola Lowlands.
Flora and Fauna
Common Plant Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carex chapmanii | Sedge | ✔ | ||
| Harperocallis flava | Harperocallis | ✔ | ||
| Rhexia parviflora | Meadow beauty | ✔ | ||
| Rhexia salicifolia | Meadow beauty | ✔ | ||
| Sarracenia psittacina | Parrot pitcher plant | ✔ | ||
| Sarracenia rubra | Sweet pitcher plant | ✔ | ||
| Xyris longisepala | Yellow-eyed grass | ✔ | ||
| Pinus elliottii var. elliotti | Slash pine | Common Shrub Species | ||
| P. serotine | Pond pine | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Taxodium distichum | Cypress | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Cliftonia monophylla | Black titi | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Magnolia virginiana | Sweetbay | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Myrica heterophylla | Evergreen bayberry | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Ilex coriacea | Large gallberry | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Lyonia lucida | Tetterbush | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Ilex myrtifolia | Myrtyleleaved holly | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Aristida stricta | Pine land threeawn | Common Herbaceous Species | Usually the dominant grass although not always present. |
|
| Ctenium aromaticum | Toothache grass | Common Herbaceous Species | A dense cover of grasses and sedges interspersed with over 100 species of wild flowers including many orchids and insectivorous plants. |
|
| Panicum species | Common Herbaceous Species | |||
| Rhynchospora sp. | Beak rushes | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Scleria sp. | Nut rushes | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Hypericum faciculatum | St. John's wort | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Verbesina walteri | Common Herbaceous Species | |||
| Pleea tenuifolia | Rush featherling | Common Herbaceous Species |
Common Animal Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picoides borealis | Red Cockaded Woodpecker | ✔ | ||
| Gopherus polyphemus | Gopher tortoise | ✔ | ||
| Pituophis melanoleucus | Florida pine snake | ✔ | ||
| Common Mammal Species | Faunal species are not specifically mentioned in the establishment record other than to state that savannahs are of prime importance to much of the wildlife population found on the forest and small mammals and burrowing animals may live in these areas. |
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| Common Bird Species | Red Cockaded Woodpecker, a number of song birds, historic range of Sandhill Crane. |