FOR384/FR455: Florida Soil Series and Natural Community Associations

Abstract

The purpose of this publication is to provide Florida land managers an up-to-date table that links soil series to potential natural community types. Soils often dictate the presence of different types of natural communities. We synthesized land-management plans, the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) documentation of exemplary sites, along with the UC Davis Soil Resource Laboratory Soil Web Survey mapping information system (SoilWeb) (FNAI 2010; UC Davis n.d.) to correlate soil series and natural communities. A table provides a list of soil series with GPS coordinates and conservation site names. Use of this table will help private landowners, land managers, and researchers detect potential, current, and former natural communities on sites. However, this publication is not designed to be used as a single absolute determinant; ground-truthing and historical mapping should always be used when mapping natural communities.

Background

Florida is home to a diverse mosaic of soils and natural communities (FNAI 2010). Soils often dictate the occurrence of different natural communities (USDA 1989; Myers and Ewel 1990). These natural communities, in turn, are distinguished from one another based on differences in disturbance regimes and species present (FNAI 2010; Myers and Ewel 1990; Noss 2018). In Florida, the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) classification system is a standard most agencies and organizations use to identify and classify different types of natural communities (FNAI 2010). Distinguishing natural communities is a crucial task for land managers working to restore or conserve natural areas. However, identifying a natural community can be a difficult task, especially in areas significantly modified by humans (e.g., agriculture, silviculture, urbansites). In these cases, knowledge of the soil type present on a site can help determine the previous natural community. Yet, a catalog correlating soils to natural communities is not currently available to land managers.

In Florida, soils are classified based on the taxonomic system developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This system is based on six levels of classification, with orders being the highest and series being the lowest. Generally, there is little correlation between higher soil levels (e.g., orders, sub-orders) and regional vegetational types (Hironaka, Fosberg, and Neiman 1990). However, natural communities can be correlated to more refined lower levels of soil classification (e.g., series) (USDA 1989; Hironaka, Fosberg, and Neiman 1990). In 1989, the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) developed a table linking soil series to the occurrence of 26 natural communities found in Florida (USDA 1989). However, the natural community definitions developed by the SCS differ from the modern and more widely used FNAI community definitions in Florida. The purpose of this publication is to provide Florida land managers an up-to-date table (Table 1) that links soil series to potential FNAI natural community types. As can be seen in Table 1, a soil series may support multiple community types.

Methodology

We correlated soil series and natural communities through the synthesis of land-management plans, FNAI documentation of exemplary sites, and SoilWeb mapping information. A total of 226 soil series were included in this analysis. Soil series not included here had too small a range across Florida or were not found within FNAI reference plots or conservation lands. Additionally, soil subgroups are also included in this publication to help provide supplementary information for users. This compilation provides a framework to include other soil series and community types in future work.

We first located FNAI exemplary sites from the coordinates provided via FNAI documentation and then matched the natural community type(s) to the corresponding soil series present per the SoilWeb. In cases where a soil series was not found on any FNAI exemplary site, an alternative location within a public conservation area was used. Land-management plans were referenced to help verify the soil series and the natural community classification. The GPS coordinates and conservation site names of the selected locations for said soil series were also recorded. Out of 46 terrestrial FNAI community types, 42 were included in this assessment. The four that were excluded are: upland glade, sinkhole, limestone outcrop, and keys cactus barren communities.

In certain instances, soils may not be useful in distinguishing closely related natural communities. For example, various coastal upland communities are located within the landscape based on their proximity to the seashore. Thus, they are not easily distinguished from one another at a broad level using soil mapping alone. This is also true for other sets of communities where elevation and hydrology play a large role in the location of the community. Consequently, certain communities are referred to by their broader FNAI community classifications. These include cypress and tupelo swamps, marshes, and coastal upland communities (see Table 2). Additionally, bottomland forest and alluvial forest communities were combined due to similar issues in distinguishing these communities from one another using soils alone¹.

This tool, when used in combination with the USDA NRCS soil map provides insight to potential native plant communities that may be found on a given site. Soil mapping data can be readily accessed through apps such as SoilWeb on a mobile device. Individuals seeking to complete rapid assessment of a parcel for acquisition and conservation purposes may want to identify possible locations of threatened and endangered species (T&E) based on potential plant communities. This tool can be used to assist landowners and managers in determining the desired future condition of a parcel despite the site having been degraded due to past land-use practices.

This matrix should be considered to be a first approximation, and we encourage users to contact the authors with updates.

Table 1. USDA Soil Series and correlated FNAI natural communities, with example locations of where these soil community relationships occur, as well as the order and subgroup each soil series is classified as based on USDA soil taxonomy.

Soil Series	FNAI Community	Soil Order	Subgroup	Example Location	Location Name and Management Plan Hyperlinked
Albany	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Grossarenic Paleudults	29.99034, -85.01080	Apalachicola National Forest
Alpin	Sandhill	Entisols	Lamellic Quartzipsamments	29.75018, -82.67834	Bell Ridge Longleaf Wildlife and Environmental Area
Anclote	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Mollisols	Typic Endoaquolls	29.31896, -81.89984	Ocklawaha River Wildlife Management Area
Angie	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Aquic Paleudults	30.90064, -86.65578	Blackwater River State Forest
Apopka	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Grossarenic Paleudults	29.63165, -82.37119	Natural Area Teaching Laboratory
Archbold	Sandhill, Scrub	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	27.60196, -81.25211	Avon Park Air Force Range
Aripeka	Hydric Hammock	Alfisols	Aquic Hapludalfs	29.02585, -82.73428	Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve
Astatula	Sandhill, Scrub	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	29.44778, -81.82776	Ocala National Forest - Riverside Island
Basinger	Wet Flatwoods	Entisols	Spodic Psammaquents	27.03754, -81.38566	Platt Branch Wildlife and Environmental Area
Bayvi	Salt Marsh	Mollisols	Cumulic Endoaquolls	29.39896, -83.19474	Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
Bessie	Mangrove Swamp	Histosols	Terric Haplosaprists	28.64156, -80.62810	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Bigbee	Bottomland & Alluvial Forest	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	30.39107, -83.16577	Suwannee River State Park
Bivans	Upland Hardwood Forest	Alfisols	Typic Albaqualfs	29.75552, -82.46045	San Felasco Hammock State Park
Bladen	Wet Prairie, Wet Flatwoods	Ultisols	Typic Albaquults	30.11168, -85.03251	Apalachicola National Forest
Blanton	Upland Pine, Upland Mixed Woodland	Ultisols	Grossarenic Paleudults	29.96996, -82.76404	Ichetucknee State Park
Blichton	Upland Hardwood Forest	Ultisols	Arenic Plinthic Paleaquults	29.73541, -82.43931	San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park
Bluff	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Mollisols	Typic Endoaquolls	29.21146, -82.03255	Silver Springs State Park
Boca	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland, Marshes	Alfisols	Arenic Endoaqualfs	29.74925, -84.99581	Babcock Wildlife Management Area
Bohicket	Salt Marsh	Entisols	Typic Sulfaquents	29.75939, -84.98440	Apalachicola National Estuarine Reserve
Bonifay	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Grossarenic Plinthic Paleudults	30.90697, -86.65342	Blackwater River State Forest
Bonneau	Upland Hardwood Forest	Ultisols	Arenic Paleudults	29.95735, -82.77649	Icheutucknee River State Park
Braden	Mesic Flatwoods, Seepage Slope	Ultisols	Aquic Arenic Hapludults	27.48648, -82.20004	Duette Preserve
Bradenton	Mangrove Swamp, Hydric Hammock	Alfisols	Typic Endoaqualfs	27.59120, -82.57361	Terria Ceia Preserve State Park
Brantley	Slope Forest, Upland Hardwood Forest	Alfisols	Ultic Hapludalfs	30.57737, -84.94625	Torreya State Park
Brickyard	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Inceptisols	Typic Endoaquepts	30.58332, -84.95946	Torreya State Park
Brighton	Marshes	Histosols	Typic Medihemists	28.85012, -81.36470	Black Bear Wilderness Area
Broward	Sandhill, Scrub	Entisols	Aquic Quartzipsamments	29.02405, -82.70386	Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Conservation Area
Buffalo Tiger	Marl Prairie, Glades Marsh	Histosols	Typic Haplosaprists	26.41893, -80.44140	Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area
Cadillac	Upland Hardwood Forest	Alfisols	Grossarenic Paleudalfs	29.55903, -82.32721	Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Caloosa	Coastal Upland	Entisols	Typic Udifluvents	26.69737, -81.82255	Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve
Canaveral	Coastal Upland	Entisols	Aquic Quartzipsamments	28.45477, -80.53785	Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Candler	Sandhill	Entisols	Lamellic Quartzipsamments	29.69502, -82.00715	Ordway-Swisher Biological Station
Canova	Marshes	Alfisols	Histic Glossaqualfs	27.63235, -80.72951	Fort Drum Marsh Conservation Area
Captiva	Salt Marsh	Entisols	Mollic Psammaquents	26.45774, -82.13757	J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Cardsound	Pine Rockland	Entisols	Lithic Udorthents	25.43507, -80.50622	Navy Wells Pineland Preserve
Cassia	Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Oxyaquic Alorthods	27.29045, -82.29167	Myakka River State Park
Centenary	Mesic Flatwoods, Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Entic Grossarenic Alorthods	29.88809, -81.94968	Camp Blanding Wildlife Management Area
Chipley	Sandhill	Entisols	Aquic Quartzipsamments	30.34744, -84.65656	Apalachicola National Forest
Chipola	Upland Mixed Woodland	Ultisols	Arenic Kanhapludults	30.77322, -84.96820	Apalachee Wildlife Management Area
Chobee	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Mollisols	Typic Argiaquolls	28.53441, -80.95978	Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area
Cocoa	Coastal Upland, Scrub	Alfisols	Psammentic Hapludalfs	28.78442, -80.80336	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Copeland	Marshes	Mollisols	Typic Argiaquolls	26.85137, -81.81777	Babcock Wildlife Management Area
Cornelia	Coastal Upland	Spodosols	Arenic Alorthods	30.50177, -81.44871	Big Talbot Island State Park
Corolla	Coastal Upland	Entisols	Aquic Quartzipsamments	30.70387, -81.43704	Fort Clinch State Park
Dania	Glades Marsh, Marl Prairie	Histosols	Lithic Haplosaprists	25.70173, -80.58154	Everglades National Park
Daytona	Scrubby Flatwoods, Scrub	Spodosols	Arenic Alorthods	28.83469, -80.82134	Canaveral National Seashore
Deland	Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Entic Grossarenic Alorthods	29.18059, -81.16005	Tiger Bay State Forest
Delks	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Ultic Alaquods	29.253911 ,-81.9344	Ocala National Forest
Delray	Marshes	Mollisols	Grossarenic Argiaquolls	27.62923, -80.73194	Fort Drum Marsh Conservation Area
Demory	Hydric Hammock	Mollisols	Lithic Endoaquolls	29.19028, -82.82646	Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park
Denaud	Marshes	Inceptisols	Histic Humaquepts	26.49326, -81.24313	Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest
Dirego	Salt Marsh	Histosols	Terric Sulfisaprists	29.71252, -84.75839	Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park
Dorovan	Shrub Bog, Marshes	Histosols	Typic Haplosaprists	30.53916, -82.47853	Osceola National Forest
Dothan	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Plinthic Kandiudults	30.90552, -86.73480	Blackwater River State Forest
Duckston	Coastal Upland, Salt Marsh	Entisols	Typic Psammaquents	29.70068, -84.79693	Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park
Duette	Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Entic Grossarenic Alorthods	27.71765, -81.33119	Avon Park Air Force Range
Durbin	Salt Marsh	Histosols	Typic Sulfihemists	25.94107, -81.56748	Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Eaton	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Alfisols	Arenic Albaqualfs	28.33987, -81.94108	Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve
EauGallie	Dry Prairie, Mesic Flatwoods, Wet Prairie	Spodosols	Alfic Alaquods	27.25461, -82.25189	Myakka River State Park
Ebro	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Histosols	Typic Haplosaprists	30.40086, -85.96896	Choctawhatchee River Wildlife Management Area
Electra	Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Oxyaquic Alorthods	29.46577, -82.28272	Price's Scrub State Park
Emeralda	Hydric Hammock, Marshes	Alfisols	Mollic Albaqualfs	28.74051, -81.42875	Rock Springs Run State Park
Escambia	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Plinthaquic Paleudults	30.90487, -86.69482	Blackwater River State Forest
Estero	Mangrove Swamp, Salt Marsh	Spodosols	Typic Alaquods	27.51560, -82.67545	Robison Preserve
Esto	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Typic Kandiudults	30.92338, -86.93570	Blackwater River State Forest
Eureka	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Alfisols	Typic Albaqualfs	29.21237, -82.01594	Silver Springs State Park
Everglades	Marshes	Histosols	Typic Haplohemists	29.21391, -81.88851	Ocala National Forest
Faceville	Upland Mixed Woodland	Ultisols	Typic Kandiudults	30.67395, -84.23677	Tall Timbers Research Station
Farmton	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Arenic Ultic Alaquods	29.10268, -81.44500	Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
Felda	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Alfisols	Arenic Endoaqualfs	27.74468, -81.35689	Avon Park Air Force Range
Floridana	Marshes	Mollisols	Arenic Argiaquolls	28.50618, -80.89487	Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area
Foxworth	Sandhill	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	30.29392, -84.80619	Apalachicola National Forest
Fripp	Coastal Upland	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	30.46684, -81.41418	Little Talbot Island State Park
Ft. Green	Hydric Hammock	Alfisols	Arenic Ochraqualfs	27.27328, -82.27028	Myakka River State Park
Fuquay	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Arenic Plinthic Kandiudults	30.05057, -85.00131	Apalachicola National Forest
Gator	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland, Marshes	Histosols	Terric Haplosaprists	29.34102, -83.06695	Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
Gentry	Marshes	Mollisols	Arenic Argiaquolls	26.50722, -81.22926	Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management Area
Goldhead	Wet Flatwoods	Alfisols	Arenic Endoaqualfs	29.95610, -81.64288	Bayard Conservation Area
Goldsboro	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Aquic Paleudults	30.13170, -85.03930	Apalachicola National Forest
Hague	Upland Mixed Forest	Alfisols	Arenic Hapludalfs	29.10210, -82.43557	Rainbow Springs State Park
Heights	Mesic Flatwoods	Alfisols	Arenic Endoaqualfs	26.87409, -81.85940	Babcock Wildlife Management Area
Hilolo	Hydric Hammock	Mollisols	Mollic Endoaqualfs	28.50075, -80.69437	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Hobe	Mesic Flatwoods, Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Entic Grossarenic Alorthods	26.99326, -80.15940	Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Holopaw	Marshes	Alfisols	Grossarenic Endoaqualfs	27.24082, -82.27157	Myakka River State Park
Homosassa	Salt Marsh	Entisols	Typic Sulfaquents	28.84165, -82.61901	Crystal River Preserve State Park
Hontoon	Marshes	Histosols	Typic Haplosaprists	27.60219, -81.33567	Avon Park Air Force Range
Hornsville	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Aquic Hapludults	30.80833, -84.95189	Apalachee Wildlife Management Area
Hurricane	Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Oxyaquic Alorthods	29.95296, -81.95157	Camp Blanding Wildlife Management Area
Iberia	Bottomland & Alluvial Forest	Vertisols	Typic Epiaquerts	29.26499, -81.93837	Ocklawaha River Ocala National Forest
Ichetucknee	Upland Hardwood Forest	Alfisols	Albaquultic Hapludalfs	29.98305, -82.75665	Ichetucknee Springs State Park
Immokalee	Dry Prairie, Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Aquods	27.93326, -81.15824	Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Immokalee	Dry Prairie	Spodosols	Aquods	27.58131, -81.09109	Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park
Islamorada	Mangrove Swamp	Histosols	Typic Sulfosaprists	25.28335, -80.30137	Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park
Isles	Mangrove Swamp	Alfisols	Arenic Endoaqualfs	26.93676, -82.16083	Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park
Johnston	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Inceptisols	Cumulic Humaquepts	30.92108, -86.71087	Blackwater River State Forest
Jonathan	Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Grossarenic Alorthods	27.01157, -80.13878	Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Jumper	Mesic Hammock	Ultisols	Arenic Plinthaquic Paleudults	29.01469, -82.28852	Ross Prairie State Forest
Jupiter	Hydric Hammock/Baygall	Mollisols	Lithic Endoaquolls	26.50376, -81.25793	Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest
Kaliga	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Histosols	Terric Haplosaprists	27.95675, -81.07880	Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Kanapaha	Upland Hardwood Forest, Upland Mixed Woodland	Ultisols	Grossarenic Paleaquults	29.73574, -82.43651	San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park
Kendrick	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Arenic Paleudults	28.74503, -82.41102	Citrus Wildlife Management Area of Withlacoochee State Forest
Kershaw	Sandhill	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	29.84697, -81.95601	Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park
Kesson	Coastal Upland	Entisols	Typic Psammaquents	26.44656, -82.10684	J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Keyvaca	Pine Rockland	Mollisols	Lithic Haprendolls	24.70332, -81.37560	Big Pine Key
Kinston	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Inceptisols	Fluvaquentic Endoaquepts	30.55339, -85.88777	Choctawhatchee River Water Management Area
Kureb	Scrub, Coastal Upland	Entisols	Spodic Quartzipsamments	29.79522, -85.40945	T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
Lacoochee	Salt Marsh	Entisols	Spodic Psammaquents	28.83505, -82.71199	Crystal River Preserve State Park
Lake	Sandhill	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	29.62558, -82.31122	Sweetwater Preserve
Lakeland	Sandhill	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	30.36640, -87.42883	Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park
Lauderhill	Glades Marsh, Hydric Hammock	Histosols	Lithic Haplosaprists	25.70691, -80.61088	Everglades National Park
Lawnwood	Wet Flatwoods	Spodosols	Aeric Alaquods	27.09965, -80.22836	Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park
Ledwith	Marshes	Alfisols	Typic Albaqualfs	29.56868, -82.29395	Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Leefield	Upland Pine, Upland Mixed Woodland	Ultisols	Arenic Plinthaquic Paleudults	30.19442, -85.02466	Apalachicola National Forest
Leon	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Aeric Alaquods	30.21044, -84.59683	Apalachicola National Forest
Lignumvitae	Mangrove Swamp	Entisols	Typic Fluvaquents	24.70989, -81.39186	Big Pine Key
Lochloosa	Mesic Hammock	Ultisols	Aquic Arenic Paleudults	29.56013, -82.32875	Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Loxahatchee	Glades Marsh	Histosols	Typic Haplosaprists	26.45866, -80.35124	Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Lucy	Slope Forest	Ultisols	Arenic Kandiudults	30.57276, -84.94799	Torreya State Park
Lutterloh	Mesic Flatwoods, Wet Flatwoods	Alfisols	Grossarenic Paleudalfs	30.23998, -84.58065	Apalachicola National Forest
Lynchburg	Mesic Flatwoods	Ultisols	Aeric Paleaquults	30.10309, -85.05579	Apalachicola National Forest
Malabar	Wet Prairie	Alfisols	Grossarenic Endoaqualfs	27.94509, -81.12291	Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Mandarin	Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Oxyaquic Alorthods	29.92938, -84.35173	Bald Point State Park
Mascotte	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Ultic Alaquods	30.33544, -82.70637	Big Shoals State Park
Matecumbe	Rockland Hammock	Histosols	Typic Sulfosaprists	25.28717, -80.29714	Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park
Maurepas	Salt Marsh	Histosols	Typic Haplosaprists	30.01669, -84.45134	St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
Mckee	Mangrove Swamp	Entisols	Typic Hydraquents	27.81037, -80.42945	Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Micanopy	Mesic Hammock	Alfisols	Aquic Paleudalfs	28.73365, -82.42151	Citrus Wildlife Management Area of Withlacoochee State Forest
Micco	Marshes	Histosols	Terric Haplohemists	28.17930, -80.78498	River Lakes Conservation Area
Millhopper	Upland Mixed Woodland, Upland Pine	Ultisols	Grossarenic Paleudults	29.71489, -82.45334	San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park
Monteocha	Cypress Dome Swamp	Spodosols	Ultic Alaquods	29.56281, -82.19720	Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve
Moultrie	Salt Marsh	Entisols	Spodic Psammaquents	29.88491, -81.28007	Anastasia State Park
Myakka	Mesic Flatwoods, Dry Prairie	Spodosols	Aeric Alaquods	27.92374, -81.10603	Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Myakka	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Aeric Alaquods	28.12648, -81.03598	Triple N Ranch Wildlife Management Area
Narcoosee	Mesic Flatwoods, Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Oxyaquic Alorthods	28.00386, -80.94273	Herky Huffman/Bull Creek Wildlife Management Area
Nettles	Wet Flatwoods	Spodosols	Alfic Arenic Alaquods	27.00209, -80.16627	Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Newhan	Coastal Upland	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	29.71521, -84.75137	Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park
Newnan	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Oxyaquic Alorthods	29.56427, -82.19248	Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve
Nittaw	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Mollisols	Typic Argiaquolls	28.39238, -82.00470	Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve
Nutall	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Alfisols	Mollic Albaqualfs	30.14119, -83.98502	St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
Ochopee	Marl Prairie, Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Inceptisols	Lithic Endoaquepts	26.12887, -81.36649	Osceola National Forest
Ocilla	Upland Mixed Woodland, Upland Pine	Ultisols	Aquic Arenic Paleudults	30.38665, -82.31743	Osceola National Forest
Ocoee	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Histosols	Terric Haplohemists	28.98145, -81.48458	Seminole State Forest
Okalwaha	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland, Marshes	Histosols	Terric Haplohemists	28.86304, -81.89556	Lake Griffin State Park
Okeechobee	Marshes	Histosols	Hemic Haplosaprists	29.59872, -82.04337	Little Orange Creek Preserve
Okeelala	Slope Forest, Upland Hardwood Forest	Alfisols	Ultic Hapludalfs	30.57379, -84.95067	Torreya State Park
Okeelanta	Marshes	Histosols	Terric Haplosaprists	27.00069, -81.17382	Sixmile Marsh in Fisheating Creek
Oldsmar	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Alfic Arenic Alaquods	26.58653, -81.33387	Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest
Oleno	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Inceptisols	Vertic Endoaquepts	29.87637, -82.58590	River Rise Preserve State Park
Olustee	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Ultic Alaquods	30.22760, -82.47967	Osceola National Forest
Ona	Wet Flatwoods	Spodosols	Arenic Alaquods	27.66593, -81.42723	Lake Wales Ridge State Forest, Arbuckle Tract
Orangeburg	Upland Pine, Upland Mixed Woodland	Ultisols	Typic Kandiudults	30.79411, -86.86510	Blackwater River State Forest
Orlando	Xeric Hammock	Inceptisols	Humic Psammentic Dystrudepts	29.42261, -81.78948	Ocala National Forest
Orsino	Scrub	Entisols	Spodic Quartzipsamments	29.20910, -82.98754	Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve
Ortega	Scrub	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	29.84610, -81.94847	Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park
Pahokee	Glades Marsh, Slough	Histosols	Lithic Haplosaprists	25.71892, -80.64570	Everglades National Park
Paisley	Bottomland & Alluvial Forest	Alfisols	Typic Albaqualfs	29.19960, -82.01753	Silver Springs State Park
Palm Beach	Coastal Upland	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	28.92414, -80.82144	Canaveral National Seashore
Pamlico	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Histosols	Terric Haplosaprists	30.33860, -82.43963	Big Gum Swamp Wilderness
Pantego	Shrub Bog, Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Ultisols	Umbric Paleaquults	30.51351, -82.35976	Osceola National Forest
Paola	Scrub	Entisols	Spodic Quartzipsamments	29.22365, -81.69469	Juniper Prairie Wilderness Area Ocala National Forest
Parkwood	Mesic Hammock	Alfisols	Mollic Endoaqualfs	27.84539, -81.13444	Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Peckish	Mangrove Swamp	Entisols	Typic Sulfaquents	26.81593, -82.18675	Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park
Pedro	Upland Hardwood Forest	Alfisols	Typic Hapludalfs	29.87193, -82.58191	O'Leno State Park & River Rise Preserve State Park
Pelham	Wet Flatwoods	Ultisols	Arenic Paleaquults	30.07457, -85.07084	Apalachicola National Forest
Pellicer	Salt Marsh	Entisols	Typic Sulfaquents	29.72997, -81.25634	Matanzas State Forest
Pennekamp	Rockland Hammock	Mollisols	Lithic Haprendolls	25.28481, -80.29422	Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park
Penney	Sandhill	Entisols	Lamellic Quartzipsamments	29.75048, -82.68783	Bell Ridge Longleaf Wildlife and Environmental Area
Pennsuco	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland, Mangrove Swamp	Entisols	Typic Fluvaquents	25.62117, -80.30167	Deering Estate at Cutler
Perrine	Mangrove Swamp	Entisols	Typic Fluvaquents	25.57584, -80.31349	Biscayne National Park
Pickney	Baygall	Inceptisols	Cumulic Humaquepts	30.34164, -84.60430	Apalachicola National Forest
Pineda	Wet Flatwoods	Alfisols	Arenic Glossaqualfs	27.18807, -82.32260	Myakka River State Park
Pinellas	Wet Flatwoods	Alfisols	Arenic Endoaqualfs	26.94235, -80.51290	DuPuis Management Area
Placid	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Inceptisols	Typic Humaquepts	27.96747, -81.08874	Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Plantation	Baygall	Inceptisols	Histic Humaquepts	26.37134, -80.40983	Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area
Plummer	Wet Flatwoods, Wet Prairie	Ultisols	Grossarenic Paleaquults	30.02953, -84.96105	Apalachicola National Forest
Pomello	Scrubby Flatwoods	Spodosols	Oxyaquic Alorthods	28.33622, -81.20102	Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area
Pomona	Mesic Flatwoods, Wet Flatwoods	Spodosols	Ultic Alaquods	29.56816, -82.19218	Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve
Pompano	Wet Flatwoods	Entisols	Typic Psammaquents	27.67524, -81.41423	Lake Wales Ridge State Forest, Arbuckle Tract
Popash	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Alfisols	Grossarenic Endoaqualfs	29.35239, -83.05110	Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
Pople	Mesic Flatwoods	Alfisols	Arenic Endoaqualfs	27.19718, -82.25590	Myakka River State Park
Pottsburg	Wet Flatwoods, Seepage Slopes	Spodosols	Grossarenic Alaquods	30.23347, -84.87305	Apalachicola National Forest
Punta	Mesic Flatwoods, Wet Flatwoods	Spodosols	Grossarenic Alaquods	26.84611, -82.19916	Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park
Rains	Wet Flatwoods, Seepage Slopes	Ultisols	Typic Paleaquults	30.14849, -85.05025	Apalachicola National Forest
Resota	Coastal Upland	Entisols	Spodic Quartzipsamments	29.66557, -85.17552	St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge
Riviera	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Alfisols	Arenic Glossaqualfs	27.92297, -81.08863	Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Rutlege	Wet Flatwoods	Inceptisols	Typic Humaquepts	29.70637, -84.77405	Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park
Salerno	Wet Flatwoods	Spodosols	Grossarenic Alaquods	27.00335, -80.13930	Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Samsula	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland, Shrub Bog	Histosols	Terric Haplosaprists	27.02469, -80.13750	Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Sanibel	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland, Marshes	Inceptisols	Histic Humaquepts	27.58319, -81.32411	Avon Park Air Force Range
Sapelo	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Ultic Alaquods	30.16669, -84.96030	Apalachicola National Forest
Satellite	Scrub, Scrubby Flatwoods	Entisols	Aquic Quartzipsamments	27.59960, -81.26089	Avon Park Air Force Range
Scranton	Wet Flatwoods, Mesic Flatwoods	Entisols	Humaqueptic Psammaquents	29.94504, -84.34702	Bald Point State Park
Sellers	Marshes	Inceptisols	Cumulic Humaquepts	29.22725, -81.68699	Juniper Prairie Wilderness Area Ocala National Forest
Shenks	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland, Marshes	Histosols	Terric Haplosaprists	29.48812, -81.72972	Caravelle Ranch Wildlife Management Area
Smyrna	Dry Prairie, Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Aeric Alaquods	28.13448, -81.03498	Triple N Ranch Wildlife Management Area
Sparr	Upland Hardwood Forest	Ultisols	Grossarenic Paleudults	29.52756, -82.29363	Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
St. Johns	Wet Flatwoods, Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Typic Alaquods	27.68473, -81.26368	Avon Park Air Force Range
St. Lucie	Scrub	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	27.19811, -81.35880	Archbold Biological Station
Stilson	Mesic Flatwoods, Upland Pine	Ultisols	Arenic Plinthic Paleudults	30.16010, -85.01422	Apalachicola National Forest
Surrency	Baygall, Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Ultisols	Arenic Umbric Paleaquults	30.24314, -84.58039	Apalachicola National Forest
Talquin	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Aeric Alaquods	30.34194, -84.62318	Apalachicola National Forest
Tavares	Scrub	Entisols	Typic Quartzipsamments	29.52464, -82.28631	Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Tequesta	Marshes	Alfisols	Histic Glossaqualfs	26.78615, -80.15797	Grassy Waters Preserve
Terra Ceia	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland, Marshes	Histosols	Typic Haplosaprists	29.27854, -81.93363	Ocklawaha River Ocala National Forest
Tisonia	Salt Marsh	Histosols	Terric Sulfihemists	29.68296, -85.09784	St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge
Tomoka	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland, Marshes	Histosols	Terric Haplosaprists	28.65180, -80.95237	Seminole Ranch Conservation Area
Tooles	Hydric Hammock	Alfisols	Arenic Albaqualfs	29.42036, -83.18692	Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
Troup	Upland Pine	Ultisols	Grossarenic Kandiudults	30.24129, -84.96579	Apalachicola National Forest
Turnbull	Salt Marsh	Entisols	Typic Hydraquents	29.64860, -81.22403	Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve
Tuscawilla	Hydric Hammock	Alfisols	Typic Endoaqualfs	29.38135, -81.12609	Bulow Creek State Park
Valkaria	Wet Prairie	Entisols	Spodic Psammaquents	27.54648, -81.05297	Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park
Wabasso	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Alfic Alaquods	26.75845, -81.97801	Yucca Pens Unit State at Babcock Wildlife Management Area
Wadley	Sandhill	Ultisols	Grossarenic Paleudults	29.75283, -82.69589	Bell Ridge Longleaf Wildlife and Environmental Area
Wahee	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland	Ultisols	Aeric Endoaquults	29.98878, -85.02187	Apalachicola National Forest
Wauberg	Marshes	Alfisols	Arenic Albaqualfs	29.56330, -82.31163	Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Wauchula	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Ultic Alaquods	28.86056, -81.40784	Lower Wekiva State Preserve State Park
Waveland	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Arenic Alaquods	26.98215, -80.15290	Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Weekiwachee	Salt Marsh	Histosols	Terric Sulfisaprists	28.81791, -82.64319	Crystal River Preserve State Park
Welaka	Coastal Upland	Entisols	Spodic Quartzipsamments	28.51330, -80.57991	Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Winder	Marshes	Alfisols	Typic Glossaqualfs	27.67701, -81.21783	Avon Park Air Force Range
Woodington	Wet Flatwoods, Wet Prairie, Seepage Slopes	Ultisols	Typic Paleaquults	30.06089, -84.99131	Post Office Unit Apalachicola National Forest
Wulfert	Mangrove Swamp	Histosols	Terric Sulfisaprists	25.90888, -81.62919	Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Zephyr	Cypress/Tupelo Wetland, Marshes	Ultisols	Typic Albaquults	28.34784, -82.07733	Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve
Zolfo	Mesic Flatwoods	Spodosols	Oxyaquic Alorthods	29.15978, -82.60131	Goethe State Forest

View Table

Table 2. Florida natural communities (per FNAI definitions) included in this project. Higher level categories are highlighted in bold. (*) indicates where communities were combined in this project.

FNAI Communities
Estuarine Vegetated Wetlands	High Pine & Scrub	Hardwood Wetland	Cypress/ Tupelo Wetland	Freshwater Non-Forested Wetlands
Salt Marsh	Upland Mixed Woodland	Baygall	Dome Swamp	Seepage Slope
Mangrove Swamp	Upland Pine	Hydric Hammock	Basin Swamp	Wet Prairie
Keys Tidal Rock Barren	Sandhill	Bottomland & Alluvial Forest*	Strand Swamp	Marl Prairie
	Scrub		Floodplain Swamp	Shrub Bog
Hardwood Forested Uplands	Pine Flatwoods & Dry Prairie	Coastal Uplands	Marshes	*Sinkholes & Outcrops*
Slope Forest	Wet Flatwoods	Beach Dune	Depression Marsh	Upland Glade
Upland Hardwood Forest	Mesic Flatwoods	Coastal Berm	Basin Marsh	Sinkhole
Mesic Hammock	Scrubby Flatwoods	Coastal Grassland	Coastal Interdunal Swale	Limestone Outcrop
Rockland Hammock	Pine Rockland	Coastal Strand	Floodplain Marsh	Keys Cactus Barren
Xeric Hammock	Dry Prairie	Maritime Hammock	Slough Marsh
		Shell Mound	Glades Marsh
			Slough	Excluded from Project

View Table

Literature Cited

Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI). 2010. Guide to the Natural Communities of Florida: 2010 Edition. 223.

Hironaka, M., M. A. Fosberg, and K. E. Neiman. 1990. The Relationship between Soils and Vegetation. Proceedings—Management and Productivity of Western-Montane Forest Soils 29–31.

Myers, R. L., and J. J. Ewel. 1990. Ecosystems of Florida. University of Central Florida Press, Orlando.

Noss, R. F. 2018. Fire Ecology of Florida and the Southeastern Coastal Plain. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.

UC Davis California Soil Resource Lab. (n.d.). SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey Browser. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/

US Department of Agriculture, Soil and Water Conservation Service (USDA) 1989. 26 Ecological Communities of Florida. Gainesville, Florida.

Florida Soil Series and Natural Community Associations

Abstract

Background

Methodology

Literature Cited

Related Pages