Rolling Hill Longleaf

Habitat Description

Characterized as having sufficiently rolling habitat to insure good drainage. Often very productive sites capable of producing excellent longleaf pine timber. Found at 130 to 250 feet above sea level. It is speculated that 30 % of pre-settlement landscape was rolling hill habitat.

Soils - brown, sandy loam uplands 10 - 15 inches in depth often with fossiliferous materials. In some areas, underlying parent material is limestone. Occasionally, limestone pushes through the sandy loam and forms outcroppings.

Mammals - opossum, grey fox, bobcat, fox squirrel, flying squirrel, white-tailed deer, short-tailed weasel, striped skunk, raccoon.

Birds - Eastern wild turkey, common ground dove, Northern bobwhite quail, summer tanager, great crested flycatcher, blue-gray gnatcatcher, mourning dove, indigo bunting, rufous-sided towhee, red-bellied woodpecker, red-headed woodpecker, pileated woodpeckers, eastern bluebirds, pine warbler, bachman's sparrow, brown-headed nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatch, Carolina wren, Swainson's thrush, American goldfinch

Reptiles and Amphibians - dusky gopher frogs, pine barrens treefrogs, pine woods tree frog, oak toad, pygmy rattlesnake, Florida pine snake, broadhead skink, barking tree frog, squirrel tree frog, Southern chorus frog, Florida chorus frog, Florida gopher frog.

Common Plants - bear grass, bluestem bunchgrasses, wiregrass, rattlebox, dollar pea, lespedesia, candyroot, procession flower, orange milkwart, pinebarren goldenrod.

Common Trees and Shrubs - blackjack oak, turkey oak, willow oak, sand post oak, southern red oak, Florida dogwood, mockernut hickory, black hickory, persimmon, gallberry, yaupon, wax myrtle.

Rare/Endangered Species - eastern indigo snake, gopher tortoise, red-cockaded woodpecker, striped newt, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, black pine snake, southern hognose snake, black bear, red-wolf, Alabama canebreak pitcher plant.

Fire Frequency - 1-3 years. Numerous native bunchgrasses to help carry fire.

Without Fire - Hardwoods (often willow oak or sweet gum) capture the forest midstory and overstory shading out ground cover plants.

Causes for Decline - agriculture, urban development, invasive plants species (especially cogon grass and kudzu), forest conversion (often to loblolly pine).