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Pine Flatwoods
Pine flatwoods are a prominent ecosystem found throughout Florida that are in part characterized by flat and low lying land, acidic soil, poor drainage, sandy soil and fire regulation. Pine flatwoods habitats in Florida typically have an open canopy that consists primarily of Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii), Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) or Pond Pine (Pinus serotina). Hardwood trees such as live oak (Quercus virginiana) and red maple (Acer rubrum) are found infrequently throughout the ecosystem. These organisms are found more commonly in flatwood ecosystem's when the fire regime is suppressed. The open canopy allows for ample penetration of light to the understory and as a result will often have a relatively open canopy and support an extensive and diverse shrub layer, typically dominated saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), gallberry (Ilex glabra), fetterbush (Lyonia lucida) and wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera). The herbaceous layer of the flatwoods however is typically found to be much more sparse.

Dry Prairies
Dry prairies are another prominent Florida ecosystem that have a close relationship to Pine Flatwoods. Dry prairies often have similar habitat conditions such as sandy, acid and poorly draining soil, fire regulation and level, low lying land. Additionally, dry prairie ecosystems are frequently found adjacent to pine flatwood ecosystems. The plant community in dry prairies consist primarily of low shrubs and grasses and characterized by a lack of trees. Retention of heavy rains causing prolonged flooding and more frequent fires help in making dry prairie habitats more prohibitive to tree growth than pine flatwoods. Dry prairies are home to several rare and endangered species including; Florida burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia floridana), crested caracaras (Caracara cheriway) and grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus).