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 RNA: Appalachicola Savannah
State: Florida
County: Liberty
Forest: Apalachicola National Forest, National Forests in Florida
District: Apalachicola
Established: 1978
To view Establishment records for Apalachicola Savannah in PDF format, Click Here
Click here, to view a searchable map for the Apalachicola Savannah RNA
Acres: 469 acre area
Ecological/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.
Physical and Climatic Conditions
Nearest weather station, with distance and direction from RNA: 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.
Annual precipitation (type, seasonal distribution): rainfall; average 57 in/yr, 31-104 in/yr; June-Sept wettest
Maximum and minimum temperatures: 97 F max, 20 F min
Elevation: 30 to 35 feet (m)
Geology and Soils: 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.
Aquatic Features: None mentioned, and few permanent streams have developed in the Apalachicola Lowlands.
Biological Information
Plant Communities: Longleaf slash pine savannah ecosystem. Included in the overstory are longleaf pine (Pinus), slash (P. elliottii var. elliotti) and pond (P. serotine) pines, and cypress (Taxodium distichum)
SAF Cover Types (list acres):
Longleaf Pine
Slash Pine
Cypress
| At Risk Species: |
| Scientific Name |
Common Name |
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| Picoides borealis |
Red Cockaded Woodpecker |
| Gopherus polyphemus |
Gopher Tortoise |
| Pituophis melanoleucus |
Florida Pine Snake |
| 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 |
Common Shrub Species: Occasionally stunted or bushy, woody plants interrupt the landscape of the savannah. Included is slash (Pinus elliottii var. elliotti) and pond (P. serotine) pines, cypress (Taxodium distichum), black titi (Cliftonia monophylla), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), evergreen bayberry (Myrica heterophylla), large gallberry (Ilex coriacea), tetterbush (Lyonia lucida) and myrtleleaved holly (Ilex myrtifolia).
Common Herbaceous Species: A dense cover of grasses and sedges interspersed with over 100 species of wild flowers including many orchids and insectivorous plants. Pine land threeawn (Aristida stricta) is usually the dominant grass although not always present. Toothache grass (Ctenium aromaticum), Panicum species, beak rushes (Rhynchospora sp.), nut rushes (Scleria sp.), St. John’s wort (Hypericum faciculatum), Verbesina walteri, rush featherling (Pleea tenuifolia).
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.
Common Bird Species: Red Cockaded Woodpecker, a number of song birds, historic range of Sandhill Crane.
Related Reports and Publications:
Additional reports and publications can also be found by clicking on the “RNA Publications and Products” link in the site menu or by clicking here.
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.
PDF files require Acrobat Reader software, available as a free download from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Last Modified: 9/29/2015 by Mary Mallinson Long (mmlong@fs.fed.us)
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