Southeastern conifer forests

Southeastern conifer forests
Longleaf pine savanna
Ecology
Biome	temperate coniferous forests
Borders	Middle Atlantic coastal forests Southeastern mixed forests Mississippi lowland forests Western Gulf coastal grasslands Florida sand pine scrub Everglades
Bird species	236
Mammal species	54
Geography
Area	236,725 km2 (91,400 sq mi)
Country	United States
States	Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida
Conservation
Habitat loss	30.291%
Protected	13.47%

The Southeastern conifer forests are a tropical and subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion of the southeastern United States. It is the largest conifer forest ecoregion east of the Mississippi River.

This ecoregion has a humid subtropical climate with significant precipitation year-round.

Historic vegetation was dominated by open woodlands of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) with an understory of wiregrass (Aristida stricta). Other natural communities include to pine savannas, flatwoods (pine forests with woody understories), and xeric hardwood forests.

These are woodlands dominated by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and subject to frequent fires. The Atlantic coastal plain upland longleaf pine woodlands occur on uplands and on the higher parts of upland-wetland mosaics, while the east Gulf coastal plain interior upland longleaf pine woodlands occur on rolling dissected uplands, inland of the coastal flatlands. Soils are well- to excessively drained. Scrub oaks such as turkey oak (Quercus laevis) and bluejack oak (Quercus incana) are often in the understory. The herbaceous layer is dominated by grasses, particularly wiregrass: (Aristida stricta) in the north and (Aristida beyrichiana) in the south.

Florida longleaf pine sandhills consist of stands of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) on very well-drained, sandy hills of the coastal plains of Florida. These stands are maintained by frequent fires. Turkey oak (Quercus laevis) is common in the understory. Wiregrass (Aristida beyrichiana) makes up the ground layer.