Sand Pine

There are 7 types of native pine in Florida:  Longleaf, shortleaf, slash, loblolly, sand, pond, and spruce. I want to write a piece on each as I have a little time to research them. The first is today – sand pine. For some time I've wanted to get into the differences between the types of pine and their habitats. 

Sand pine (Pinus clausa), also known as scrub pine, is possibly the pine with the fewest commercial uses. It doesn’t grow tall. Its boards don’t have a straight grain wood. Commercial forest managers call them toilet paper trees because that’s one of the only uses for the wood. But in its own way sand pine is one of the most important pines we have. In the words of the World Wildlife Federation:

Scrub is frequently cited as Florida's most distinct ecosystem; physiognomy and composition are quite distinct from surrounding habitats and between 40-60 percent of scrub species are considered to be endemic. Scrub contains a biological treasure house of plants and animals adapted to life on scattered ridges of sand; the ancient origins of these sand dune communities date back to the Pliocene savannas, and provide a relic example of an extremely old and formerly extensive ecosystem.

In other words, there's nowhere in the world like Florida's scrub pine habitat where "40-60%" of the species are found nowhere else on earth. It's virtually all in Florida with only a small slice of Gulf Alabama having a few stands.

Sand Pine Extent

Sand pine scrub can have a higher biodiversity than about any other dry environment. Frequently the sand pines form over a layer of scrub oak providing gopher tortoises and Indigo snakes, burrowing owls and Florida Scrub-jays with homes.

By far the greatest threat to the sand pine is roads. It sounds strange that a road can be a threat to an environment. But sand pine is dependent on fire. It has serotinous cones; they only open after a fire. Every road in Florida serves as a firebreak to stop any natural fire. Every year each tree produces hundreds of cones. But probably none of them will ever open. They produce waiting for a year with fire to open the cones. Actually the best way to identify a sand pine tree is to look for a pine tree with an abnormally large number of cones.

With that many cones it has to be a sand pine

Sand pines can’t compete with the larger pines in Florida like slash pine or longleaf pine for good ground. Sand pine is relegated to the parts of the terrain that other trees just can’t grow – dry, sandy soil with few nutrients.

Sand pine supports the most iconic of Florida's land creatures. Scrub jays and gopher tortoises wouldn't exist without it. Some even think that we should change the Florida state bird to the scrub jay from the northern mockingbird. It is indeed a beautiful bird and it's the only bird that's found only in Florida.

Scrub Jay

Few habitats make for better hiking than pine scrub. Skinks and snakes are always around. I frequently look for the sentinel scrub jay. They perch at the top of the tallest tree and watch for hawks. If a hawk appears they warn their clan and disappear into the scrub until it leaves.

But a sand pine habitat is difficult to maintain near populated areas. The need to burn every couple of years always brings complaints from the neighborhood. It's hard to burn frequently when the local community is opposed. Only a few people with a breathing problems in the neighborhood and the burns just can't happen. 

Without the burns the pine scrub can't stay. It will eventually transition another habitat. And the scrub jays will have to leave.