.
The 83 acre Rockledge Community is catagorized as Mesic Flatwoods
Below is the definition of Mesic flatwoods found
in the City of Rockledge Conservation Study June, 1991.*
(222) MESIC FLATWOODS
2.1.lla Several types of Mesic Flatwoods are recognized, the most common associations being slash pine, gallberry, saw palmetto. Mesic Flatwoods are characterized as an open canopy forest of widely spaced pine trees with little or no understory but with a dense ground cover of herbs and shrubs. Representative plant species associated with this community in the city of Rockledge include fetterbush, saw palmetto, redbay, myrtle oak, pawpaw, and slash pine. Other typical plants are gopher apple, blackroot, tar flower, St. John's wort, bog buttons, yellow eyed grass and wiregrass. Typical animal representative species include pine warble, blackracer, Bachman's sparrow, cotton rat, little grass frog, gray fox, raccoon, and white-tailed deer.
Mesic Flatwoods are the most widespread biological community in Brevard County, occupying an estimated 13% of the natural communities of the county. Although Mesic flatwoods are common, less than 4% of the Mesic Flatwoods in the county are protected, so the acreage of this community continues to decline as development increases in Florida. In the City of Rockledge, 22 representative plant species were found to be associated with Mesic Flatwoods which comprises about 33% of the area's natural communities.
Mesic Flatwoods are characterized by low, flat topography, and relatively poorly drained terrain with acidic sandy soil that is generally overlying an organic hardpan or clay subsoil. The hardpan substantially reduces the percolation of water below and above its surface. Consequently, during the wet season many plants are under stress of water saturation while during the dry season plants are in stress of dehydration.
Fire is an important physical factor for the Mesic Flatwoods. Some species in this community rely on fire for survival. Without relatively frequent fires, Mesic Flatwoods succeed into hardwood-dominated forests whose closed canopy can eliminate the ground cover of herbs and shrubs. However, too frequent or too hot fires convert Mesic Flatwoods into dry prairies. Pine Mesic Flatwoods are a fire driven community, proper management would require that the area be burned every 1 to 8 years. Mechanical equivalents to burning exist, and should be used in residential areas in preference to fires.
References:
Ecosystems of Florida, Ronald L. Myers and John J.
Ewel.
Endangered Species and Natural Communities
in Brevard, Joel W. Snodgrass
Guide to Natural Communities of Florida.
*The complete Rockledge Conservation Study is available at Rockledge City Hall.