The maintenance of scrub in preserves will require judicious application of prescribed fire. Despite successful fire management programs, some unique scrub species may be lost due to habitat size constraints. The vegetation of the scrub ecosystem is typically an even-aged overstory of sand pine trees with a dense understory of oaks, saw palmetto, and other shrubs. In other cases sand pines are scattered or absent, with oaks being the dominant vegetation. Most of the rare endemic vegetation of Florida is associated with scrubs scattered along the central ridges of the Florida peninsula.
Sand pine is restricted to well-drained sandy ridges that burn infrequently.
Menu Home Fauna Animals found in scrub ecosystems are adapted to high temperatures and droughty conditions. Wildlife food production is typically low and dense vegetation provides good escape cover for animals such as white-tailed deer. Saw palmetto and oaks provide sufficient food when they are fruiting. Practically all scrub soils are entisols derived from quartz sand. These soils are excessively well-drained and practically devoid of silt, clay and organic matter, thus low in nutrients .