Fires are beneficial to the pines as young pine seedlings require lots of sunlight to survive, and the fires destroy hardwood competitors. When fires occur, hardwood seedlings and other understory plants are affected, while the thick bark of the pine resists fire damage. Without fires, hardwoods would eventually overshadow the pines and a hardwood hammock would emerge. Wildlife commonly found in pinelands includes deer, squirrels, bobcats, skunks, opossums, raccoons, birds, snakes and tortoises. Salt Marsh Salt marsh.
Salt marshes exist along the coast, where land and marine waters meet.
Most animals of coastal marshes can tolerate varying levels of waters and salinity in waters. Animals that may be found in these areas include small mammals, fish, juvenile fish, shellfish, and birds. Scrub Scrub community. Generally, scrubs are communities dominated by pinewoods with a thick understory of oaks and saw palmetto. Plants that grow here have adapted to dry conditions.