§ 15-446. Natural area land cover classifications, Orange County.

RANGELAND (300)

GRASSLAND (310)-Level III:

311  Grassland/shrubland. Prairie grasses occurring along the upland margins of wetland zones, and includes transitional areas between wetlands (e.g., wet prairies and cypress domes/strands) and upland forested lands, and old field vegetative communities in upland areas, and may include sedges, wax myrtle, gallberry, and other vegetation associated with disturbed areas.

SCRUB AND BRUSHLAND (320)-Level III:

321  Palmetto prairies. Includes saw palmettos, gallberry, wax myrtle and other shrubs and brush, with saw palmetto being the most prevalent plant cover intermixed with a wide variety of other plant species.

323  Scrub. Scrub vegetation consisting primarily of xeric oak species (e.g., scrub, blue runner), shrubs (e.g., rosemary) and cacti, with a general absence of high canopy tree-type vegetation.

FORESTED UPLANDS (400)

Minimum criteria: A tree crown aerial density (crown closure percentage) of ten (10) percent or more, and are stocked with trees capable of representing a forested appearance or producing timber or other wood products.

LEVEL III:

411  Pine flatwoods. Forested areas dominated by longleaf or slash pine, and mixtures of both pine species, with an understory of saw palmetto, wire grass, wax myrtle, fetter bush and gallberry. This category may also include small wetland areas of less than two (2) acres in size.

412  Longleaf pine-xeric oak. Forested areas dominated by a tree crown closure in longleaf pine (dominant overstory), with bluejack, turkey and post oak being the most prevalent understory trees, and wire grass being the dominant ground cover. This association is often referred to as a sand hill vegetative community.

413  Sand pine scrub. Forested areas with dominant overstory tree crown closure consisting of sand pine, with typical understory trees consisting of myrtle oak, chapman's oak and sand live oak. Occurs on excessively well-drained sands often associated with relic dunes and marine sand deposits.

414  Pine-mesic oak.* Forested areas dominated by one (1) or more pine species (e.g., longleaf, slash, loblolly or shortleaf) in strong association with a wide variety of mesic oaks and other hardwood species.

415  Other coniferous. Other upland forested areas, including:

(1)

Transitional pine flatwoods areas with successional hardwoods in the understory (ten (10) percent pine crown closure or more).

(2)

Cedar forests.

HARDWOOD FOREST (420)-Level III:

421  Xeric oak. Forested areas dominated by a crown closure of xeric oak species, including turkey oak, bluejack oak, and post oak often found adjacent to or intermixed with longleaf pine-xeric oak forests. Also referred to as sand hill forests.

422  Other hardwood. Forested areas dominated by a crown closure of upland hardwood species other than xeric oaks, including typical species such as live oak, laurel oak, water oak, magnolia, sweet gum, hickory, dogwood and maple. Mesic hardwood communities are included in this category.

423  Mesic hardwood-pine.* Forested areas in which no single species is consistently dominant, but represents a predominantly hardwood forest in which various pine species are major associated communities.

424  Live oak hammock.* Upland forested areas in which live oak is either pure or predominant in association with other hardwoods or pines.

MIXED FOREST (430)-Level III:

431  Mixed forest. Forested areas consisting of a mixture of upland hardwood and coniferous forest species where neither species dominate the crown closure.

PLANTED FOREST (440)-Level III:

441  Coniferous. Forested areas created as a result of the artificial planting of coniferous seedling stock or direct seeding methods.

442  Hardwood. Forested areas created as a result of the artificial planting of hardwood seedling stock or direct seeding methods.

CLEARCUT AREAS (450)-Level III:

451  Clearcut areas. Forested areas where commercial timber clearcutting and block planted timber management practices (e.g., land preparation for replanting) are evident and it is expected that the intended future use will not involve a transition to another land use category.

WETLANDS (600)

WETLAND CONIFEROUS FOREST (610)-Level III:

611  Cypress. Forested wetlands dominated by a crown closure in either bald or pond cypress. Principal associated species may include maple, magnolia bay, tupelo gum or pond pine.

612  Pond pine. Forested wetlands dominated by a crown closure of pond pine.

613  Cabbage palm-mixed.* A vegetative community consisting primarily of cabbage palms in association with pines, hardwoods or cypress. Although not strictly a wetlands community, it forms a transition between moist upland and hydric conditions.

WETLAND HARDWOOD FOREST (620)-Level III:

621  Freshwater hardwood swamp. Forested wetlands dominated by one (1) or more hardwood species including gums, hickory, maple, bays, tupelo and willow, found in river, creek, lake and pond overflow areas, and sloughs, with cypress often appearing as a secondary species.

622  Bayheads or bay-gum wetlands.* Wetland forested areas consisting purely or predominantly of various types of bay and/or gum trees, often occurring on moist soils resulting from surficial groundwater seepage or shallow surface depressions. Understory vegetation, when present, may include gallberry, wax myrtle and other shrub species.

WETLAND MIXED FOREST (630)-Level III:

631  Mixed wetland forest. Forested wetlands containing a mixture of coniferous and hardwood vegetative tree types, where neither tree type is dominant. When more than one-third ( 1/3 ) intermixture occurs, the mixed classification will be applied.

WETLAND VEGETATED NONFORESTED (640)-Level III:

641  Freshwater marsh. Wetland marshes which are subjected to permanent or prolonged period of inundation or saturation, and/or exhibit wetland vegetation communities characteristic of this type of hydroperiod, and will consist of one (1) or more of the following plant types: sawgrass, cattail, bulrush, maidencane, pickeralweed, and water lilies.

643  Wet prairies.* Wetland depressions which are subjected to periodic inundation and exhibit wetland vegetative communities consisting of various types of grasses, sedges, rushes, shrubs and herbs in varying combinations, and are distinguished from freshwater marshes by having less water and a predominantly grassy or low shrubby appearance.

NOTE: The Level III land use and cover classifications used above are from "The Florida Land Use and Cover Classification System: A Technical Report," Florida Division of State Planning, April 1976, with the exception of those classifications followed by an asterisk (*), which have been derived from "Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System," Florida Department of Transportation, September 1985. The Level III classifications obtained from the FDOT classification system are intended to supplement the Level III FDSP classifications in terms of providing more precise ecosystem identifications.

(Ord. No. 91-29, § 2(Exh. A), 12-10-91)