This is a series of caches focused on the Ecological Communities of Rainbow Springs State Park. A good example of a Sandhill Community is ESE of the cache.
Description: Sandhill is characterized by widely spaced pine trees with a sparse midstory of deciduous oaks and a moderate to dense groundcover of grasses, herbs, and low shrubs. Sandhill occurs on the rolling topography and deep sands of the Southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. Typical associations or indicator species are longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), turkey oak (Quercus laevis), and wiregrass (Aristida stricta var. beyrichiana). On the southern Lake Wales Ridge, South Florida slash pine (P. elliottii var. densa) may replace longleaf pine. The midstory trees and low shrubs can be sparse to dense, depending on fire history, and may include turkey oak, bluejack oak (Q. incana), sand live oak (Q. geminata), sand post oak (Q. margaretta), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum), dwarf huckleberry (Gaylussacia dumosa), pricklypear (Opuntia humifusa), and gopher apple (Licania michauxii).
Sandhill occurs on crests and slopes of rolling hills and ridges with steep or gentle topography. Soils are deep, marine-deposited, often yellowish sands that are well- drained and relatively infertile. Sandhill is important for aquifer recharge because the porous sands allow water to percolate rapidly with little runoff and minimal evaporation. The deep, sandy soils and a lack of near surface hardpan or water table contribute to a xeric environment. Sandhill requires growing season fires to maintain open structure.
Sandhill provides important habitat for many rare animals such as gopher frog (Rana capito), gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi), Florida pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus), short-tailed snake (Stilosoma extenuatum), Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus), red- cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis).
Source: Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) Ecological Communities Guide