Ecological community occurrence is dependent on several environmental factors;
however, within a specific area, the type of soil is most influential. The
following table lists the soil series presently mapped in Florida with the
ecological community (or communities) found on each series. Some series are
found with only one community type, while others may support several
communities; however, where more than one community has been found, the change
can usually be attributed to plant successional stages or regional location
differences within the state. For example, if the influence of fire were to
be diminished in a pine flatwoods area, it would be expected to move, through
plant succession, to a hardwoods-dominated community. Another example would
be a soil such as Albany, which supports a Mixed Hardwood and Pine community
in the Florida panhandle, but an Upland Hardwood Hammock community in
northeast Florida. These are similar hardwood communities, differing
primarily by the dominant oak species in the locations.