A review of the Temperate Broad-Leaved Evergreen Forest zone of southeastern North America: Floristic affinities and arborescent vegetation types

The Temperate Broad-Leaved Evergreen Forest (TBEF) zone is centered in peninsular Florida. It is characterized by mainly nontropical taxa that form an evergreen dicot forest, often with aSabal palm in the canopy, in which deciduous dicot trees are present but rarely become local dominants. The Madrean-Tethyan floristic affinities of this life zone are briefly discussed, as is plant endemism, and a recommendation is given for recognizing it as a separate phytochorion, the Central Floridian Subprovince, in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Province of southeastern North America. Also recommended for separate status is the Apalachicolan Subprovince, in the panhandle of Florida and adjacent Georgia and Alabama. These recommendations follow an earlier recognition of the floristic uniqueness of both areas (Greller, 2000). Three physiographical regions in the TBEF are recognized: Peninsular Florida (including the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal regions); the Atlantic Outer Coastal Plain, Sea Islands and Outer Banks; and the Gulf Coastal Shores, Islands, Prairies and Marshes (from panhandle Florida west to Louisiana and Texas). Following Heinrich Walter’s zonobiome classification system, one zonobiome and two zonoecotones are recognized for the TBEF region. Following a literature review, a classification of TBEF ligneous, mainly arborescent, vegetation types is given. The article ends with brief discussions of some lowland and a number of montane arborescent vegetation types of the Greater Antilles and of Baja California related to TBEF flora and vegetation.