III. Life in the Leaf Litter Layer

Nocturnal and buried in the sand during the day, the Florida scrub millipede feeds mostly on dead scrub oak leaves. When threatened, it defends itself by curling up and exuding a golden toxin that turns brown once it hits the air. While the toxin protects the millipede from some predators, it might attract some of its special enemies such as the glowworm and a millipede-eating fly. The eastern towhee is a ground nesting bird, common to the Florida scrub year-round. Towhees scratch in the dead leaves on the ground for insects and seeds. "Drink your tea," it seems to say as the towhee sings out over the scrub.

Introduction

The entire scrub ecosystem has a foundation of sand. But what's on the sand's surface can vary from site to site. While some scrub areas have lots of open, sandy patches, other scrub sites support larger shrubs, pine trees, hickory trees, and low-growing oaks. And where there are trees, there is leaf litter. And where there is leaf litter, the moisture often lingers a little longer. Layers of decaying leaves on the ground create an inviting habitat for many decomposers, such as fungi, insects, and the occasional slug.

While open areas of scrub are hot and dry, the leaf litter layer is relatively dark and more protected. Shade prevents rapid drying of the ground and keeps the sand a bit cooler. Plants and animals that can't survive in the bare sandy patches of scrub can often thrive in this microhabitat within the Florida scrub.

Leaf litter is just one example of the many microhabitats within the scrub. Much of the diversity of life depends on the existence of a large variety of microhabitats within larger scale habitats such as the Florida scrub. These microhabitats are like little reservoirs of life and can play a very important role in the distribution of plants and animals. To protect endangered species, preserve management often includes the creation of microhabitats. For example, after a prescribed burn, you will often see patches of bare sand, patches of rapidly reemerging plants, and patches of shrubs and trees that did not burn. With a wide selection of conditions to choose from, there is a greater possibility that the large-scale habitat will appeal to a great number of different kinds of plants and animals.

The Florida scrub lizard is a forest edge species and spends time in both the open sandy patches of scrub and in the leaf litter. Warm, sunny, sandy spots are needed for egg incubation. The scrub lizard, which eats ants, beetles, spiders and other arthropods, is a sit-and-wait predator and can be found on the ground or low on tree trunks

While snails can be found in wooded areas in most parts of the country, they rarely live in scrub. No doubt, dry periods make snail survival difficult. When the weather is hot and dry, some kinds of snails are able to close themselves up in their shell to seal in moisture. But snails need calcium to build their protective hard shells. Snails normally get calcium from the soil. In scrub, the closest calcium is about 100 feet down-and unavailable to the snail-which may be why snails are rarely seen in scrub.