Boundaries

This ecoregion drains a relatively small area along the Gulf Coast, covering southern Alabama and the western portion of the Florida Panhandle.

Topography

The ecoregion lies within the southeastern Coastal Plain, and consists of sedimentary deposits of low relief (Swift et al. 1986). Elevations range from sea level to almost 200 m in the north.

Freshwater habitats

The Perdido River, which forms the northwest boundary of Florida, flows through forests in its upper reaches and marshes and swamps below. The Blackwater, Yellow, and Shoal rivers provide relatively cool freshwater habitat, and the Choctawhatchee flows through extensive floodplain forests. The Escambia is the largest of this ecoregion’s rivers and has its headwaters in Alabama (Livingston 1992).

Terrestrial habitats

The northern part of the ecoregion is dominated by oak-hickory-pine forests (Küchler 1964). These are separated from the conifer forests in the south by vegetation and elevation (the Fall Line of the Atlantic Piedmont). The conifer forests are fire-maintained systems dominated by long-leaf pine (Pinus palustris) (Ricketts et al. 1999).

Description of endemic fishes

Several of the endemic fish are relatively new to science, suggesting the need for additional taxonomic research in this region. The endemics include the coastal darter (Etheostoma colorosum), Choctawhatchee darter (E. davisoni), southern logperch (Percina austroperca), Florida sand darter (Etheostoma bifascia), and Okaloosa darter (E. okaloosae).

Justification for delineation

Ecoregion boundaries are taken from Abell et al. (2000) and are based on subregions defined by Maxwell et al. (1995).