An Ecological Significance of Evergreenness

Percentage of evergreenness in 158 forest stands from seven community types in north—central Florida ranged from 0 to 100. In general, the evergreen species are more important on dry sterile sites and the deciduous species on mesic fertile sites. Nine environmental variables or combinations of variables accounted for approximately 51% of the variation in stand evergreenness. The segregation of evergreen species to dry sterile sites may be related to the gradual return of nutrients to the soil or the establishment of a more closed mineral cycle through (1) the leaching of nutrients from leaves and (2) year—round leaf fall.