Land use: Very little of this area is in farms. Much of it is in large holdings owned by pulp and paper companies. Part of it is in state and national forests or is used as game refuges and for military training areas. Nearly nine-tenths of the area is forested; pulpwood and lumber are the principal forest products. Some of the woodland is grazed. Only about 4 percent is cropped and a like amount is in pasture. Corn, peanuts, tobacco, and soybeans are the major crops. Some fruits and vegetables are produced, mainly for home consumption.
Elevation and topography: Elevation ranges from sea level to 25 m. This nearly level low coastal plain is crossed by many large streams. The areas in Florida have many lakes and ponds. Local relief is a few meters.
Climate: Average annual precipitation-1,325 to 1,625 mm. Minimum precipitation is early in autumn and in midautumn, increasing moderately in winter and early in spring, with lesser amounts in May. Maximum precipitation is in summer. Average annual temperature-19 to 21 C. Average freeze-free period -270 to 290 days.
Water: The abundant rainfall and the many perennial streams are important sources of water. Ground water is plentiful but is affected by salt in many places near the coast.
Soils: The dominant soils are Aquults, Aquepts, and Aquods. They have a thermic temperature regime and an aquic moisture regime. They are sandy and poorly drained or very poorly drained. Paleaquults (Plummer and Pelham series) have a loamy subsoil. Humaquepts have a dark surface layer. Haplaquods (Leon and Mascotte series) have a weakly cemented layer at a depth of about 2 ft. Other important soils are sandy, moderately well drained and excessively drained Quartzipsamments (Chipley, Kureb, and Lakeland series), very poorly drained Sulfaquents, Sulfihemists, and possibly Hydraquents near the coast.
Potential natural vegetation: This area supports pine forest vegetation. Chalky bluestem, indiangrass, and several panicum species make up the understory. Palmetto, gallberry, and waxmyrtle are the dominant woody shrubs. Longleaf and slash pine are the major trees.
(From "Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States". United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service Handbook 296. Dec. 1981. page 111.)