Pocosin

[2] [5] Where soil saturation is less frequent and peat depths shallower, pocosins transition into pine flatwoods.

[2] Pocosins are formed by the accumulation of organic matter, resembling black muck, that is built up over thousands of years.

At the edges more pond pine is found with an abundance of titi, zenobia (a shrub unique to pocosins), and greenbrier vines.

[6] Closer to the center, thin stunted trees are typically found and fewer shrubs and vines are present.

Wildfires in pocosins tend to be intense, sometimes burning deep into the peat, resulting in small lakes and ponds.

Annual fires prevent shrub growth and thin the pond pine forest cover, creating a flooded savanna with grass, sedge, and herb groundcover.