Location from source page (southern Florida) and appearance identifies these pines as Pinus elliottii var. densa

• From http://sofia.usgs.gov/virtual_tour/kids/ecosys.html archive copy at the Wayback Machine

Pinelands, or pine flatwoods, are the most common plant communities in Florida. Pinelands are found on nearly level land, or on porous limestone. Longleaf pine and slash pines are the dominant trees in pinelands. Understory plants commonly include saw palmettos, wildflowers, and ferns.

Plants that grow in the pinelands must be resistant to fire because pinelands are maintained by fire. Fires are beneficial to the pines because young pine seedlings require lots of sunlight to survive, and the fires destroy hardwood competitors. When fires occur, hardwood seedlings and other understory plants are affected, but the thick bark of the pine resists fire damage. Without fires, hardwoods would eventually overshadow the pines, and a hardwood hammock would emerge.

Wildlife commonly found in pinelands includes deer, squirrels, bobcats, skunks, opossums, raccoons, birds, snakes, and tortoises.

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