Pine rocklands are defined by an open canopy of South Florida slash pine with heights ranging from 20–24 meters, but can be less due to past disturbance.[4] Seedlings are fire adapted and spend 2 to 5 years in the "grass stage" building nutrient reserves to facilitate growth above normal fire heights.[18] Many sites were logged extensively in the early 1990s reducing slash pine coverage and killing understory vegetation. Subsequent plantings in the late 1980s led to many even-aged stands with different stand densities.[19]