Pin oak flatwoods are seasonally inundated with water. This condition combined with occasional fire favors pin oak as a canopy tree.

Tree density varies: The trees can be so dense that their crowns touch, or so sparse there are only a handful per acre.

Understory plants include spicebush, winterberry, cord grass, blue flag iris and buttonbush. Birds include wood duck, red-shouldered hawk, woodcock, great-crested flycatcher and alder flycatcher.