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Need introduction information here. Cypress Swamps, Lakes, Mangrove Forests, Pine Flatwoods and Wet Praries
Cypress Swamp
In addition to being surrounded by water on three sides, Florida is also home to some 10,400 freshwater lakes, many of which are located in northern Florida. Of these, more than 7800 are larger than 0.4 hectares, covering a total of 9270 square kilometers, more than six-percent of Florida’s landscape (Myers & Ewel, 1990). Lakes are a common feature of the landscape in some areas of Florida due in part to the abundance of rainfall and the flat irregular surface that characterizes the State. Many of Florida’s lakes are highly diverse in their flora and fauna; for example, approximately 40 species of native fishes and 20 species of nonnative fishes inhabit these systems. Florida lakes are unusual in that underground tunnels often connect them; however, they are not as "systemic" as riverine and canal systems (Alden et al., 1998). Because of this, invasive exotics have not been as successful invading lake ecosystems. In addition to fish, many different species of invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, and water birds may be found in association with these lakes. Lakes not only harbor great numbers of plants and animals, but they also they also mitigate the surrounding microclimate. Extended, gradual heat release by lakes helps protect surrounding crops from freezing.
"Freshwater life zones", as they are often referred to, have dissolved salt concentrations less than one-percent (Miller, 2000). The rainfall that provides for these lakes also contributes to new lake formation. Each year new lakes form as Florida’s naturally acidic rain percolates down through the soil, slowly dissolving the underlying limestone bedrock (Alden et al, 1998). Aquifer drawdown also leads to sinkhole formation, followed by water filling. Water bodies formed in this way are known as seepage lakes. Although most Florida lakes are seepage lakes, some are anthropogenic in origin. These include quarry pits, large storm-water retention ponds, and basins resulting from phosphate mining (Myers & Ewel, 1990).
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Lakes
In addition to being surrounded by water on three sides, Florida is also home to some 10,400 freshwater lakes, many of which are located in northern Florida. Of these, more than 7800 are larger than 0.4 hectares, covering a total of 9270 square kilometers, more than six-percent of Florida’s landscape (Myers & Ewel, 1990). Lakes are a common feature of the landscape in some areas of Florida due in part to the abundance of rainfall and the flat irregular surface that characterizes the State. Many of Florida’s lakes are highly diverse in their flora and fauna; for example, approximately 40 species of native fishes and 20 species of nonnative fishes inhabit these systems. Florida lakes are unusual in that underground tunnels often connect them; however, they are not as "systemic" as riverine and canal systems (Alden et al., 1998). Because of this, invasive exotics have not been as successful invading lake ecosystems. In addition to fish, many different species of invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, and water birds may be found in association with these lakes. Lakes not only harbor great numbers of plants and animals, but they also they also mitigate the surrounding microclimate. Extended, gradual heat release by lakes helps protect surrounding crops from freezing.
"Freshwater life zones", as they are often referred to, have dissolved salt concentrations less than one-percent (Miller, 2000). The rainfall that provides for these lakes also contributes to new lake formation. Each year new lakes form as Florida’s naturally acidic rain percolates down through the soil, slowly dissolving the underlying limestone bedrock (Alden et al, 1998). Aquifer drawdown also leads to sinkhole formation, followed by water filling. Water bodies formed in this way are known as seepage lakes. Although most Florida lakes are seepage lakes, some are anthropogenic in origin. These include quarry pits, large storm-water retention ponds, and basins resulting from phosphate mining (Myers & Ewel, 1990).
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Mangrove Forests
Mangrove forests represent more than a collection of individual trees; they are a functioning system. Mangrove is a general term used to denote approximately 50 different salt-tolerant trees and shrubs occupying muddy, salt- and brackish-water shorelines (Gonick & Outwater, 1996). Although mangroves are also tolerant of freshwater, they are restricted to saltier environments because they are easily out-competed in freshwater systems (Nelson, 1994). These tropical species "flourish in average annual temperature ranges of greater than 65 degrees…[with]…few hard freezes" (Alden et al., 1998). In Florida, there are three true mangrove trees and an implied fourth: red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), and buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus), often referred to as the gray mangrove (Myers & Ewel, 1990). The buttonwood is a pseudo-mangrove because it is often found in association with white mangroves.
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Pine Flatwoods
A pine flatwoods can be most easily recognized by pine trees forming a canopy which is more open than, for example, the canopy in a cypress slough. A common species association in this ecosystem is pine-gallberry-saw palmetto. Common to southwest Florida and the FGCU campus is south Florida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa): other pines that may be present in this system include slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii), longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), and pond pine (Pinus serotina).
Areas considered upland or high pine are found from the Carolinas sweeping down into the peninsula of Florida. In northern parts of the state long leaf pine may appear more often than in the southern and southwestern parts of Florida. In the southern and southwest portions of the state the upland pines are dominated by slash pine.
Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a typical understory species easily identified by large, fan-shaped leaves and trunks that tend to grow horizontally along the ground. Other common understory and groundcover species include wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), tarflower (Befaria racemosa), gallberry (Ilex glabra), and a wide variety of grasses and herbs. Generally wiregrass (Aristida spp.) and runner oak dominate longleaf pine sites, fetterbush (Lyonia lucida) and bay trees are found in pond pine areas, while saw palmetto, gallberry, and rusty lyonia (Lyonia ferruginea) occupy slash pine flatwoods sites.
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Wet Praries
The transitional zone between land and water is referred to as a wetland, and marshes make up one third of Florida’s wetlands. "Marshes are wetlands dominated by herbaceous plants rooted in and generally emergent from shallow water that stands at or above the ground surface for much of the year" (Myers & Ewel, 1990). There are nine types of Florida marshes, and the wet prairie is the most common type of marsh found on Florida Gulf Coast University’s campus.
A wet prairie ecosystem can be identified by its lack of trees, sparse to dense ground cover of grasses and herbs, and flat terrain. The timing and length of the dry season, relative to the seed types available in the substrate, determine which flora germinate and flourish. Some examples of plant species found in marshes are maidencane (Panicum hemitomon), cordgrass (Spartina bakeri), beakrush (Rhynchospora spp.), and muhly (Muhlenbergia fillipes). Subtropical locations, fluctuating water levels, recurring fires, and hard water also shape marshes.
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