Florida Waterwise Landscapes - Alliance for Water Efficiency

Prairies
DRY PRAIRIES — Similar to pine flatwoods without
the pine overstory; dry prairies occur in central and
southern Florida. Sandy, acidic soil is present, often
with hardpan and a high water table, becoming
inundated only after heavy rain. Dominant species
are wiregrass and broomsedges.
MARL/ROCKLAND PRAIRIES — Wet grassy areas on
alkaline soils intermixed with forests on porous
limestone with an understory of palms and shrubs.
WET PRAIRIES — Often intermingles in ecotones
with pine flatwoods, with few sparse pines, if any,
allowing the sun through to stimulate a flourishing
of herbaceous flora. Wet prairies are inundated by
water 50–150 days of the year.
Scrub
Consists of Florida’s rarest plants and animals.
The land area of this endangered habitat was reduced
by more than 90 percent during the 20th century,
leaving fragments, often in degraded condition.
Infertile, sandy, excessively drained soils are high
aquifer recharge areas, making scrub a particularly
important ecosystem. These forests consist of scrub
sand pine, small scrub oaks, rosemary shrubs and
scrub palmetto.
SCRUB CYPRESS — Occurs in south Florida with
thin marl soils over limestone; dwarfed pond cypress
with sedges and grasses. Adjacent to the Everglades;
often flooded.
Cypress Swamp Forests
Inundated by water most of the year. Can border
rivers and lakes or be isolated; dominated by bald
cypress in flowing systems and pond cypress in
stagnant systems.
Wetland Forests
SWAMP FORESTS — Flooded most of the year along
rivers and basins; characterized by pond cypress, bald
cypress, red maple, water hickory, ashes and tupelo.
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HYDRIC HAMMOCKS — Moist sites flooded
occasionally, with evergreen and deciduous
hardwoods of red maple, loblolly bay, water oak,
Florida elm and cabbage palm.
Freshwater Marsh
Shallow wetlands that contain a variety of grasses
and sedges on peat soil which may be dry during
certain conditions. Common plants found are
grasses, saw grass, pickerelweed, arrowhead and
water lilies.
Coastal Saline Wetlands
Water levels in coastal wetlands are under the
constant influence of tides, thus the degree of salinity
varies from salt water to brackish.
COASTAL SALT MARSHES — Mostly occur in north
and west Florida; characterized by grasses and rushes.
MANGROVE SWAMPS — Occur in central and south
Florida coastal areas that flood, then drain, creating
thick, nutritious muck.
Pine flatwoods