Apalachicola flood plain remains relative- 

 ly intact as a functional bottomland 

 hardwood system. 



Tupelo, gum, and cypress species are 

 dominant in the upper flood plain (Table 

 4). The lower flood plain is 

 characterized by coastal plain pine 

 flatlands, coastal dunes (shortleaf pine, 

 titi, and bayhead) and freshwater and 

 brackish marshes. Various forest 

 associations occur in different regions of 

 the basin (Table 4) (Leitman 1^83, H. M. 

 Leitman et al. 1982): (1) The 

 sweetgum/sugarberry/ water oak/loblolly 

 pine association is found in dry to damp 

 soils or wetland-toupland/transition 

 areas. These forest types decrease in the 

 area within the basin as the river 

 approaches the coast. (?) The water 

 hickory/sweetgum/overcup oak/green 



ash/sugarberry association covers about 

 78% of the floodplain mainly in the uoper 

 and middle reaches of the river basin. 

 This association is not common in the 

 lower reaches of the valley. (^) The 

 water tupelo/ogeechee tupelo/baldcypress 

 association is found in dry to saturated 

 soils and is concentrated along waterways 

 and relict waterways in the lower reaches 

 of the river basin. (4) The water 

 tupeln/baldcypress association is located 

 in damp to saturated soils along the 

 entire length of the river. Pioneer 

 associations are dominated by a narrow 

 zone of black willow in areas inundated 

 more than ?^% of the time. Marsh areas 

 are located along the lower river. Water 

 depth, duration of inundation and 

 saturation, and fluctuations in water 

 levels all contribute to the composition 

 of the wetland forests. These conditions 



100-YR 

 FLOOD 



HURRICANE 

 FLOOD 



/ 



-=c^^ 



ALLUVIAL 

 SOILS 



Figure 18. Frequently flooded areas and soil associations in the Apalachicola River 

 Basin (taken from the Florida Department of Administration 1977). 



23 



