Fig. 8. Mangrove-dominated estuarine scrub-shrub wetlands of Florida, (a) aerial view and (b) close-up of red mangroves. 



(Figure 8). Mangroves are generally found south of the 

 30° N Latitude and reach their maximum abundance in 

 Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These wet- 

 lands are dominated by tall shrub forms of two man- 

 groves: (1) red mangrove and (2) black mangrove. Red 

 mangroves dominate the regularly flooded zone, while 

 black mangroves characterize higher irregularly flooded 

 areas. Salt marshes of smooth cordgrass, black needle- 

 rush, spikegrass, and saltwort may be closely associated 

 with Florida's mangrove swamps. 



Palustrine Wetlands 



Palustrine wetlands occur in the interior of the country 

 and largely consist of freshwater wetlands, although in- 

 land salt and brackish marshes exist in arid and semiarid 

 areas. Palustrine wetlands are represented by three major 

 types: ( 1 ) emergent wetland, (2) scrub-shrub wetland and 

 (3) forested wetland. Shallow open waterbodies such as 

 ponds and playa lakes (less than 6.6 feet deep) are also 

 considered wetland by the Service. 



depending on the region of the country and individual 

 characteristics. Emergent wetlands may be flooded for 

 variable periods from as little as a couple of weeks early 

 in the growing season to permanently flooded throughout 

 the year. Some palustrine marshes are flooded by fresh 

 tidal waters, mainly along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Alas- 

 kan coasts. Differences in local hydrology affect the wet- 

 ness of a given marsh and the corresponding vegetative 

 community. This is particularly evident in the Prairie 

 Pothole Region. Here wetland vegetation growing in gla- 

 cial depressions often creates a distinct zonal pattern re- 

 lated to differences in water regime (Figure 10). 

 Emergent wetlands occur in a variety of situations, in- 

 cluding along the margins of rivers and lakes, in upland 

 depressions, in seepage areas on gentle slopes and in 

 saturated permafrost areas of Alaska. Common marsh 

 plants include cattails, wild rice, sedges, rushes, bul- 

 rushes, spikerushes, rice cutgrass, maidencane, reed, 

 arrowheads, pickerel weed, smartweeds, and burreeds. 



Palustrine Emergent Wetlands 



Palustrine emergent wetlands are dominated by herba- 

 ceous vegetation including certain grasses, cattails, 

 rushes and sedges (Figure 9). These wetlands are com- 

 monly referred to by a variety of terms, including 

 "marsh", "wet meadow", "fen", and "inland salt marsh". 



