CM 



Q FLORIDA 



DC 



General description: The relief of Florida ranges from rolling hills in the 

 U» northern part of the state to relatively level Coastal Plain topography southward. 



Inland lakes, swamps, and marshlands are conspicuous features. Davis ( 1967) in 

 his general map of the natural vegetation of Florida recognizes the following in- 

 land wetland types: 

 Cypress Swamp Forest. Mostly in depressions bordering rivers and lakes. Forests of 

 many shapes, as round domes and long strands. Some have hardwood species as- 

 sociated. 

 Swamp Forests, mostly of hardwoods. Several kinds bordering most rivers and in 

 basins. Some Bay Tree, Gum, Titi, and cypress zones occur in many of these hard- 

 wood swamps. 

 Grasslands of Prairie Type. Wet prairies on seasonally flooded lowlands. Dry prairies 



on seldom flooded flatlands. Many areas of these now improved pastures. 

 Region of open Scrub Cypress. Mostly on rock and marl soils that are often flooded. 

 Some areas in this region are tall domes and strands. Also there are some hardwood 

 and palm hammocks. 

 Fresh-water Marshes. Some are mixed marshes of many kinds of herbs and bushes, 

 and some are dominated by one plant, such as Sawgrass Marshes, mainly of 

 Mariscus jamaicensis. 

 Everglades Region Sawgrass Marshes. Area mostly dense to sparse sawgrass, a few 



tree islands and sloughs. 

 Everglades Region Marshes, Sloughs, Wet Prairies, and Tree Islands. The tree islands 



vary from Bay Tree type to Tropical Hardwoods. Region now changing. 

 Wet to Dry Prairie. Marshes on marl and rock land. Some are mostly thin sawgrass, 

 others are bushes and grasses. 



Status of the wetlands: The wetlands of Florida are extremely vulnerable to 

 manipulation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in attempting to provide flood 

 control irrigation water and inland waterways have greatly modified the major 

 wetlands of the state. The future of the Everglades National Park which at- 

 tempts to protect the typical fresh-water sawgrass marshes, sloughs, wet prairies, 

 and tree islands is still uncertain. With proper management of the water 

 resources, the Everglades National Park could survive as a viable ecological 

 system, otherwise it may be doomed. Other encroachments, such as a major jet- 

 port, would only add further ecological stress on this aquatic system now on the 

 verge of losing its viability. 



Agricultural drainage of the wet prairies or encroachment by livestock has 

 severely modified the original vegetation of these areas. 



The remaining significant wetlands are constantly being threatened by 

 highway construction and development. The large development corporations of 

 South Florida pose an especially serious problem. To the west of the Everglades 

 in the Cypress region, they are constructing major drainage canals to facilitate 

 the development of new communities. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, owned by 

 the National Audubon Society, was thus threatened, necessitating the acquisi- 

 tion of additional contiguous land to prevent the lowering of the water table. 

 The Fahkahatchee Strand to the east of Naples, recommended for landmark 

 status, represents one of the wildest wetland regions of South Florida and 

 abounds with a rich flora and fauna. It is currently being modified by a massive 

 drainage canal, which will also seriously encroach on the Janes Memorial Drive, 

 given to Collier County as a Natural Scenic Drive. 



