The dominant vegetative compo- 

 nent is pond apple ( Annona glabra ), 

 which accounts for 80% to 90% of the 

 canopy cover. Willow ( Salix caroli - 

 niana ) is the remaining proportion 

 of the canopy. Epiphytes, particu- 

 larly giant wild pine ( Tillandsia 

 utriculata ) , stiff-leaved wild pine 

 ( T. fasciculata ) , and soft wild 

 pine ( T. valenzuelana ) are common 

 throughout the forests. A charac- 

 teristic understory flora of emer- 

 gent and submerged hydrophytes is 

 generally present. Some of these 

 species include: alligator grass 



( Paspalidium paludivaqum ) , milkweed 

 vine ( Sarcostemma clausa ), pickerel- 

 weed ( Pontederia lanceolata ), flag 

 ( Saqittaria lancifolia ), swamp mer- 

 maid weed ( Proserpinaca palustris ), 

 loosestrife ( Lythrum caroliniana ) , 

 matter figwort ( Bacopa monnieri ), 

 and hemp vine ( Mikania batatifolia ) . 



This particular forest com- 

 munity does not constitute a large 

 proportion of the overall study 

 area, but it is of special ecologi- 

 cal importance because it functions 

 as nesting, feeding and roosting 

 habitat for many of the Everglades 

 wading birds and also as habitat 

 for alligators and the general Ever- 

 glades aquatic vertebrate commu- 

 nity. 



6.16 MARSHES 



Five (5) types of vegetation 

 communities are included in the 

 marsh category (Hilsenbeck et al. 

 1979) as follows: 



(1) Sawgrass marsh; 



(2) Spike rush-beak rush flats; 



(3) Maidencane flats; 



(4) Flag-pickerelweed communi- 

 ties; and 



(5) Cattail marshes. 



Sawgrass marsh 



As with wet prairie, sawgrass 

 marsh represents one of the most 

 extensive and definitive background 



vegetation communities of the fresh- 

 water Everglades. Sawgrass marshes, 

 dominated by sawgrass ( Cladium 

 jamaicensis ) , are found on relative- 

 ly deep organic soils with a hydro- 

 period of 5 to 10 months. Sawgrass 

 is generally of fairly uniform 

 height (1.0 to 2.5 m or 3 to 8 ft) 

 and highly variable density. This 

 differential density lends a patchy 

 character to the sawgrass. Some 

 areas will have densely stocked 

 culms while others will be devoid of 

 vegetation. Periphyton and algal 

 mat are usually present throughout 

 this community type, but are best 

 developed in communities of lower 

 graminoid density. 



A large number of submerged and 

 emergent hydrophytes that are usual- 

 ly associated with sawgrass on an 

 annual or seaonal basis include: 

 water hyssop ( Bacopa caroliniana ), 

 matter figwort ( B. monnieri ), ludwi- 

 gia ( Ludwiqia repens ), sprangle top 

 ( Leptochloa fascicularis ) , bladder- 

 wort ( Utricularia biflora ), flag 

 ( Saqittaria lancifolia ), pickerel- 

 weed ( Pontederia lanceolata ) , and 

 spike rush ( Eleocharis cellulosa ). 



Spike rush/Beak rush Flats 



The dominant vegetation of this 

 community is a highly variable 

 mixture of spike rush ( Eleocharis 

 cellulosa ) and beak rush ( Rhyncho - 

 spora tracyi ) in association with 

 R. corniculata , spider lily ( Hymeno- 



cal lis latifolia ) , string lily 



( Crinum americanum ), water hyssop 

 ( Bacopa caroliniana ), bladderwort 

 ( Utricularia biflora ), and several 

 other seasonally abundant species. 



These flats, with a hydroperiod 

 of 6 to 10 months are generally 

 adjacent to and intergrade with saw- 

 grass marshes. In contrast to saw- 

 grass marshes, they have a decidedly 

 open aspect to them, caused primar- 

 ily by a reduced density of emergent 

 stems (both living and dead) and 



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