but with occasional extensive patches of spike rush, panic grass 

 (Panicum sp.), diodia ( Modia virginiana ), or other species 

 occurring. 

 5) Mixed evergreen shrubs. This zone narked the beginning of the dense 

 shrub thicket which bordered the ponds, extending from the pond 

 rims to the surrounding upland areas planted in pines — some 6 to 

 60m or more — and throughout the interior of the bay. Fetter-bush 

 ( Lyonia lucida ) and titi ( Cyrilla raceniflora ) typically dominated 

 this thicket cor.riunity type, although dahoon often assuned inportance 

 proximal to the open pond rim area, and wax myrtle ( Krrica cerifera ) 

 was occasionally doainant in the nore upland areas of the zone. 



Pond cypress ( Taxodium ascendens ) characteristically forced a 

 ring encircling the ponds in the shallow water and/or wet flats areas, 

 usually being nost concentrated in zones 1 and 2, but frequently 

 extending throughout zone h as well. 



Outlying pond coniaunities — 



A number of the saaller outlying ponds, or sinks, surrounding Eig 

 Cypress Bay v/ere visited, v;ith observations aade regarding plant species 

 presence and distribution, and the overall condition of each pond recorded. 

 Although a characteristic assemblage of "sink species" was present at 

 many of the outlying pond sites (see accompanying Flora Species List), 

 and vegetational zonation was still pronounced at a few of the visited 

 locations, these ponds have for the most part been irreversibly damaged 

 or largely destroyed. During the harvesting, clearing, and replanting 

 operations within the upland areas surrounding these ponds, the pond 

 cypress ( Taxodiur: ascendens ) canopies occurring within several of these 

 small ponds were actually pushed over, vrith the ponds consequently 

 being used as dump sites for cleared debris. 



The only plant species occurrence of any significance among these 

 ponds was the location of a snail population of pondspice ( Litsea 

 aestivalis )-:-— an endangered peripheral species vrhich was not observed 

 at any of the large ponds within the bay— —around a snail ephemeral 

 pool which lies on the outer margin of Big Cypress Bay itself. The 

 fact that this pond was located on the edge of the bay is the only 

 probable reason that it too was not destroyed during clearing activities 

 within the area. 



Bay communities — 



As was previously mentioned, most of the bay area is dominated by 

 a Pinus serotina/ mixed evergreen and decidous shrub s//Snila££ laurifolia 

 community type, or by some close variation of this combination. A 

 subcanopy layer comprised of nixed transgressive trees, e_«£_. , red maple 

 ( Acer rubrun ) and black gum ( Nyssa s vlvatica var. biflora ) is present 

 in many area.s as well. 



At several locations within the bay, pond pine was replaced by lob- 

 lolly pine (Pinus taeda ) in mature stand. 



Upland communities — ■ 



The upland areas surrounding the bay are now largely dominated 

 by immature "super pine" seedlings ( Pinus sp,). These areas were, how- 

 ever, previously and naturally vegetated v;ith a longleaf pine ( Finus 

 palustris )/turkey oak ( Quercus laevis ) or mixed oak ( Quercus sp. )/ 

 wiregrass ( Aristida striata ) connunity on the drier ridge areas charac- 

 terized by a typic to spodic quartzipsamment soil, and by a longleaf 



43 



