WELCOME TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Photo by Dennis Goodman
NATIVE LANDSCAPES
FROM SWAMPS TO MANGROVE FORESTS, SOUTHWEST FLORIDA’S TERRAIN IS UNIQUE OPEN-WATER SLOUGH BY CONSERVANCY OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
T
o newcomers, Southwest Florida’s topography might seem flat and unchanging, but don’t let its subtleties fool you. Changes in elevation coupled with rainfall create distinct habitats that are home to a web of life for native wildlife and a wondrous spectrum of flora. You are likely quite familiar with the beach and coastal areas, so here’s a primer on the other natural habitats you will encounter as you explore these sometimes hardy, and sometimes fragile, lands.
coasts of South Florida, and throughout the Everglades and Florida Keys. Hammocks are also called “tree islands” because they rise from wet, low-lying areas. Oaks, sweetgum, hickories—more than 120 species of tropical plants—provide cool and shady refuge for deer and other wildlife during hot summer months. CYPRESS SWAMPS: These swamps experience seasonal changes in water levels that fluctuate during wet and dry months. Elevations determine hydroperiods—how
HARDWOOD HAMMOCKS: Tropical hardwood hammocks are found along both
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PINE UPLANDS
S O U T H W E ST F LO R I DA R E LO C AT I O N G U I D E
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– FALL 2021
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MANGROVE FORESTS: Mangroves play a unique and important role in Southwest
Photo by Leif Johnson
PINE UPLANDS: This habitat is high in elevation, at least for Southwest Florida. A few inches in elevation can make a big difference, and this elevation allows for pine forests, which are high and dry areas dominated by needle-leafed slash pine. The trees get their name from the early settlers who “slashed” the bark of the pines and collected their sap to make turpentine and rosin.
long soils are saturated or flooded. Many species have adapted to live in this variable habitat, such as the predominant cypress tree. Their knees (above-ground extensions of their roots) and their buttresses (wide fluted bases) provide stability in the soft, organic soils and increase surface area for gas exchange. Cypress trees are deciduous conifers; they lose all their needles in the fall and winter.
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WINTER 2022
9/30/21 10:49 AM
