By Amber Prinkey
In honor of World Wetlands Day on February 2, let’s learn a little bit about the wetlands in our backyard. Did you know there are several different ecosystems that make up the Everglades? Here are a few:
Pinelands
Slash pine is named after the “slashes” – swampy ground overgrown with trees and bushes. Pinelands need fire to exist, it clears out fast-growing hardwoods that would block light to pine seedlings. Many plants here are adapted to fire
Animals seen here are gopher tortoises, box turtles, swallowtail kites
Plants are pond apple, elderberry
Cypress Swamps
Dominated by cypress trees that are deciduous conifers, meaning they have needles like pine trees but lose their leaves in the winter like an oak tree. These trees have a unique adaptation, a “Cypress Knee” which may help anchor the tree
Animals seen are barred owl, river otter, wood stork, screech owl
Plants here are epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants) like Spanish moss, cocoplum
Sawgrass Prairie
Known as the River of Grass, this is covered in water during the wet season, but water levels drop during the dry season. Sawgrass gets its name from the saw-like teeth along with the blades
Animals are alligators, snail kites, and wading birds
Plants include bladderwort, spatterdock
Hammock
Because of their slight elevation, hammocks rarely flood. Acids from decaying plants dissolve the limestone around each tree island, creating a natural moat that protects the plants from fire.
Plants are tropical Hardwoods like Mahogany, Gumbo limbo
Animals include snakes, bobcats, tree snails
Mangroves
Mangroves are very important, they provide a nursery for shrimp and fish, a nesting area for birds, they filter water, and prevent erosion during storms
Animals here are raccoons, osprey, fish
Plants are wax myrtle, hibiscus
An easy way to help our wetlands is to conserve water. Taking shorter showers, running full dishwasher loads, and turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth are all ways to reduce our use of this valuable resource.
