Everglades Habitats  
 

                        The Everglades is a low, flat plain which is shaped by the action of water and
               weather. In the summer (wet season) it is a wide, grassy river. In the winter
               season the edge of the slough is a dry grassland. Though Everglades
               National Park is often characterized as a water marsh, several very distinct
               habitats exist within its boundaries.

               Marine/Estuary
               Florida Bay, the largest body of water within Everglades National Park,
               contains over 800 square miles (2072 square km) of marine bottom, much of
               which is covered by seagrass. The seagrass shelters fish and shellfish and
               sustains the food chain that supports all higher vertebrates in the bay. The
               hard bottom areas are home to corals and sponges. (Additional resources for
               teachers are available about marine ecosystems.)

               Mangroves
               Mangrove forests are found in the coastal channels and winding rivers
               around the tip of South Florida. Red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle),
               identified by their stilt-like roots, and the black (Avicennia germinans) and
               white mangroves (Laguncularia racemosa) thrive in tidal waters, where
               freshwater from the Everglades mixes with saltwater. This estuary system is
               a valuable nursery for shrimp and fish. During the dry months, wading birds
               congregate here to feed. Many bird species nest in the mangrove trees.

               Coastal Prairie
               Located between the tidal mud flats of Florida Bay and dry land, the coastal
               prairie is an arid region of salt-tolerant vegetation periodically flooded by
               hurricane waves and buffeted by heavy winds. It is characterized by
               succulents and other low-growing desert plants that can withstand the harsh
               conditions.

               Freshwater Marl Prairie
               Bordering the deeper sloughs are large prairies with marl sediments, a
               calcareous material that settles on the limestone. The marl allows slow
               seepage of the water but not drainage. Though the sawgrass is not as tall
               and the water is not as deep, freshwater marl prairies look a lot like
               freshwater sloughs.

               Freshwater Slough
               The slough is the deeper and faster-flowing center of a broad marshy river.
               This "fast" flow moves at a leisurely pace of 100 feet (30 meters) per day.
               Dotted with tree-islands called hammocks or heads, this vast landscape
               channels life-giving waters from north to south. Everglades National Park
               contains two distinct sloughs: Shark River Slough, the "river of grass;" and
               Taylor Slough, a narrow, eastern branch of the "river." There are no surface
               connections between the two. A series of other sloughs through the Big
               Cypress Swamp supply freshwater to western Florida Bay and the Ten
               Thousand Islands.

               Cypress
               The cypress tree (Taxodium spp.) is a deciduous conifer that can survive in
               standing water. These trees often form dense clusters called cypress domes
               in natural water-filled depressions. The trees in the deep soil at the center
               grow taller than those on the outside. Stunted cypress trees, called dwarf
               cypress, grow thinly-distributed in poor soil on drier land.

             Hardwood Hammocks
               Hammocks are dense stands of hardwood trees that grow on natural rises of
               only a few inches in the land. They appear as teardrop-shaped islands
               shaped by the flow of water in the middle of the slough. Many tropical
               species such as mahogany (Swietenia mahogoni), gumbo limbo (Bursera
               simaruba), and cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco) grow alongside the more
               familiar temperate species of live oak (Quercus virginiana), red maple
               (Acer rubum), and hackberry (Celtis laevigata). 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
               hammock plants from fire. Shaded from the sun by the tall trees, ferns and
               airplants thrive in the moisture-laden air inside the hammock.

               Pinelands
               The slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) is the dominant plant in this dry,
               rugged terrain that sits on top of a limestone ridge. The pines root in any
               crack or crevice where soil collects in the jagged bedrock. Fire is an
               essential condition for survival of the pine community, clearing out the
               faster-growing hardwoods that would block light to the pine seedlings. Pine
               bark is multi-layered, so only the outer bark is scorched during fires. The
               pinelands are the most diverse habitat in the Everglades, consisting of slash
               pine firest, an understory of saw palmettos (Serenoa repens), and over 200
               varieties of tropical plants.
Credit:
We would like to thank the Everglades National Park for Providing us with the information above.