Florida has more swamps and marshes than any other state except Alaska. One-third of it is covered with cypress domes, wet prairies, mangrove swamps, sawgrass glades, pitcher plant savannahs, and other wetlands. Swamps in Florida are the last refuge of panthers, wood storks, black bears, and many rare plants such as the ghost orchid and hand fern. Some of the factors contributing to Florida wetlands or floodplains are: . These water sources are what supports the of Florida.
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River swamps have a shorter hydroperiod than stillwater swamps and a perceptible flow rate for at least a part of each year. These wetlands constitute about one-third of Florida's swampland and are found primarily in north Florida. Reduced topography and abrupt changes in soil type in Florida river swamps may "blur" individual vegetation zones. This ecological diversity likely makes river swamps the most diverse of Florida swamps. Top
Spring runs - Flooding is usually less dramatic in river swamps along spring runs and hydroperiods may be short. Since spring runs are fed from the limestone aquifer, the chemical characteristics of spring run waters differ from those of the silt-laden whitewater rivers and the dark, acidic blackwater rivers. However, many spring runs discharge directly into larger rivers. During the wet season, water backing up into spring runs may obscure the subtle differences between the river swamps and spring run swamps. Top
Whitewater rivers - Whitewater rivers carry clays and suspended organic matter in their waters. The forest communities within the floodplains of whitewater rivers are designated as bottomland hardwoods by the USDA Soil Conservation Service. The forests of the Appalachicola River floodplain and a few other floodplains of Florida's rivers are typical of this community, which is a critical component of the southeastern landscape. Top
Blackwater rivers - Blackwater rivers carry dissolved organic matter in their waters. The sandy soils underlying flatwoods in watersheds of blackwater rivers contribute few nutrients to runoff that supplies blackwater rivers. Floodplains on blackwater rivers may be underlain by impermeable soil layers extending into them from the surrounding landscape, therefore, horizontal groundwater flow may contribute as much water as surface runoff to the river and the standing water in the floodplain. Top
Bottomland Forests - The unique traits of these forests set them apart from other forests and make them very important to the southeastern U.S. Bottomland hardwoods are part of a larger landscape system that starts at the river's headwaters and ends in a bay, or estuary, at the ocean. As the water flows through the flat land of the coastal plain it seasonally overflows the normal channels and spreads out to form a shallow layer throughout the bottomland forest. As it overflows and recedes, silt, nutrients, organisms and impurities flow back and forth between the river and forest. The landscape is shaped by the constant flux of water by way of new channels, deserted channels, deposited sediments and the build-up of levees and deltas. These forests act as "safety valves," detaining flood waters when the rivers overflow the main channel. A diverse network of trees, shrubs and vines holds the soil in place and protect it from being eroded by the moving water. Without these forests to detain the floodwaters both the soil and the large pulse of water could have adverse effects on downstream bays, which are adapted to periodic and gradual increases in fresh water and silt. Too much at once can kill many of the plants and animals in the estuary, harming important fishing industries. Bottomland forests forests improve water quality by filtering and flushing nutrients, processing organic wastes, and reducing sediment before it reaches open water. The vegetation of bottomland hardwoods is extremely diverse. Shrubs, vines, grasses, and herbaceous plants grow vigorously where sunlight reaches the forest floor. As the forest matures, and competition for light, nutrients, and space increases, this community begins to take on an open, park-like appearance. Top
