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Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI)

FNAI Code Definition
Algal Bed Expansive subtidal, intertidal or supratidal area, occupied primarily by attached thallophytic or mat-forming prokaryotic algae (e.g., halimeda, blue-green algae); octocorals, sponges, stony corals and seagrasses sparse, if present.
Alluvial Stream Lower perennial or intermittent/seasonal watercourse characterized by turbid water with suspended silt, clay, sand and small gravel; generally with a distinct, sediment-derived (alluvial) floodplain and a sandy, elevated natural levee just inland from the channel.
Aquatic Cave Cavernicolous area permanently or periodically submerged; often characterized by troglobitic crustaceans and salamanders; includes high energy systems which receive large quantities of organic detritus and low energy systems.
Basin Marsh Large basin with peat substrate; seasonally inundated; temperate or subtropical; frequent fire; sawgrass and/or cattail and/or buttonbush and/or mixed emergents.
Basin Swamp Large basin with peat substrate; seasonally inundated, still water; subtropical or temperate; occasional or rare fire; vegetation characterized by cypress, blackgum, bays and/or mixed hardwoods.
Baygall Wetland with peat substrate at base of slope; maintained by downslope seepage, usually saturated and occasionally inundated; subtropical or temperate; rare or no fire; bays and/or dahoon holly and/or red maple and/or mixed hardwoods.
Beach Dune Active coastal dune with sand substrate; xeric; temperate or subtropical; occasional or rare fire; sea oats and/or mixed salt-spray tolerant grasses and herbs.
Blackwater Stream Perennial or intermittent/seasonal watercourse characterized by tea-colored water with a high content of particulate and dissolved organic matter derived from drainage through swamps and marshes; generally lacking an alluvial floodplain.
Bluff Steep slope with rock, sand, and/or clay substrate; hydric-xeric; temperate; sparse grasses, herbs and shrubs.
Bog Wetland on deep peat substrate; moisture held by sphagnum mosses, soil usually saturated, occasionally inundated; subtropical or temperate; rare fire; sphagnum moss and titi and/or bays and/or dahoon holly, and/or mixed hydrophytic shrubs.
Bottomland Forest Flatland with sand/clay/organic substrate; occasionally inundated; temperate; rare or no fire; water oak, red maple, beech, magnolia, tuliptree, sweetgum, bays, cabbage palm, and mixed hardwoods.
Clastic Upland Lake Generally irregular basin in clay uplands; predominantly with inflows, frequently without surface outflow; clay or organic substrate; colored, acidic, soft water with low mineral content (sodium, chloride, sulfate); oligo-mesotrophic to eutrophic.
Coastal Berm Old bar or storm debris with sand/shell substrate; xeric-mesic; subtropical or temperate; rare or no fire; buttonwood, mangroves, and/or mixed halophytic herbs and/or shrubs and trees.
Coastal Dune Lake Basin or lagoon influenced by recent coastal processes; predominantly sand substrate with some organic matter; salinity variable among and within lakes, and subject to saltwater intrusion and storm surges; slightly acidic, hard water with high mineral content.
Coastal Grassland Coastal flatland with sand substrate; xeric-mesic; subtropical or temperate; occasional fire; grasses, herbs, and shrubs with or without slash pine and/or cabbage palm.
Coastal Interdunal Swale Long narrow depression wetlands in sand/peat-sand substrate; seasonally inundated, fresh to brackish, still water; temperate; rare fire; graminoids and mixed wetland forbs.
Coastal Rock Barren flatland with exposed limestone substrate; xeric; subtropical; no fire; algae, mixed halophytic herbs and grasses, and/or cacti and stunted shrubs and trees.
Coastal Rockland Lake Shallow basin influence by recent coastal processes; predominantly barren oolitic or Miami limestone substrate; salinity variable among and within lakes, and subject to saltwater intrusion, storm surges and evaporation (because of shallowness).
Coastal Strand Stabilized coastal dune with sand substrate; xeric; subtropical or temperate; occasional or rare fire; dense saw palmetto and/or seagrape and/or mixed stunted shrubs, yucca, and cacti.
Composite Substrate Expansive subtidal, intertidal, or supratidal area, occupied primarily by Natural Community elements from more than one Natural Community category (e.g., Grass Bed and Algal Bed species; Octocoral and Algal Bed species); includes both patchy and evenly distributed
Consolidated Substrate Expansive subtidal, intertidal and supratidal area composed primarily of nonliving compacted or coherent and relatively hard, naturally formed mass of mineral matter (e.g., coquina limerock and relic reefs); octocorals, sponges, stony corals, nondrift mac
Coral Reef Expansive subtidal area with elevational gradient or relief and occupied primarily by living sessile organisms of the Class Hydrozoa (e.g., fire corals and hydrocorals) and Class Anthozoa, Subclass Zoantharia (e.g., stony corals and black corals).
Depression Marsh Small rounded depression in sand substrate with peat accumulating toward center; seasonally inundated, still water; subtropical or temperate; frequent or occasional fire; maidencane, fire flag, pickerelweed, and mixed emergents, nearly monospecific concentric bands may be present.
Dome Swamp Rounded depression in sand/limestone substrate with peat accumulating toward center; seasonally inundated, still water; subtropical or temperate; occasional or rare fire; cypress, blackgum, or bays, often tallest in center.
Flatwoods/Prairie Lake Generally shallow basin in flatlands with high water table; frequently with a broad littoral zone; still water or flow-through; sand or peat substrate; variable water chemistry, but characteristically colored to clear, acidic to slightly alkaline water.
Floodplain Forest Floodplain with alluvial substrate of sand, silt, clay or organic soil; seasonally inundated; temperate; rare or no fire; diamondleaf oak, overcup oak, water oak, swamp chestnut oak, blue palmetto, cane, and mixed hardwoods.
Floodplain Marsh Floodplain with organic/sand/alluvial substrate; seasonally inundated; subtropical; frequent or occasional fire; maidencane, pickerelweed, sagittaria spp., buttonbush, and mixed emergents.
Floodplain Swamp Floodplain with organic/alluvial substrate; usually inundated; subtropical or temperate; rare or no fire; vegetation characterized by cypress, tupelo, black gum, and/or pop ash.
Freshwater Tidal Swamp River mouth wetland, organic soil with extensive root mat; inundated with freshwater in response to tidal cycles; rare or no fire; cypress, bays, cabbage palm, gums and/or cedars.
Grass Bed Expansive subtidal or intertidal area, occupied primarily by rooted vascular macrophytes, (e.g., shoal grass, halophila, widgeon grass, manatee grass and turtle grass); may include various epiphytes and epifauna; octocorals, sponges, stony corals, and other attached species groups.
Hydric Hammock Lowland with sand/clay/organic soil, often over limestone; mesic-hydric; subtropical or temperate; rare or no fire; water oak, cabbage palm, red cedar, red maple, bays, hackberry, hornbeam, blackgum, needle palm, and mixed hardwoods.
Maritime Hammock Stabilized coastal dune with sand substrate; xeric-mesic; subtropical or temperate; rare or no fire; mixed hardwoods and/or live oak.
Marl Prairie Flatland with marl over limestone substrate; seasonally inundated; tropical; frequent to no fire; sawgrass, spikerush, and/or mixed grasses, sometimes with dwarf cypress.
Marsh lake Generally shallow, open water area within wide expanses of freshwater marsh; still water or flow-through; peat, sand or clay substrate; occurs in most physiographic regions; variable water chemistry, but characteristically highly colored, acidic, soft water.
Mesic Flatwoods Flatland with sand substrate; mesic; subtropical or temperate; frequent fire; slash pine and/or longleaf pine with saw palmetto, gallberry and/or wiregrass or cutthroat grass understory.
Mollusk Reef Substantial subtidal or intertidal area with relief from concentrations of sessile organisms of the Phylum Mollusca, Class Bivalvia (e.g., molluscs, oysters, & worm shells); octocorals, sponges, stony corals, macrophytic algae and seagrasses sparse.
Octocoral Bed Expansive subtidal area occupied primarily by living sessile organisms of the Class Anthozoa, Subclass Octocorallia (e.g., soft corals, horny corals, sea fans, sea whips, and sea pens); sponges, stony corals, nondrift macrophytic algae and seagrasses sparsely present.
Pine Rockland Flatland with exposed limestone substrate; mesic-xeric; subtropical; frequent fire; south Florida slash pine, palms and/or hardwoods, and mixed grasses and herbs.
Prairie Hammock Flatland with sand/organic soil over marl or limestone substrate; mesic; subtropical; occasional or rare fire; live oak and/or cabbage palm.
River Floodplain Lake Meander scar, backwater, or larger flow-through body within major river floodplains; sand, alluvial or organic substrate; colored, alkaline or slightly acidic, hard or moderately hard water with high mineral content.
Rockland Hammock Flatland with limestone substrate; mesic; subtropical; rare or no fire; mixed tropical hardwoods, often with live oak.
Sandhill Upland with deep sand substrate; xeric; temperate; frequent fire (2-5 years); longleaf pine and/or turkey oak with wiregrass understory.
Sandhill Upland Lake Generally rounded solution depression in deep sandy uplands or sandy uplands shallowly underlain by limestone; predominantly without surface inflows/outflows; typically sand substrate with organic accumulations toward middle; clear, acidic moderately soft
Scrub Old dune with deep fine sand substrate; xeric; temperate or subtropical; occasional or rare fire (20 80 years); sand pine and/or scrub oaks and/or rosemary and lichens.
Scrubby Flatwoods Flatland with sand substrate; xeric-mesic; subtropical or temperate; occasional fire; longleaf pine or slash pine with scrub oaks and wiregrass understory.
Seepage Slope Wetland on or at base of slope with organic/sand substrate; maintained by downslope seepage, usually saturated but rarely inundated; subtropical or temperate; frequent or occasional fire; sphagnum moss, mixed grasses and herbs or mixed hydrophytic shrubs.
Seepage Stream Upper perennial or intermittent/seasonal watercourse characterized by clear to lightly colored water derived from shallow groundwater seepage. Spring-run Stream perennial watercourse with deep aquifer headwaters and characterized by clear water, circumneutral pH.
Shell Mound Indian midden with shell substrate; xeric-mesic; subtropical or temperate; rare or no fire; mixed hardwoods.
Sinkhole Karst feature with steep limestone walls; mesic-hydric; subtropical or temperate; no fire; ferns, herbs, shrubs, and hardwoods.
Sinkhole Lake Typically deep, funnel-shaped depression in limestone base; occurs in most physiographic regions; predominantly without surface inflows/outflows, but frequently with connection to the aquifer; clear, alkaline, hard water with high mineral content./font>
Slope Forest Steep slope on bluff or in sheltered ravine; sand/clay substrate; mesic-hydric; temperate; rare or no fire; magnolia, beech, spruce pine, Shumard oak, Florida maple, mixed hardwoods.
Slough Broad, shallow channel with peat over mineral substrate; seasonally inundated, flowing water; subtropical; occasional or rare fire; pop ash and/or pond apple or water lily.
Sponge Bed Expansive subtidal area occupied primarily by living sessile organisms of the Phylum Porifera (e.g., sheepswool sponge, Florida loggerhead sponge and branching candle sponge); octocorals, stony corals, nondrift macrophytic algae and seagrasses sparse.
Strand Swamp Broad, shallow channel with peat over mineral substrate; seasonally inundated, flowing water; subtropical; occasional or rare fire; cypress and/or willow.
Swale Broad, shallow channel with sand/peat substrate; seasonally inundated, flowing water; subtropical or temperate; frequent or occasional fire; sawgrass, maidencane, pickerelweed, and/or mixed emergents.
Swamp Lake Generally shallow, open water area within basin swamps; still water or flow-through; peat, sand or clay substrate; occurs in most physiographic regions; variable water chemistry, but characteristically highly colored, acidic, soft water with moderate mineral content.
Terrestrial Cave Cavernicolous area lacking standing water; often characterized by bats, such as Myotis spp., and other terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates; includes interstitial areas above standing water such as fissures in the ceiling of caves.
Tidal Marsh Expansive intertidal or supratidal area occupied primarily by rooted, emergent vascular macrophytes (e.g., cord grass, needlerush, saw grass, saltwort, saltgrass and glasswort); may include various epiphytes and epifauna.
Tidal Swamp Expansive intertidal and supratidal area occupied primarily by woody vascular macrophytes (e.g., black mangrove, buttonwood, red mangrove, and white mangrove); may include various epiphytes and epifauna.
Unconsolidated Substrate Expansive subtidal, intertidal and supratidal area composed primarily of loose mineral matter (e.g., coralgal, gravel, marl, mud, sand and shell); octocorals, sponges, stony corals, nondrift macrophytic algae, blue-green mat-forming algae and seagrasses.
Upland Glade Upland with calcareous rock and/or clay substrate; hydric-xeric; temperate; sparse mixed grasses and herbs with occasional stunted trees and shrubs, e.g., eastern red cedar.
Upland Hardwood Forest Upland with sand/clay and/or calcareous substrate; mesic; temperate; rare or no fire; spruce pine, magnolia, beech, pignut hickory, white oak, and mixed hardwoods.
Upland Mixed Forest Upland with sand/clay substrate; mesic; temperate; rare or no fire; loblolly pine and/or shortleaf pine and/or laurel oak and/or magnolia and spruce pine and/or mixed hardwoods.
Upland Pine Forest Upland with sand/clay substrate; mesic-xeric; temperate; frequent or occasional fire; longleaf pine and/or loblolly pine and/or shortleaf pine, southern red oak, wiregrass.
Wet Flatwoods Flatland with sand substrate; seasonally inundated; subtropical or temperate; frequent fire; vegetation characterized by slash pine or pond pine and/or cabbage palm with mixed grasses and herbs.
Wet Prairie Flatland with sand substrate; seasonally inundated; subtropical or temperate; annual or frequent fire; maidencane, beakrush, spikerush, wiregrass, pitcher plants, St. John's wort, mixed herbs.
Worm Reef Substantial subtidal or intertidal area with relief from concentrations of sessile, tubicolous organisms of the Phylum Annelida, Class Polychaeta (e.g., chaetopterids and sabellarids); octocorals, sponges, stony corals, macrophytic algae and seagrasses.
Xeric Hammock Upland with deep sand substrate; xeric-mesic; temperate or subtropical; rare or no fire; live oak and/or sand live oak and/or laurel oak and/or other oaks, sparkleberry, saw palmetto.