Florida's Native Plant Communities

Alluvial Stream

  • Florida's greatest alluvial river, the Appalachicola. Photograph taken at Appalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve.  Photo by Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter

Photographs belong to the photographers who allow use for FNPS purposes only.

Information

Community Variants:

N/A

Description:

Alluvial streams are rivers and streams characterized by turbid water carrying suspended silt, clay, sand, and small gravel. They typically support broad floodplains with natural levees, oxbow lakes, and other features created through repeated cycles of stream erosion and deposition.


Florida has relatively few true alluvial streams. The largest is the Apalachicola River, though much of its potential silt load is trapped in Lake Seminole before the river begins. Other rivers with at least seasonal alluvial characteristics include the Yellow River, Escambia River, and Choctawhatchee River.

References:

Florida Natural Areas Inventory. (2010). Guide to the natural communities of Florida: 2010 edition. Florida Natural Areas Inventory. http://fnai.org/naturalcommguide.cfm


Whitney, E. N., Means, D. B., & Rudloe, A. (2004). Priceless Florida: Natural ecosystems and native species. Pineapple Press.

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