Florida's Native Plant Communities
Salt Flat
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Information
Community Variants:
N/A
Description:
Salt flats occur in coastal areas where inundation is irregular rather than daily. They are not tidally flushed but may be flooded by storm surges or extremely high tides. When water becomes trapped, it often evaporates, leaving behind hypersaline soils that limit vegetation.
Salt flats are dominated by halophytic species that tolerate high salinities, including:
- Saltwort (Batis maritima)
- Perennial glasswort (Sarcocornia ambigua)
- Annual glasswort (Salicornia bigelovii)
- Bushy seaside oxeye (Borrichia frutescens)
- Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata)
- Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum)
- Shoregrass (Monanthochloe littoralis)
Areas where the soils are too saline to support any vegetation are also common.
Variants
Some salt flats are occupied by dwarfed mangroves, creating a distinctive variant of this community.
Example Locations
Good examples of salt flats occur along Tampa Bay, including easily accessible areas at Upper Tampa Bay Regional Park in Hillsborough County.
References:
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