Native Plant Communities

Depression Marsh

Synonyms: Flatwoods Pond
Depression marshes, sometimes called flatwoods marshes, are small rounded depressions in sand substrates often with peat accumulating toward center.  They are seasonally inundated, still water systems.  They are found subtropical ane temperate settings.  They are characterized by frequent to occasional fire.  Typical species include maidencane (Panicum hemitomon), fireflag (Thalia genicularia), pickerelweed, (Pontederia cordata) and and other emergents.  Frequently there are concentric zones of distinctive vegetation in areas of differing hydroperiods.  The transition zone into the adjacent flatwoods is often associated with high species diversity, while the inner zones are often monospecific.

References:

Clewell, A.F. 1986. Natural setting and vegetation of the Florida Panhandle - An account of the environments and plant communities of northern Florida west of the Suwannee River. Report No. COESAM/PDEI-86/001. United States Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, Alabama.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 1992. Soil and Water Relationships of Florida's Ecological Communities http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wetlands/delineation/docs/soil-and-water.pdf

Duever, Linda. 1987 (Summer-Fall). Florida's Natural Communities: Wet Prairies. The Palmetto 7, #2:6-7. http://fnps.org/assets/pdf/palmetto/v07i2p6duever.pdf

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

Gann, G.D., K.A. Bradley, and S.W. Woodmansee. 2009. Floristic Inventory of South Florida Database. Institute for Regional Conservation. http://regionalconservation.org/ircs/database/database.asp

Knight, G. R., J. B. Oetting, and L. Cross.  2011.  Atlas of Florida's Natural Heritage - Biodiversity, Landscapes, Stewardship and Opportunities:  Institute of Science and Public Affairs, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL.

Myers, R.L. and J.J. Ewel (eds.). 1990. Ecosystems of Florida University of Central Florida Press: Orlando.

Simons, R.W. 1990. Terrestrial and freshwater habitats. Pages 99-157 in S.H. Wolfe, editor. An ecological characterization of the Florida Springs Coast: Pithlachascotee to Waccasassa Rivers. Biological Report 90(21). United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC.

USDA Soil Conservation Service. 198_. 26 Ecological Communities of Florida. http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00000110/00001

Whitney, E.N., D. B. Means, A. Rudloe. 2004. Priceless Florida: Natural Ecosystems and Native Species. Pineapple Press.

Date Updated 2020-05-18 12:20:50

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Depression marsh at BabcockWeb by Shirley Denton.

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Bladderword (Utricularia sp.) in bloom in a depression marsh at BabcockWeb by Shirley Denton.

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Depression marsh in Pasco County.  Photo by Shirley Denton.