Freshwater Forested Wetlands Bottomland Forest and Alluvial
Forest By: Tiffany Oliver
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Definitions Terrace: A raised bank of earth having vertical or
sloping sides and a flat top. Levee: An elongated naturally
occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which
regulates water levels.
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Definitions Alluvial: Made up of or found in the materials that
are left by the water of rivers, floods, etc. Blackwater river: A
river with a deep, slow-moving channel that flows through forested
swamps and wetlands. As vegetation decays in the water, tannins are
leached out, resulting in transparent, acidic water that is darkly
stained, resembling tea or coffee. Ridge and Swale: An alternating
sequence of narrow sandy ridges and low wetland swales that
parallels a shore
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What is a Bottomland Forest?
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A deciduous, or mixed deciduous/evergreen, closed-canopy forest
on terraces and levees within riverine floodplains and in shallow
depressions.
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What is a Bottomland Forest? Found between swamps and
uplands
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What is a Bottomland Forest? The canopy may be quite diverse
with both deciduous and evergreen hydrophytic to mesophytic trees.
Very few evergreen
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What is a Bottomland Forest? Understory either dense shrubs
with little ground cover, or open, with few shrubs and a
groundcover of ferns, herbs, and grasses. Also variable in
composition and abundance
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Resources and Conditions Soils are a rich mixture of sand,
clay, and organic materials Water table: High in blackwater/spring
fed floodplains Low in alluvial floodlplains Inundation: only
during higher floods Fire insignificant Limited to individual
trees
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Resources and Conditions Trees produce hard and soft mast that
wildlife depend on Seedling establishment variations caused by
flooding regimes, windthrows and treefall gaps Organic debris:
Important nutrient source downstream Large scale patterns of high
water pulses Every 5-7years along the Apalachicola River Critical
in providing nutrients into the Apalachicola Bay Correlated with a
significant increase in commercial fish abundance. Major stop over
site for many migratory birds
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Distribution Found throughout Florida, associated mostly with
blackwater and alluvial floodplains. Where limestone is near the
surface hydric hammocks often replace bottomlands.
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Distribution
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Status G4/S3: secure globally; rare or uncommon in state Good
and unknown trend 84,141 acres total of Bottomland Hardwood 58%
conservation or managed areas 5% Florida Forever projects 25% are
in SHCA-designated lands. 12% private lands
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Characteristic Canopy Water Oak Sweetgum Spruce Pine
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Characteristic Canopy Swamp Laurel Oak Red Maple Loblolly
Pine
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Common Canopy Sugarberry Live Oak Sweetbay Swamp Chestnut
Oak
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Common Understory American Hornbeam Swamp Dogwood Dahoon
Holly
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Rare Plants Sweet Shrub Indian Cucumber- root Little Club-spur
Orchid
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Obligate, Threatened, or Endangered Animals Apalachicola Dusky
Salamander Yellow- crowned Night-heron Black- crowned Night-heron
Rafinesques big- eared bat Northern Long-eared bat Florida long-
tailed weasel
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Obligate, Threatened, or Endangered Animals Florida Black
BearKentucky Warbler Hooded Warbler Copperhead
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Considerations Suffered from timber operations Soil disturbance
Clearcutting Pine plantations Construction that makes use of
landfill acts as a dam Wildlife habitat loss with development
Invasives Clean and control water
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Management and Restoration Provide funds and tax incentives for
private lands Replant Concern about local water problems increases
demand for restoration Single tree harvest Attempt to reestablish
hydrolic functions
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What Can I Confuse Them With? Floodplain Swamp: Although
bottomland forest may flood and even contain occasional tupelo and
cypress trees, it is not dominated by these species, as is
floodplain swamp Hydric Hammock: Closely resembles bottomland
forest, but the dominance of evergreen oaks and cabbage palm
distinguish the hammock.
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What Can I Confuse Them With? Baygall: Found in areas of high
seepage and dominated by bay species Alluvial Forest: Bottomlands
are generally drier and water hickory, overcup oak, and/or green
ash are not characteristic unlike in alluvial
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Where Can I See Them? Blackwater River State Forest Lake
Talquin State Forest San Felasco Preserve State Park Jennings State
Forest Myakka River State Park
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Alluvial Forest
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What is an Alluvial Forest?
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A hardwood forest found in river floodplains on low levees,
ridges and terraces that are slightly elevated above floodlplain
swamp and are regularly flooded for a portion of the growing
season.
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Resources and Conditions Soils are variable mixtures of sand,
organics, and alluvials, which are often distinctly layered. The
hydroperiod is the primary physical feature of alluvial forests,
which are inundated by floodwaters nearly every year for 2 to 50%
of the growing season. Inundation flushes the forest floor Fire:
Infrequent Limited to individual trees Stands that burn in drought
sustain heavy damage
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Distribution and Status Florida Panhandle where alluvial rivers
create broad floodplains Not south of Lake Okeechobee G4/S3: secure
globally; rare or uncommon in state
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Characteristic Canopy Water Locust Swamp Laurel Oak Green Ash
Water Hickory
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Characteristic Canopy American Elm Overcup Oak River Birch
Obligate, Threatened, or Endangered Animals One-toed Amphiuma
American Alligator Swallow-tailed kite Barbours Map Turtle Northern
Long-eared Bat Mississippi Green Water Snake
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Obligate, Threatened, or Endangered Animals Hairy Woodpecker
Florida Black Bear Gray Bat Louisiana Waterthrush
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Considerations Must be managed as part of the whole of a
riverine system Provide important wildlife habitat Contribute to
water quality Negative impacts of artificial impoundments, river
diversion projects, pesticide use, forest clearcutting, and
intensive agriculture Dam construction limits the health of the
systems Channelization Hurricanes
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Management Remove small dams to allow for natural hydrology
Hand/mechanical removal of exotics Minimize and eliminate trails
and roads Replant rapid growing plants to reestablish canopy
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What Can I Confuse It With? Floodplain Swamp: Differ because
cypress and/or tupelo are dominant in these swamps because of the
longer hydroperiod. Bottomland Forest: Occupy slightly higher
terraces, ridges, and levees, and sometimes have loblolly pine.
Baygall: Dominated by evergreen bay species and lacks the
diversity. Hydric Hammocks: Generally dominated by a mix of
evergreen oaks, cabbage palm, and red cedar.
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Where Can I See Them? Torreya State Park Apalachicola Water
Management Area Gum Landing in Choctawhatchee River Water
Management Area Log Landing and Wanee Conservation Areas