A unique classification system was developed for this project, with terms that are commonly used in this part of Florida. It provides classification at several levels (land form, community, species) into a single character string. The levels coded for each polygon are not consistent - most codes indicate plant community, but for some polygons species type and/or landform are included. This provides useful information, but it may make automated analysis difficult. For shading purposes, only the first two characters of the code are used.
Added symbology (*,ampersandgt;,ampersandlt; /, -) indicate degree of inclusion, over/under story, and sub levels. A number of modifiers, infrequently used, mainly indicate management status.
FRESHWATER WETLANDS
Cypress (CY) - Forested wetlands dominated by Bald cypress or Pond cypress (Taxodium distichum or T. ascendens) that are flooded annually for periods of long duration - typically 4 to 8 months in any given year. Includes Cypress dome, stand, and lakeshore variants.
Hardwood Swamp (HS) - Forested wetlands dominated by one or more deciduous hardwood species that typically include Black gum, Red maple, Water ash, Water elm, and Willows. Cypress is often a significant compo-nent of this type. Subject to annual, seasonal periods of prolonged flooding.
Bay Head (BH) - Forested wetlands dominated by one or more species of broadleaved, evergreen, or Bay trees (Gordonia lasianthus, Persea palustris, or Magnolia virginica). Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine) may occasionally be dominant. Soils are usually organic and nearly constantly saturated as well as being at least occasionally flooded. Some sites may have canopies that are dominated by Pines, but Bays and other indicators will be prevalent in the sub canopy and under story.
Bay Gall (BG) - Forested wetlands typically dominated by one or more species of evergreen, or Bay trees, and, less commonly, by Dahoon holly, deciduous hardwoods, or Pine. Located at the bases of sandy slopes and maintained by down slope seepage. Soils are organic and are nearly constantly saturated but infrequently flooded.
Hydric Hammock (HH) - Forested systems dominated by a mixture of broadleaved, evergreen, and deciduous tree species. Cabbage palmetto (CP) may be dominant in some variants of this type. Seldom inundated, but have saturated soils during much of the year.
Bottomland Hardwoods (BL) - Deciduous forest communities lying in the floodplains of rivers and streams that are subject to the rapid rise and fall of floodwaters. Sometimes they may be relatively well drained, or, at most, saturated by lateral seepage. The associated soils are alluvial.
Forested Flatwoods Depressions (FD) - Typically these are Pond cypress, Pine, deciduous hardwood, Bay, or Cabbage palm dominated communities occupying shallow depressions in mesic flatwoods sites. The under story vegetation consists of hydrophytic shrubs, grasses, and herbs. Saw palmetto, Gallberry and other typical mesic flatwoods species are generally absent. In the absence of fires, or as a result of forest management practices, under story or associated species (such as Loblolly bay) may dominate these sites. Soils are usually sandy and are subject to brief (1 - 2 months) seasonal inundation or prolonged soil saturation.
Shrub Swamp (SS) - Dominated by Willows, Buttonbush, or similar appearing vegetation. The hydrology is similar to that of Cypress, hardwood swamp, or shallow marsh communities.
Shrub Bog (SB) - Dominated by shrubby vegetation occupying typical Bay head sites. Often developing in Bay heads that have been destroyed by fire or some other disturbance. The hydrology is similar to that of Bay head communities.
Shrub Gall (SG) - Wetlands dominated by shrubby vegetation occupying typical Bay gall sites and having similar hydrology and soils.
Transitional Shrub (TS) - Dominated by transitional shrubby vegetation occurring at the upland margins of wetland communites or on clear cut hydric sites. Can also develop on wet prairie sites that have been protected from fire. Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) and Baccharis halimnifolia are typical species.
Deep Marsh (DM) - Deepwater wetlands dominated by a mixture of Water lilies and deep water emergent species. Semi-permanently to perma-nently flooded.
Lakeshore Emergents (DM-LS) - Emergent vegetation growing along lakeshores and usually semi-permanently flooded. Panicum hemitomon and species of Scirpus are most common.
Water Lilies (DM-N) - Floating leaved species in the genera Nymphaea, Nuphar, Nelumbo, Brasenia and Nymphoides. Usually semi-permanently to permanently flooded.
Shallow Marsh (SM) - Herbaceous or graminoid communities dominated by species such as Sawgrass, Maidencane, Cattails, Pickerel weed, Arrowhead, or other grasses and broad leaved herbs. Occurs most often on organic soils that are subject to lengthy seasonal inundation. Subject to occasional fire.
Wet Prairie (WP) - Communities of grasses, sedges, rushes, and herbs typically dominated by Sand cordgrass, Maidencane, or a mixture of species. Usually occurs on mineral soils that are inundated for a relatively short duration each year, but with prolonged soil saturation. Subject to frequent fire.
Floating Marshes (FF) - Communities of free-floating plants (such as Water hyacinth, Water lettuce, or Lemna) or floating mats of rhizomatous species (such as Alligator weed or various grasses and sedges).
Freshwater Flats and Barren Areas (BA) - Sandy or muddy sites subject to occasional or regular inundation with less than 33% vegetation cover during the growing season.
SALINE WETLANDS
Mangrove Forest (MF) - Forested saline wetlands dominated by one or more mangrove tree species (Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans, or Laguncularia racemosa) growing on sites where they are capable of achieving tree stature. These communities may be further classified by dominant species or forest physiognomy.
Shrub Mangrove (MS) - Sites dominated by one or more Mangrove tree species growing on sites where they are prevented by natural processes, (including climate, nutrients, and wave action), from achieving tree size. These communities may be further classified according to dominant tree species or by stand physiognomy.
Spartina alterniflora Marsh (SA) - Herbaceous saline wetlands dominated by smooth Cordgrass, often in nearly pure stands. Typically occupies a zone between open water or tidal flat communities and a salt flat or Black needlerush zone.
Juncus roemerianus Marsh (JR) - Herbaceous saline wetlands dominated by Black needlerush, often in nearly pure stands. Typically occupies a zone between the lower smooth Cordgrass zone and the high meadow community type.
Salt Flats (SF) - Communities developing on sandy, hypersaline soils upland from the Spartina or Juncus zone and characterized by concentric bands of vegetation developing in response to a salinity gradient. Consists of salt barrens (SF-B) and vegetated flats (SF-V).
Borrichia frutescens (BO) - Saline wetlands dominated by Sea ox-eye. These are most abundant in marshes with high salinity, low tidal amplitude, and higher elevations. They are found adjacent to high meadow communities.
High Meadow (HM) - High irregularly flooded herbaceous communities transitional between uplands and salt flats or Juncus roemerianus marshes and typically dominated by Spartina bakeri, S. patens, Borrichia frutescens, or other facultative species.
Tidal Flats (TF) - Non-vegetated, shallow-water habitats situated between the low and high tide limits. Substrate soft to semi soft sand or mud. Found where sediments accumulate and usually bordered landward by Spartina alterniflora marshes and seaward by tidal channels or subtidal seagrass beds.
Shoreline and Beach (BE) - Non-vegetated sites occupying slopes exposed to periodic inundation, and wave action. Typically bordering open water areas and transitional to upland coastal dunes and scrub communities.
TRANSITIONAL WETLANDS
Intermediate Marsh (IM) - Herbaceous wetlands of low or fluctuating salinity in which neither estuarine nor freshwater species attain full dominance. Subject to significant freshwater inflows, as well as, daily tides and saltwater influence.
OTHER
UPLANDS (U) - Used for all areas that are not delineated as wetlands vegetation. May include drained areas, developed or farmed lands, and Pine plantations on hydric soils. Hydrology may be xeric, mesic, or hydric.
Water (W) - Unvegetated or sparsely vegetated sites subject to prolonged or semi-permanent flooding. Includes lakes, streams, ponds and other water bodies.
Submerged Aquatic Beds (AB) - Communities of aquatic plants rooted in the sediments of shallow water bodies and having the majority of their photosynthetic tissues below the water surface. Generally permanently flooded.
Additional Codes
CP - Cabbage Palm, PI - Pines
Modifiers
X excavated
A artificial
I impounded
PI partially impounded
D drained
PD partially drained
C clearcut
CO old clearcut
Y regenerative young growth, secondary succession
S saline or salt influenced
B burned
HY occupying heavy clay soils
Conventions
XY Component X is only slightly more dominant than Y
X ampersand gt;Y Component X is dominant; Y is subdominant
X*Y A small percent of Y occurs in X
X/Y X is the overstory; Y is the understory
X-Y Community X contains component species typically associated with Y
