Let’s get serious about the Florida environment. This first posting outlines the three major issues regarding the future of Florida, especially Southwest FL.
The title image is a view of Estero Park Preserve. I added the sign graphic.
Scenarios for the future
Risk/benefits of rewilding
Consequences of species intra- and interdependence
For centuries Florida has been famed for its vibrant and diverse wilderness. It is a living repository of species drawn from the Caribbean, the Gulf, and subtropical America. Yet the past two hundred years have seen this unique ecosystem ravaged. People introduced non-native species, relentlessly homesteaded, and transformed the landscape for agricultural and urban development. The result is a wilderness in crisis. It is fragmented, altered, and teeming with exotic species that out compete or hybridize with the native flora and fauna. This document series outlines a strategic plan for the future of Florida’s wilderness. It is an examination of possible scenarios. It presents the risk/benefit calculus of rewilding. It supports species interdependence. It has a step-by-step outline for ecosystem restoration.
Definition: Rewilding is comprehensive, often large-scale, conservation effort focused on restoring sustainable biodiversity and ecosystem health. (institute of Rewilding)
This is one example of tens of thousands of citrus groves abandoned and overrun by invasive species.
Babcock ranch preserve undeveloped wet prairie
Babcock ranch preserve undeveloped upland wood
Major Scenarios for the Future of Florida’s Wilderness
Florida stands at a crossroad, with three major possible scenarios for the trajectory of its wilderness:
1. Continuance as a Species Repository: For millennia, Florida has served primarily as a bank of species. Rather than an origin point for evolutionary novelties it has been a major exporter of species elsewhere. Rewilding under this scenario would focus on maintaining and nurturing native species. It preserves the region’s role as a living archive of biodiversity.
2. Generator of New Species: The widespread introduction of similar but non-native species—both intentionally has created a dynamic environment. Hybridization and adaptation of ornamental and agricultural plantings will unintentionally transform Florida into a generator of new species. Unpredictable and unintentional ecological outcomes will result.
3. Degraded Ecosystem: If rewilding efforts fail or are mismanaged, Florida will become an ecological cautionary tale. With native species in decline invasive species will become rampant. Ecosystem services like water purification, habitat provision, and storm protection will severely decline.
Risk / Benefit Considerations in Rewilding
The imperative to restore Florida’s wilderness must be balanced by a careful analysis of risks and benefits. Rewilding, while promising, is not without peril.
Genetic Integrity: Simply replacing lost native species with physically similar, but non-identical genotypes can backfire. A non-native genotype may outcompete local species or fail to provide for dependent mutualists, causing cascading ecological harms. Cloning or propagating exact native genotypes minimizes this risk while preserving ecological relationships honed over millennia.
Ecological Compatibility: The introduction of new or “replacement” species may disrupt established mutualisms. They may also create new competitive dynamics while further destabilizing the ecosystem.
Proof of Concept: Any rewilding project must proceed through careful. It demands experimentation, trial phases, and rigorous review of existing literature. These will all be needed to maximize chances of success and minimize unintended consequences.
Intra- and Inter-Dependence of Species
Ecosystems are intricate webs with species depending on one another for food, shelter, pollination, seed dispersal, and countless other functions.
Physical and Genetic Identification: Restoration begins with precise identification of native species, both morphologically and genetically. This enables accurate matching of replacement stock and helps avoid mismatches that could undermine restoration.
Codependent Species: Many native species are mutually dependent. For example the relationship between native bees.; wildflowers or wading birds and wetlands. Successful rewilding requires restoration of these relationships, not just individual species.
Environmental Conditions: Beyond the species themselves, restoration must account for the specific environmental factors. Soil chemistry, water availability, fire regimes, and more allow these relationships to thrive.
These are the topics of the postings to follow
Review of State Key Initiatives
Structured outline for rewilding
Maximizing existing objectives
Marketing the concept for large scale rewilding of Florida
Call to action
SUMMARY
This is not just about legacy. This is your own quality of life; your own property value; your own cost of living. What are you thinking about when you don’t support initiatives, don’t press your representatives and spread invasive species? There are only three choices. 1. Fix it; 2. live with it as is; 3. abandon it and live with the consequences.
Let’s know your thoughts. Leave a reply jn the comment box below or start a thread in our discussion board.
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You are invited to attend a series of three presentations this Spring, 2025. It is available only to residents of the Bonita Bay Community Association and their guests.The purpose of these presentations is to give information and encourage you to go.
This is a chance to explore the unique diversity of the SW Florida environment. Topics include our distinct surroundings, plants of special beauty, and our environment compared with other similar but globally distant areas. This presentation is also an opportunity to discuss these varied topics with John Knapp, author of Everglades Ark.
Topics and dates
Location
Community Activities Center: 3451 Bonita Bay Blvd., Suite #100.. Water and coffee included in attendance. No registration needed. Also see the schedule in the Bonita Bay publication Around the Bay
At the door there will be a $5.00 BBCA registration fee and, to help fund the Everglades Ark education effort, a $10.00 donation.
Questions ? Please call the Bonita Bay Community Association, Community activities, 239-390-5550.
Thanks for your interest! See you there. If you wish to be notified of future posts please enter your email and click on subscribe
The plants of pond #47 are slowly recovering after hurricane Ian. This is part two of a three part series describing the slow recovery of the artificial pond that was created as part of a community wide system. Be sure to read part one of this series. The ten foot high storm surge from hurricane Ian brought seawater with its salt content and fish and other marine life. Because salt water is heavier than fresh water it sank to the bottom of the pond displacing a substantial portion of the fresh water. The ocean water is toxic to the fresh water species because it dehydrates the cells of salt intolerant plants and animals. This has been recovered by the inflow of fresh ground water and water filtered by community supplier. Now the water has a very low percentage of salt. My refractometric test for salinity tested on 5/1/2024 shows a near normal specific density of 1.002. We will discuss this in the next posting describing pond geochemistry.
The pond is surrounded by grassy lawns which are tended by the gardeners and home owners. At the water’s edge soil retaining mesh and plants have been added to prevent erosion. Most of these plants were thought to have been lost from toxic levels of salt. In the intervening two years they have begun to make a strong come back. They hold the soil, provide shelter for the marine animals and a feeding ground for the wading birds. Look at the previous post to see the birds feeding in grass and reed areas of the pond.
Pond plants
Net casting in pond to capture fish sample. This photo also shows round bright areas where Tilapia fish made nests
Soil retaining mesh submerged can be seen here. This was placed before the storm as part of the pond remediation.
Aquatic plant species used to reduce soil erosion.
Long view of pond looking from southeast to northwest.
Lawn, grass, Live Oak trees with marsh rushes and tubers surround the pond. They stabilize the soil and provide shelter and food as the basis of the ecosystem pyramid. It is only recently that the survivability of this plants was confirmed. Presence of these plants supports the concept of corner stone species. Without these plants the insects would not lay eggs. The fish would not feed on the insect larvae. The birds would not feed on the fish. This is further reflection of the eutrophic quality of the pond system.
Perhaps you have seen similar recoveries. Recall the experiences of the recovery of the Fulda river in Germany. Let’s hear about your experience! If you wish to contribute to the discussion please use the comment box.
The third of the three related postings on this pond will appear soon. It will describe the hydrochemistry and the micro aquatic inhabitants. Be sure to subscribe to follow along.
Also, feel free to use the discussion board to participate in one of the ongoing discussions or to introduce a new topic.
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#Pond recovery #ocean water #Lance leaf Arrowhead #Needle rush #Horsetail spike rush #cornerstone species #
Here are images of flowers made from observations during the last three months. This is one of a series on native wildflowers of SWFL. These images represent some of the flowers which were seen in three distinct environments: uplands, pine and saw palmetto flats and costal flats. There is some crossover of plants which may be seen in multiple environments. For organizational simplicity the images have been separated into two groups: those that grow better in moist soil areas are in the mesic group. Those that grow better in dryer soils are listed in the xeric group.
The featured image is a Dixi Iris and a visiting Monarch butterfly
The images which are used here for illustration show the beauty and diversity of the native plants. As a supplement to these images is a spread sheet in the Pages post on this site titled findings/Wildflowers in SWFL. which lists the plant growing requirements. If you wish, this information may be used to assist in selection of plants which you could use in your own SWFL community or home garden. The images are associated with a Fig #. That number is the data key number listed in the first (left) column of the spread sheet. Use that number to correlate the image to the data.
There are definitely more flowering plants in the music group than the xeric. These flowers are flamboyant in color, shape and size. The dominant chromas are in the ends of the visible light spectrum, the hues are in the more saturated range, the values are in all zones and they may be multi-chromatic. Their growth as single plants tend to one bloom. As groups of plants they tend to be distributed in patches of the landscape. This may be related to their propagation frequently by rhizomes.
For the gardeners be sure to check out the excellent PAGES Excel spread sheet for the Wildflowers of SWFL data on these beautiful images.
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Wilderness health determines human health. Public wilderness health programs are needed to reduce pressure on the remaining wildlife and all other resources. We need to continue to develop new technologies that assist in adaptation to environmental changes without over demanding the resources. This is an essay combining physics and biology.
The featured image is the sun in hand near sunset. Please also see the previous post on Sand, wind, Water and Fire.
Energy and the second law of thermodynamics:
You can’t beat physics. Probably the most delimiting aspect of physics is thermodynamics. Life anywhere needs energy to live and reproduce. Ultimately the sun is the source of all power on earth. Cells, especially in plants, import the free energy from the sun and use nutrients and a complex chain of chemical reactions and specialized compartments to sustain life. This metabolic reaction, organized by DNA, supports internal organization, self maintenance and reproduction. This is net organization. It is an alternative to an increasingly chaotic environment. The unusable waste and heat is the entropic result of metabolism. The growth and storage of resources in organic molecules of plants plus reproduction are the valuable byproducts of life. Animals use a similar but more consumptive process in exchange for mobility and associated behaviors.
This schematic shows cell biology and the level of organization as the process of life proceeds. The ending relative degree of order falls below the start point because the cell uses energy and nutrients to create order in the cell. The resulting byproducts of metabolism are less ordered than the cell and less than the start point.
As long as the sun shines, and plants and animals consume less energy than the storage rate, the system is static or even increases order by creating a surplus of stored energy. Contrarily, if consumption is greater than the storage rate, energy is depleted and entropy increases. Currently humans are over consumptive. We are depleting the reserve energy resources with the untoward results of increased chaos. To cope with this we have some biologic tools that might help us. They are Darwinian in concept. These include four characteristics; genetic variance, species differentiation by inheritance, selection by survival of the fittest, and time. These tools can be used to adapt to the changing future. They are simple but require overwhelming cooperation.
Here is what we could do to change biology:
Preserve the genetic diversity of life. It will save time when we need life forms with special properties. Use or develop plants and animals which are survivalists for specific purposes. It is easier to maintain tough species forms rather than vulnerable species. Live in communities which are located in geologically and climatically stable environments. These areas demand less energy for maintenance.
To counteract the probable climate change and chronic over-demand, we could re-engineer plants and animals. If the rate of genetic mutation of selected genomes is increased and we environmentally promote inheritance by natural selection we could reset the consumptive rate then we could stop increasing chaos and rebalance the physics. Enhance species could replace those which cannot adapt to change. Effectively we could counteract our hyper-consumptive behavior and re-terraform Earth to promote survival of the wilderness. This would select for our survival and aim for survival of all. There are other helpful green power resources that are currently employed but they require substantial energy to build and deploy.
This is all a fantasy and another reality will probably develop. The power of the sun and the adaptive capacity of DNA are the two things that will not change. Change will happen. it is difficult to predict and it is impossible to prevent. One must plan for survival and learn to go with the changes.
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We had an opportunity to explore three distinctly different areas in Southwest Florida. Discussion of these focused on upland systems that ranged from the interior of the Everglades to the Gulf of Mexico costal planes. The earlier posts described the geography and associated plants. Animals were also found. Here are some of the feathered vertebrate species: Avians. The animal classification will follow the previously posted bird Clades. The important lesson learned here is animals predate on each other and share the environment by mutual specialization. We will discuss the significance of this concept after we have a chance to see the animals. There are some general observations which may be time or seasonal related conditions. During exploration of the various locations the song birds were less frequently found in the flatwoods. Additionally, the waterfowl were never found in the pine or scrubby flatwoods. The raptors were found in all explored areas.
The featured image is a nesting American Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) with chick. This very large nest is in a hardwood, upland Slash pine near a creek.
THE BIRDS:
There were three types of birds which I photographed. All of them are wonderous in their appearance, behavior, songs, and interactions with their surroundings. To really appreciate them you must go into the field, be patient, watch and listen. I could not photograph all I saw and this is not an encyclopedia of all that are present. The following posts are an opportunity to show what to expect to see when you are there. They will have more selected photographs of some of these magnificent animals.
Waterfowl:
Including: Spoonbill, Storks, Egret, Herron, Anhinga, Duck and others
This pair of Wood Storks were feeding deep in a swamp
Raptors:
Including: Hawk, Eagle, Falcon, Osprey, Owl and others
Red Shouldered Hawk has a nest in a hard wood upland portion of Corkscrew Swamp.
Songbirds:
Including: Cat bird, Cardinal, Blue Jay, Finch, Warbler and others.
Black and White Warbler eating insects found under Cyprus bark in Corkscrew Swamp
Some birds were out of range of the telephoto lens, some were covered by foliage, some were too fast or not in focus and some were not to be found because of seasonal changes. I did my best but we are not done. Further exploration will provide an opportunity to see more, enjoy the spectacle and photograph the events.
Here is our chance to see and compare exploration experiences These are observations of a Pine flatwood in Estero Bay State Preserve, Florida which we will compare to an observed hummock system. In theory, this flat should not be here in South West Florida because the karst is close to the surface however other soil conditions are present.* We explored a Florida hard wood hummock in the last two post. Part one of this observation shows the general landscape**. Part two will show the details of the smaller scrub plants.
The feature image is the Florida State flower. The Tickseed (Coreopsis Leavenworthii)
The Florida Estero Bay Preserve comprises 11,300 acres (17 square miles) and is part of the Estero River delta. It has a complex assembly of plants and animals. There are two entrances. The southern River Scrub entrance was chosen because it opens into a scrubby flatwood pine area. Often this area is wet, however, today the specific area of interest was the dry scrub area. February is among the seasonally drier months and the plants should be typical of the reserve’s description.
This feature image is emblematic of a SWFL Pine flatwoods. They are characterized by: Low, flat topography Relatively poorly drained, acidic, sandy soil Plant growth composed of open pine woodlands with frequent fires
The last time I was here was in February 2023, three months after hurricane Ian flooded this area with salt water to a depth of more than twelve feet. I then reconnoitered the area for just an hour with the intention to revisit with good preparation. On this day I was surprised to find the area reasonable vital however, some of the grasses and palm trees were still quite distressed.
February 2023. The only live oak in the area was easy to see, but could not be found Feb 2024.
February 2024. This slash pine did not survive the hurricane and flood surge.
The walk-about:
For nearly five hours I walked through a five-mile portion on and off the trails in the southeastern portion of the preserve. The trails were well marked, wide and relatively easy to hike. Off the trails, it was very difficult to make any headway. I was insufficiently prepared for the hazards of the flats. Because of the dangerous anatomy of the saw palmetto growth, it was nearly impossible to walk.
Savanna like flat covered with saw palmettos. Slash pines were about 10 meters apart.
The Scrub flat seen a year ago is in recovery. The palm has scorched bark.
This pine flatwood area was burned last year and has made an excellent regeneration. In the middle of the picture the lower leaves of the palm burned however, the crown is still intact.
This area was burn after hurricane Ian, The defoliation is is the result of both storm surge wind damage and prescribed burn. Many of the plants suffered and died as as result of the salt water immersion.
This return visit was exactly one year after the last. This area is very open and bright. The savannah like landscape was covered with low growth saw palmetto and grasses. This was regularly punctuated by sabal palm and slash pine trees. The difference between this pine flatwood and the hardwood hummock of the C.R.E.W. could not be more dramatic. When compared to the hardwood hummock, the flats had very few large gymnosperms such as the live oak trees. There were no hummock islands of bunched trees. While this walk-about was during midday there were few insects or birds. It was very quiet. One mated pair of ospreys were flying through the trees near the river. They occasionally ventured into the flats.
Tidal swamp land with brackish water tolerant plants including mangroves.
Pond too deep to pass.
Turn around and walk back.
Unburned flood tidal marsh areas were not explored; however, they seem to be fully covered with mangroves. Photos of that area show the limit of the walk to the northwest.
Riverbank of part of the Estero River delta with mangrove.One of the two ospreys
Chart of Estero Bay South – Ecosystems, walking detail. Red line is the walking trail.
Discussion:
The hardwood hummock had a range of elevations. The high ground was about 10 inched above the pond level. Contrarily, this ecosystem is very flat and at this time of the year is dry. The hardwood hummock had live oak trees with some pines and palms. The flatwood area at this location is populated almost exclusively by slash pines with a few palms and oaks. The understory is scrub consisting mostly of saw palmettos. Walking toward the wetlands, some hardwoods were in the ectotone between the flats and the wetland mangroves. .
There is much more to see in this preserve. During dry periods, the southern portion could be traversed on the paths by bicycle. Go to part two of this exploration!
This is a description of the grassy and herbaceous undergrowth of this small part of the C.R.E.W. Together with the Part 1 post, the purpose of this presentation is to reduce the confusion of seemingly random plants and to help you understand why you see the what and why of the plants you see when you explore this type of wilderness area.
The featured image shows the “American beauty berry” in the understory. It was found along the trail to the live oak hummock on the path in the C.R.E.W. Cyprus Dome Cypress Hummock. This is second of a two part presentation of this area. The part one has the GPS location, charts and maps and describes the walk-about of the Corkscrew Reserve Environmental Watershed.
Perhaps the best way to understand the hydrology and geology for an area is to look at the plants. They have adapted themselves to use the area without the need to follow the resources like the animals. In fact the animals seek out the plants for survival. In these two presentations you can see the variances in plant anatomy and physiology through a series of locations. The plant adaptations have taken eons to reach the characteristics that make them identifiable as genus and apecies. The plants have the ability to adapt to the changing environment using two tools. These include plant succession and genetic mutation. Succession occurs when an ecosystem changes gradually or even catastrophically. This may cause the plant climax species to expire. Opportunistic species then overtake an available environmental niche. Mutations are genetic changes that take place at a known rate and this may result in variations which are better adapted to survive in an ecosystem. These mutations can be cumulative and can be perpetuated in the genome of subsequent progeny by inheritance of the variance.
Two signs of animal activity. The bear has slashed through the outer surface of a palm to feast on the honey made by a nest of bees.
This is a view into the scrub before the pond. From this distance the green mid-growth seems to be mangroves.
Here is a scene off the path toward the marsh with reeds and sedges and other grasses.
Southern live oak
Thorn apple bush (Crataegus alabamensis) with the thorns as an identifier.
Possible Florida alligator weed with changing colors
Polygala lutea
Lyonia ferruginea
This view is in the periphery of the transition zone with no oaks but many palms and saw palmetto dominating the understory.
Meadowsweet at the edge of the hardwood hummock. Identification of this would be better if the blooms were fresh.
This is a sample of plants in the late transition zone. Note the oak tree litter which acts as a plant inhibitor. Though the “beans” contain no caffeine, they can be roasted and consumed as a coffee-like beverage.*
Bull thistle (Crisium vulgare), Invasive
Rosary pea (Abrus precatorius), invasive, highly toxic.
Beauty berry(Callicarpa americana). The berries are edible to humans, although should be consumed in small amounts. Raw berries are edible, but generally are used to make jellies and wines.**
Observation of a confined area environment is a complicated but fun puzzle. The area should be visited during multiples of seasons, time of day intervals and length of observation to begin to grasp a comprehensive understanding of the area and begin to understand the reasons for classification and to understand the interactions of the plants and animals. Even simple identification is difficult when the plants are not blooming or in leaf. From this first time visit it can be discerned that there is a progression of plant types and land elevations in this small area. At the end of this presentation there is a simplified map of the area under observation.
This image of the understory in the oak hummock canopy shows the more dense plant undergrowth. This may occur because the oak tree litter is less prevalent and because some plants are less susceptible to the shedding of oak allelopathogens..
This is a sample of plants in the late transition zone. Note the abundance of oak tree litter which acts as a plant inhibitor.
No oak tree litter here and hence no trees, however, there are many herbaceous plants. That is a Fritillary Butterfly.
These plants support a wide variety of animals which are specifically dependent on select plant species as are these butterflies. The butterfly here is a Queen. Check out the earlier post on Queens.
This simplified chart shows the four major ground areas that were observed. The hardwood hummock is about ten inches higher than the scrub flats. The scrub flats are about two inches above the level of the pond water.
The undergrowth depends upon water, sunlight, soil minerals and a range of allelopathic inhibitors. Be sure that you check out part 1 of this series. This understory is very different from that found in the Estero River Scrub Preserve State Park. We will go there in the near future.
Here is a recommendation. Go out into the nearby wilderness area. Pick a quiet spot and try to identify the type of environment classification you see or identify the undergrowth plants. It can be a fun and an educational challenge! Share your experiences or photos in the comment box below.
Let’s go to see Florida upland hardwood trees at a hummock in the CREW. The second part of this blog will focus on the herbaceous plants of the area.
The cover image shows the landscape at the northern end of trail. It is a live oak hammock.
The word hummock is sometimes written as hammock. There is some controversy regarding the origin of the word and the use of the word in context helps to facilitate understanding. In Florida it describes a fertile area that is easily distinguishable from the surrounding Pine Flatwoods and is characterized by broadleaved trees (here, primarily Laurel and Live Oaks) and often cabbage palms and vines. Another term used is ”upland” which may be only a few inches above the flat plane scrubland. In this observed instance the upland may be 5 to 10 inches above the nearby plane.
The C.R.E.W. is an eponym for the Corkscrew Reserve Ecosystem Watershed. It includes more than 60,000 acres and is the largest watershed in Southwest Florida. The plants in this watershed filter, trap and metabolize compounds in the water that may be toxic in downstream waterways, resevoirs and aquifers. The watershed also provides habitat for wildlife and recreation for guests.
This exploration of the Oak-Palm Hammock in the Cypress Dome Hiking Trail of the CREW Land and Water Trust was done on February 1, 2023.
Note the GPS location to geolocate via google maps.
The walk-about:
I walked northward along the green and yellow path. The general terrain varied from wetlands through mesic to xeric elevated land and extensively through the grass and brush undergrowth. I did see a black bear and continued to keep warily looking for him as we both moved northward. There were no bear citing photo opportunities, however, there were other signs of his behavior.
The trail is part of a diverse woodland ecosystem alongside a broad marsh area. It begins with an open grassy area and gradually parses into pine and palm flatwoods. This area shows signs of extensive fire damage with considerable succession regrowth. There were signs of fire that may have been not a prescribed burn. Extensive scorching up the trees including the tree crowns at least 30 feet above the floor were evident. Many of the trees including the slash pines were burned completely to ground level leaving only stumps. There were, however, numerous scorched trees and palms which survived.
Throughout this morning and mid-day walk with numerous stops the area was remarkably silent. There were no birds, very few insects, and the only mammal was the distant black bear. The air was also very still with a temperature of 58 to 65 degrees F. There was a very gradual rise in ground elevation. This was hardly perceptible except for the reduction in moisture of the ground and the gradual change in the flora. Here was an increased density of slash pines and mixed sabal palms. The understory was shorter than the mesic areas near the pond. These uplands may be as little as 10 inches higher than the flats.
This flat scrub has grasses and the dominant tree is the cabage palm. If you look closely you can see the palms have been burned up to and into the crown of leaves.
This shows a grassy transition area that was not burned .
The grassy palm area transitioned to an oak and palm hummock
The walk progressed up the hillock where palmettos were no longer a significant part of the undergrowth. The pine trees have been totally displaced by the succession oak tree growth.
In this live oak hillock undergrowth of herbaceous plants has nearly disappeared. This area is relatively small, however, it follows all of the classic descriptors of a hardwood hummock.
Only native live oaks were growing in this area. The very short undergrowth of grass suggests that fire is not an important controlling factor for reproduction or inhibition of growth in the understory.
Discussion:
The understory of this live oak hammock shows no scorched or burned trees. Yet, there is very little undergrowth even in the areas of bright sunshine. Without testing I suspect that this is the result of chemistry. The trees may release biochemicals that influence the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other plants. These allelochemicals may have beneficial or detrimental effects on the organisms and more widely the ecosystem. These trees may release phenolic compounds with which I have had experience. They may be like the black walnut trees on the family farm in Michigan. I suspect also that the generous load of fallen leaves and fruit of these trees will also acidify the soil upon their decomposition.* Along with a less mesic soil, this allelofication and acidification of the understory may significantly alter the growth of herbaceous plants and grasses. This provides less fuel for fire. The growth and reproduction of these trees does not depend upon fire. They have their own survival advantages.
The concept of allelopathic competition between and among plants suggests that grasses might also reduce the growth of small oaks similar but opposite to the effect seen when the oaks are mature. I could not find published reports of this potential phenomenon.
This map represents my view of the area in the reserve that I walked. It is a landscape map of terrain that represents the change in vegetation. The red line is the marked trail of the combined green and yellow trails in the visitor map. The areas marked with colored crosshatching are approximations of growth areas.
What’s next?
Future visits to this area could be in the months of April and May and at an earlier start time when the plants may be in bloom and when the animals will be more active. Additional equipment should include a small shovel for examination of the soil and more specimen collection should be done for chemical analysis and microscopic examination. More time could be spent if there were less construction traffic. The eastward section of this reserve area was not explored at this time. It may have another diverse plant library including the cypress dome. With permission, the adjacent private property north of the fence line could also be explored.
Thank you for your interest in this blog. Please continue to part two of this series of observations of Florida Hardwood Hammocks. Its focuses on the scrub and understory.
This is a recounting of the re-wilding of a portion of the Fulda River valley in the city of Fulda, Germany. We have been to Fulda in the past. See the post on Chrysanthemums. The city of Fulda is geographically, historically, culturally, and politically important. At one time it was the most important place on earth. During the height of the Cold War tens of thousands of NATO and Warsaw pact troops faced each other with troops, tanks, canons, and nuclear weaponry ready to engage in what would have been the start of WW III. That was in the valley nearby area called the Fulda gap. We have learned a lot from the experiences of Fulda and today we have a lesson of a different nature. It is a lesson of peace, beauty, and imagination. It is a lesson of water and land conservation. It is the bio-diversification and restoration of a portion of the swamps and river of the valley. It is the creation of a garden park and habitat for wildlife. It reflects cooperation rather than confrontation.
The feature image is an abandoned rail-line learning to the Fulda Gap
The Fulda River is one of the headwaters of the Weser River. It flows northwestward through central Germany for about 224 Km. (Fig 1.) The Fulda River is an important recreation area for the city of Fulda. It has been engineered several times over the past years, however, there has been a water area with a persistent overgrowth of cyano/alginate bloom in two accidently created retention ponds. Historically this area was a meadow and an open pit mine which had a clay base suitable for making masonry bricks. The open pit mine was not remediated, it simply filled with ground water. The meadow is in a depression which was also infiltrated by ground water forming a second pond. (Fig 2, Ponds adjacent to but not fed by the Fulda River) ground water supplying the lakes is a runoff from the nearby farmland. It is rich in organics with high concentrations of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and chlorophyll. The retention ponds are fed by groundwater and without flow were stagnant. A growth of algae covered the surface of the ponds thereby depleted the oxygen content of the water (Fig 5). It was toxic to the fish and other plants. In the summer months with much less precipitation, algae growth increased and oxygen percentage was very low. Fish in the ponds died. The only surviving result was an ugly mass of blue-green algae.
Fig 1. Map of the central area of Germany with the country map as an insert and the Fulda river indicated in red in the larger portion of the image
Fig 2. Google map of the Fulda river in blue and the pond area in dark green.
The city hosted the Landesgartenschau from April through October 2023. This was an important regional horticultural show for the State of Hessen, Germany. Prior to the show the mess in this area needed to be resolved. It would seem reasonable to solve the polluted water problem by simply circulating the fresh water of the Fulda River through the two ponds and thereby improving the water supply. This well intended effort would have had terrible consequences. With testing and surveying and due consideration of alternatives, a more effective management was employed. The testing found that the water of the retention ponds had an assay of mineral and organic compounds equivalent to the neighboring farmland ground water. The surrounding farmland has been treated with animal manure and fertilizers and has the remnants of decayed vegetation. The river was very different. The Fulda River water is high in phosphates and low in other nutrients because it originates in the Rhön region mountains. Introduction of the pond water would have contaminated the downstream river.
Fig 4. Detail of pond continuous remediation areas
Fig 3. Schematic of reengineered combined ponds
The derived solution to the problem of the stagnant ponds was ingenious. It included connecting the two ponds, installing a multi-port hydraulic line (Fig 3) through the length of the resulting lake and connected to a pump to recirculate the water and placing pond overflow gutters. These two methods direct the flow through a large stone/gravel pack over the southern banks to filter and re-oxygenation the water. (Fig 4)The surface algae is filtered and removed from the lakes and placed into a land fill area. The two water types are not comingled and soon the pond was clean, safe, and suitable for swimming (Fig 6). Separated from the pond, the undisturbed river flood plane is not toxic and native German beavers have been reintroduced into the river wilderness to facilitate the control of the vegetation.
Fig 5. Pre-remediation ponds overgrown with algae
Fig 6. Pond in September 2023 after remediation
The horticultural show was a wonderful display of crops, gardens, and my favorites which are the flowers and the wilderness. Here are some examples.
Blue = Ageratum, Red = Zinnia
Dalia pinnata
Sedum h.
Pelargonium L.
Signs of beavers at work
The lesson for Florida to be learned from the Fulda River water management is this.
Research and think before acting.
Combining community stagnant retention pond water with river water must one done with careful thought and planning.
Reducing the nutrient value of the pond water by removing the pond plants and algae is effective.
Aeration of water by the natural process of tumbling-through-stone is an effective re-oxygenation method.
Use of wiers, gutters and pumps is sometimes necessary to facilitate the process.
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The Reference Library page of Everglades Ark is an information resource indexed to the material used in the publication of our posts. It is organized by topics. It is a fixed page in the banner of this site. This was created for our friends and followers who requested a quick method to access the references used in the posts.
Thanks is extended to some contributors who lecture on specialized topics through the Florida Master Naturalists Program of Florida University. The program has inspired me to learn and discover more about the natural environments of Florida. By extension it has helped to solidify my understanding of the global interconnection of ecosystems in all of the distant places where I have traveled. I highly recommend participation and support of this program and the issues to which it is committed.
The contributors are listed in the Friends Page of this site.
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This is a record of the observed plant life in Area #2 which is adjacent to Area #1. The purpose was to identify invasive species in a neighborhood wetland area. This allows us to compare the adjacent sites of Areas #1 and #2. The results show the unintended consequences of water managemant. The two observation sites are within ten feet from one another but are extraordinarily different.
The feature image is a view of the landscape of area #2
The observation location of Area #2 is shown in Fig 1. It is in the swamp beginning nine feet north of a junction of a cultivated butterfly garden and a wilderness swamp area. This swamp is part of the slough that runs through the community property joining Spring Creek to the Imperial River. The slough has been engineered to use this as a retention pond for excess water. Six observations were recorded because they are the sum of all the viable species in this two acre area. There were no viable native plants to be found.
Fig 1. This is a Google map illustrating the location Area #2. The black numbers indicate the observations. #22 is the site of Area #1 from the previous post.
METHOD:
Potentially invasive species were harboring in this neighborhood area. Visual observation of plant life was done. Observational data was gathered using the Epicollect5/Everglades Ark database.
Physical examination was done in a selected two acre area. It is a community property that is an extension of the swampy slough which transverses the community between the Imperial River and Spring Creek. This area was difficult to access as it required wading through the wilderness swamp area. The observations were made between the 3:00 and 5:00 PM, between rainstorms, on November 16, 2023. The water level was elevated because of the recent precipitation. The identification of plants was later confirmed by computer assisted photographic identification. The identity was confirmed by the agreement of at least three independent search results.
OBSERVATIONS:
The site #2 sample of Carolina Willow behavior.
Carolina Willow, native but spreads and alters environment
C. Willow leaves
C. Willow sprouts from deadfall
FINDINGS:
Observation data was extracted from the collection site as a cdf and placed into two “Excel” files designated as A. and B. Title numbers correlate the information from both spread sheets.
Survey and Catalogue Site #2 contains: Observation number, hyperlink of full plant image, quantity, date, time, GPS location, light exposure, environmental location, location risk level.
Plant-Identity Site #2 contains: growth levels, plant type, hyperlinks to all photographs of plant and details of flowers, fruit, stems, common and scientific names and observation notes.
Survey and Catalog File Site #2 Spread Sheet and Plant Identity Site #2 are spread sheets enclosed in the accompanying file with their respective names. Swipe laterally to see the full sheet. Click on the hyperlinks to see the plant images.
Risk level to local environment, statistical analysis:
Descriptive Level of Risk
COUNT
PERCENT of 6
Native
2
33
Non-native
4
66
Highly invasive
5
83
Rapidly spread
4
66
Non-native subject to high range change
1
17
Native subject to high range change
1
17
Non-native subject to high range change, nuisance, noxious?
1
17
Tabel 1. Listing level of risk, the number of plants in the group of six, the percentage of the the six plant types
RESULTS:
Within 100 feet of one another, multiple examples of 6 species of herbaceous plants and trees were identified. These were the only species of green plants in the area. There were no other observable viable plants.
The remainder of the vegetative remains were brown and appeared to be non-vital. This is consistent with the observations made during the year after hurricane Ian.
The relative percent of non-native to native plants is very high when compared with the distribution of plant types in the State of Florida.
It appears that the native population is less capable of regeneration when compared to the native species.
Range change represents the capability of plants to spread into neighboring areas either actively or passively. This seems to be the dominant criteria to include in the invasive status by most authorities.
One plant is native, capable of great range change, and is classified as capable of changing the environment. It is observation #401. The name is Costal Willow (). It is not classified as noxious nor invasive.
One plant is non-native, introduced, invasive, nuisance, range change capable. It is the arrowhead, observation #399
DISCUSSION:
This narrow range of species was difficult to observe in this poorly defined space. Walking into the swamp was problematic. A larger observation area resulted in very different findings. The sample was not biased. A continuing limitation in this study was to measure the percentage of the individual plant species mass relative to the totality mass of the vegetation.
Site #2 is significantly different from site #1. Site #2 has a significantly high percentage of brown and brittle plant remnants which have been unchanged in the last year. One year ago, hurricane Ian’s flood surge covered everything in site #2 with 15 feet of salty ocean water. This resulted in the death of most of the plants in this spot. The community has 24-inch deficiency of standard rainfall. The observed area #2 has not experienced a dilution of the salt because of the relative drought and the lack of water circulation. Although the native plant species are reputed to be more salt tolerant this does not appear to be seen here. The Carolina willows are 25 to 30 feet high and are therefore mature. The fallen limbs of these trees are generating new sprouts. The herbaceous plants may be spread from areas in higher ground from runoff and from wind dissemination. Contrarily, area #1 stands on higher ground, is plumbed for irrigation and is, in part, a tended garden.
There is considerable difference of opinion in assigning local environment risk levels to plants. The assignment of risk may not be current. The Carolina willow is a native plant species and is a good example of good things gone bad as a result of mismanagement by unintended consequence. Seedlings and small saplings cannot survive variable water levels in marshes with alternating conditions of dry and wet. However, once plants become larger, willows can survive droughts and tolerate floods and are very difficult to eradicate. Stable water levels created by water management projects allow the Carolina Willow to spread and thrive. As a result, the Willow thickets use tremendous amounts of water, leaving less available for wildlife. They also block out other plant species and thus by changing the environment are regionally classified an invasive species.
It was relatively difficult to observe the variety of plants in this uncontrolled area. This detailed experience helped to increase awareness of the lack of variety of plant species in a larger sample area. The numbers of invasive species in this small area were surprising. The extent of apparently dead vegetation was distressing and the fact that the only viable organisms were invasive species suggests that the future native plant population for replacement of the dead plants is not promising. These plants will continue to seed or spread to all of the surrounding local gardens. Wholesale extermination of the invasive species, removal of the non-viable plant remnants and replanting of the area with salt tolerant native species seems to be the only alternative to the existing condition.
The Everglades Ark data site on Epicollect5 has been significantly upgraded. There were two objectives in this upgrade. The first is to increase the speed and efficiency of the data collection process on the site. This was in response to the request for reduction in fields viewed to allow more convenient data collection. The second is a significant expansion of the Animal Kingdom using the latest DNA method of classification of clades.
Contained in this posting is the data map of the revised site. From this you can view the content categories of topics and the data entry points. This will continue to grow as time permits.
The Data Map of the site Epicollect5 – Everglades Ark is extensive but available to you on this site. Click and scroll down to expand the following 24 pages.
This is a recounting of the first three exploratory walks into the perimeter of a Florida Marsh located in the Bonita Bay Slough.
Cover photo is a Saltmarsh Morning Glory (Ipomoea sagittat)
This is part of a series of Floridian environments and ecosystems including Wetlands.
Introduction:
The central wetland feature of the Bonita Bay Community property is a slough. It connects the Spring creek at the north end to the Imperial River to the south. I examined maps of this area that predate the roads, rail beds and towns since records were kept. The entire property including the marsh may have been tidal before the current community was built and made an east-west road across the center at the watershed divide. What remains is now a tidal marsh that appears to be otherwise unaltered for at least several hundreds of years and a wooded wetland in the developed community. The city of Bonita Springs and the highway now called Old 41 as well as the railroad bed were placed to avoid these marshes and swamps. In 1952, highway 41 was built and the marsh and lowland to the east of the highway were filled. The natural watershed to the BB community area was compromised. It is now fed primarily by the estuary of Spring Creek, the Imperial River and rainfall. The creek and river continue to accumulate water from the areas east of 41 but there is no obvious westward surface flow between these two streams. Included are some photographs of some of my observations. Irrigation water is pumped from wells east of highway 41 for community and golf course irrigation.
50 meters into the slough I met with an impenetrable wall of vegetation. I first thought that this would be a freshwater marsh, however, the flower on the left a Saltmarsh Morning Glory (Ipomoea sagittata) acknowledges this to be a saltwater marsh. It was the most beautiful find through all of the area explored.
Marsh exploration:
Visit 1.
Level 1 preparation for a walking trip: Action plan with driver drop-off and pick-up points and gear for a walk in the marsh included: bush pants, shirt, calf high waterproof swamp boots, hat, drinking water, cell phone, SLR camera, bug repellent, and sun block.
I began my walk at the south end at the center of the marsh. This was at the beginning of the artificially created east/west roadbed at the watershed divide.(See map) The vegetation was thick and dense, dominated by grasses, low shrubs and herbaceous plants. After two steps the depth of the water rapidly increased. While I was standing in eight inches of water, I probed the spot for my next step with my walking stick. It easily slipped to full 1 ½ meter length through an increasingly viscus mix of water, vegetation, and decayed plant material. I could not find any real hard bottom. I assume that the bottom is peat.
Foliage over my head as I stood in 10 inches of water.
I reported this unknown weed as a possible invasive.
Carefully using my walking stick to test for footing I treaded into the marsh. There were a few areas where the floating vegetation did support my weight. There were some spots where there was soil sufficiently high for secure standing. Avoiding the possibility of sinking into the water and muck to my chest, I cautiously advanced further in a very irregular line about 70 meters into the marsh. It all appeared to be a heterogeneous tangle of a great variety of grasses, ferns, bushes, and vines.
Visit 1.
I expected this area to be filled with wildlife and a variety of plants different from other environments in Florida. I have looked at the slough many times from a raised viewing platform and was always surprised by the sparsity of birds. I expected to see more diverse animals, however, when wading in the marsh I was again disappointed. For ninety minutes of observation, I saw only a pair of red winged blackbirds. There may be extenuating circumstances for this condition. Salt marshes are not known for bird nesting. Birds are concentrated at the Rookery Islands on the southern end of the slough, there may be predators in this northern end which the birds recognize and this results in their avoidance. The density of the dead vegetation or the deadly effects of hurricane Ian storm surge may have caused a die-off of the predated food supply.
The height of the vegetation was above my field of vision and there was no sign of an animal path or previous human activity. At one spot where the vegetation thinned, I could see the tree line which was approximately a quarter mile to my east. No other landmarks were visible. The abundant plant variety was very diverse; the animal live was not. I was surprised to find very few flying or crawling insects, no vertebrates except for a few birds. At 9:00 AM it was very quiet, no wind, no odor and very hot (38 C, 100 F) with 100% humidity. After 1 ½ hours, aided by my cell phone and dead reconning, I retreated approximately 70 meters back to my start point. I reviewed my findings overnight. The plants which I observed were more typical of a salt marsh. This deserved further investigation.
Saw grass in a salt marsh
Swamp Fern in salt marsh
Previous views during the past years from the observation deck suggested a rich variety of the marsh vegetation. Again, I was disappointed. The slough is filled with dead plant remains secondary to the saltwater infusion of hurricane Ian’s storm surge. Brush and tall grasses are grey-brown and toppled over horizontally to the water line. Some are continuing to sprout and flower but the overall color of the area is greyish brown.
Visit 2.
If the heron were not so bright I would have missed it among the grey-brown weedy background.
This great white heron carefully stalked through the grasses in the marshes. The utility of the length of its neck and legs was clearly evident. It picked up some animal wrapped in green vegetation and swallowed the sandwich without hesitation.
The following day I returned for a second look with the same prep, and made additional photos and notes. The weather was unchanged. The second trip provided additional findings. I saw more feeding birds but none nesting and very few insects. It was especially interesting to watch a great white heron hunting in the depth of the marsh. Previously I saw them only on the shores of more open spaces. In the deep marsh I could see it using all its skills of crouching, deep water wading and stealth. It did indeed catch something, however, the identity was obscured by some green vegetation surrounding the small prey. After I returned home, I ordered a handheld refractometer to check the marsh salinity.
Visit 3.
Same prep was used plus 6 specimen bottles for water sampling The weather was unchanged. The sample times were between 8:45 and 9:30 AM. Water samples were taken at three surface points at five locations using a dip cup. See map in Fig 20. The samples were brought home and their temperatures were stabilized at 72F (23C). Using the handheld refractometer I gauged the salinity of my samples. The findings are reported in table 1.
I also sampled other wetland areas in the community properties to test the salinity at various locations. See the five locations on the map (Fig. 2).
Findings:
Table 1.
The lowest salinity at 3 PPT is water exiting from the south slough into the Imperial River. There is an apparent progression of lower salinity of the system water from northeast to southwest. The salinity of the Estero Bay east littoral area is 30 PPT higher than the upper Spring Creek.
SWS its the expected average salt water salinity of local sea water in the littoral zone.
Also found were numerous plants that were thriving despite the damage caused by the hurricane of 2023. These can be seen in the next posting. Florida Marsh Exploration. Part II
Discussion:
This is a saltmarsh without a north/south flow. The north and south arms of the slough have been blocked by the Bonita Bay boulevard. The two arms were continuous prior to the property development. The obstruction of the continuity has resulted in the formation of two very different environments. The north end of the slough is wide open to the Spring creek which is estuarial. The south end is connected to water retention ponds in the community with an exit to the Imperial River. The retention ponds collect the water which has filtered through the community swamps and wooded wetland. There is a narrow one-way gate that allows a very limited inflow from the river at the south end of the slough. This does not prevent an inflow from a salt water storm surge two feet above the high tide water line. From table 1 you can see a progression of salinity changes. I also learned that trial explorations are important in determining the level of preparation for venturing deep into unknown areas.
Level 2 preparation. for exploration of the marsh
Similar to level 1 preparation but use a kayak as a vehicle and/or working platform.
Level 3 preparation. for exploration of the marsh using a Full Immersion Preparation.
Have a companion. Make an action plan with driver drop-off and pick-up points. Gear should include: Two lengths of 50ft, ½in, 4 ply, hemp rope, carabiners, gloves, drinking water, folding knife, 3-meter foldable measuring stick, containers for wet samples, waterproof cell phone or a camera with over and underwater capability. Enter wearing a full 1mm diving wetsuit, with hood, boots, and sneakers. Prepare to change to dry clothing for an after-extraction at pick-up point.
The rope and carabiners are for emergency extraction. The wet suit is for buoyancy and skin protection. Hemp rope rather than climbing rope because it is less expensive. It is impossible to remove the salt and dirt and it may be discarded after a few uses.
I learned from this experience. The next trip preparation will be different.
Map with illustrated points of interest
Conclusions:
These observations are made during a very small timeline in the marsh and may not be representative of the yearlong parade of conditions. To better understand the marsh, multiple return visits are certainly forth coming. Test other entry points with level one preparation. Test other seasons with drier or wetter conditions. If a Kayak cannot penetrate the vegetation, plan for a level 3, immersive exploration.
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#marsh #salt water #heron #saw grass #Bonita Bay #slough #Morning glory #salt marsh #salinity #wetlands #Florida
