Wetlands Vegetation, 24K, 2002

This dataset contains SJRWMD wetland and vegetation inventory information. The District's Wetlands Mapping Project began in 1984 and completed approximately 70% of the District's area (150 USGS 7.5' quads). Most of the remaining quads were mapped under contract by Greenhorne and O'Mara, Inc. The mapping by Greenhorne and O'Mara was completed in 2002. The area mapped by the contractor is equivalent to approximately 60 USGS 7.5' quads. It included the following five sub-project areas: 1. Ocala National Forest, Central Orange County, and North-central Polk County 2. Baker County and western Nassau, Duval, and Clay counties 3. Central St. Johns, Flagler, and Volusia counties 4. Eastern Osceola County 5. Cape Canaveral Vegetation Community Classification Overview The vegetation classification used in this study was originally developed to support the description and mapping of the District’s wetland communities. Community classes were designed to be: Identifiable at 1:24,000 scale using color infrared aerial photographs Consistent with nomenclature used in scientific literature Based primarily on community structure, dominant species, and hydrology, with lesser emphasis on landscape position This classification system is widely used across the District’s Minimum Flows and Levels (MFL) and permitting programs. It can also be cross‑walked—at varying levels of compatibility—to: Florida’s Land Use / Land Cover classification system Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Sources for Community Names and Concepts The system draws from numerous foundational works in Florida and southeastern U.S. ecology, including: Davis, J.H. (1967). General Map of Natural Vegetation of Florida. Eyre, F.H. (Ed.) (1980). Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada. Florida Department of Transportation (1985). Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System. Florida Natural Areas Inventory & Florida Department of Natural Resources (1990). Guide to the Natural Communities of Florida. Harper, R.M. (1914). Geography and Vegetation of Northern Florida. Küchler, A.W. (1964). Potential Natural Vegetation of the Conterminous United States. Kurz, H. & Wagner, K. (1957). Tidal Marshes of the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts of Northern Florida and Charleston, South Carolina. Laessle, A.M. (1942). The Plant Communities of the Welaka Area. Monk, D.D. (1968). Successional and Environmental Relationships of Forest Vegetation of North Central Florida. Myers, R.L. & Ewel, J.J. (1990). Ecosystems of Florida. Odum, W.E., Smith III, T.J., Hoover, J.K., & McIvor, C.C. (1984). The Ecology of Tidal Freshwater Marshes of the U.S. East Coast. Sharitz, R.R. (1982). The Ecology of Southeastern Shrub Bogs (Pocosins) and Carolina Bays. Soil Conservation Service. (n.d.). 26 Ecological Communities of Florida. Vince, S.W. (1989). The Ecology of Hydric Hammocks: A Community Profile. Wharton, C.H., Kitchens, W.M., Pendleton, E.C., & Sipe, T.W. (1982). The Ecology of Bottomland Hardwood Swamps of the Southeast. Wetland Types of the St. Johns River Basin Freshwater Wetlands Cypress (CY) Forested wetlands dominated by pond or bald cypress, typically flooded 4–8 months each year. Includes cypress domes, strands, and lakeshore communities. Hardwood Swamp (HS) Forested wetlands with deciduous hardwoods such as black gum, red maple, water ash, water elm, and willows. Often includes cypress. Experiences seasonal, prolonged flooding. Bayhead (BH) Evergreen bay–dominated wetlands with organic, saturated soils. May include dahoon holly. Some sites may have pine in the canopy but bays dominate the understory. Baygall (BG) Evergreen bay–dominated wetlands occurring at the base of sandy slopes. Maintained by seepage. Soils are organic and saturated but rarely flooded. Hydric Hammock (HH) Forested systems with mixed evergreen and deciduous species. Cabbage palmetto may dominate some variants. Soils remain saturated for extended periods but are seldom inundated. Bottomland Hardwoods (BL) Deciduous forests in river and stream floodplains. Subject to rapid flooding, then draining to saturated or well‑drained conditions. Occur on alluvial soils. Forested Depressions Cypress, pine, hardwood, bay, or cabbage palm communities in shallow depressions. Hydrophytic understory; mesic flatwoods species typically absent. Brief seasonal flooding or prolonged saturation. Shrub Swamp (SS) Shrub‑dominated wetlands with willows, buttonbush, or similar species. Hydrology resembles cypress or hardwood swamp systems. Shrub Bog (SB) Shrubby vegetation replacing bayhead communities, often after fire or disturbance. Hydrology similar to bayheads. Shrubgall (SG) Shrub‑dominated vegetation replacing typical baygall communities, with similar soils and hydrology. Transitional Shrub (TS) Shrub communities at the edges of wetter systems or in clear‑cut hydric areas. Often develops where fire is absent. Includes wax myrtle and Baccharis. Deep Marsh (DM) Wetlands dominated by water lilies and deep emergent species. Semi‑permanently to permanently flooded. Lakeshore Emergents (DM‑LS) Emergent vegetation along lake margins, typically semi‑permanently flooded. Often includes Panicum hemitomon and Scirpus species. Water Lilies (DM‑N) Floating‑leaf aquatic plants such as Nymphaea, Nuphar, and Brasenia. Semi‑permanently to permanently flooded. Shallow Marsh (SM) Herbaceous wetlands with sawgrass, maidencane, cattails, pickerelweed, arrowhead, and other grasses and herbs. Often on organic soils with long periods of inundation. Subject to periodic fire. Wet Prairie (WP) Grass‑ and sedge‑dominated communities with short‑duration annual flooding but prolonged soil saturation. Fire‑dependent. Floating Marshes (FF) Wetlands of free‑floating plants (e.g., hyacinth, water lettuce, duckweed) or floating rhizome mats (e.g., alligator weed). Submerged Aquatic Beds (AB) Submerged aquatic plants rooted in shallow water, with most tissues below the surface. Permanently flooded. Freshwater Flats / Barren Areas (BA) Sandy or muddy areas with infrequent or periodic inundation and less than 33% vegetation cover. Water (W) Unvegetated or sparsely vegetated open water areas including lakes, streams, and ponds. Saline Wetlands Mangrove Forest (MF) Forested saline wetlands dominated by red, black, or white mangroves. Can be classified by dominant species or forest structure. Shrub Mangrove (MS) Mangrove species occurring as shrubs where environmental conditions limit tree growth. Spartina alterniflora Marsh (SA) Smooth cordgrass marshes in pure or near‑pure stands. Typically between open water and salt flat/Juncus zones. Juncus roemerianus Marsh (JR) Black needlerush marshes, often pure stands, occurring between smooth cordgrass and high marsh zones. Salt Flats (SF) Hypersaline sandy flats with vegetation bands reflecting salinity gradients. Includes salt barrens (SF‑B) and vegetated flats (SF‑V). Borrichia frutescens (BO) Sea ox‑eye dominated wetlands in high‑salinity, low‑tidal environments and higher marsh elevations. High Meadow (HM) High, irregularly flooded marshes transitional between uplands and salt flats or Juncus marshes. Dominated by Spartina bakeri, S. patens, or Borrichia. Tidal Flats (TF) Non‑vegetated sand or mud flats between high and low tide. Typically bordered by Spartina marshes and tidal channels. Shoreline and Beach (BE) Non‑vegetated slopes exposed to tidal inundation and wave action. Transitional to dunes and coastal scrub. Seagrass Beds (SG) Subtidal submerged marine plant communities dominated by Halodule, Ruppia, Thalassia, or similar species. Transitional Wetlands Intermediate Marsh (IM) Wetlands with low or fluctuating salinity where neither freshwater nor estuarine species dominate. Influenced by freshwater inflow and tidal saltwater. Uplands (U) Areas not classified as wetlands. Includes developed land, agricultural areas, pine plantations, and drained hydric soils.