A cypress dome is a type of freshwater forested wetland, or a

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

, found in the southeastern part of the United States. They are dominated by the ''

Taxodium ''Taxodium'' is a genus of one to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The generic name is derived from the Latin word ''taxus'', meaning " yew", and the Greek ...

spp''., either the

bald cypress ''Taxodium distichum'' (bald cypress, swamp cypress; french: cyprès chauve; ''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a wide r ...

(''Taxodium distichum''), or

pond cypress ''Taxodium ascendens'', also known as pond cypress, is a deciduous conifer of the genus ''Taxodium'', native to North America. Many botanists treat it as a variety of bald cypress, ''Taxodium distichum'' (as ''T. distichum'' var. ''imbricatum'' ...

(''Taxodium ascendens''). The name comes from the dome-like shape of treetops, formed by smaller trees growing on the edge where the water is shallow while taller trees grow at the center in deeper water. They usually appear as circular, but if the center is too deep, they form a “doughnut” shape when viewed from above. Cypress domes are characteristically small compared to other swamps, however they can occur at a range of sizes, dependent on the depth.

Cypress domes form when pond cypress grow in shallow standing water. The ground level in the center of the dome may be several inches to a few feet lower than at the edge of the dome, but tree growth is more vigorous at the center of the dome. Thus, the treetops are higher at the center than at the edge of the dome.

Range

Cypress domes are found in the southeastern region of the United States. They form in flatland depressions in the

Gulf coastal plain The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico. This coastal plain reaches from the Florida Panhandle, southwest Georgia, the southern two-thirds of Alabama, over most of Mississippi, wes ...

and southern

Atlantic coastal plain The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...

, in the states of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, and

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

Southern coastal plain nonriverine cypress dome The southern coastal plain nonriverine cypress dome is a forested wetland community found in the southern Atlantic coastal plain, in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. They are small forested wetlands characteri ...

s are found throughout the southern coastal plains. Cypress domes are the most common swamp habitat in Florida. Most abundant in

Central Florida Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Gr ...

, they also occur in other areas of Florida north of the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...

. South Florida cypress domes are found in southern Florida, in particular in and around the

Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of tropical climate, tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orland ...

and the

Big Cypress National Preserve Big Cypress National Preserve is a United States National Preserve located in South Florida, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Miami on the Atlantic coastal plain. The Big Cypress, along with Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas, becam ...

. They are distinguished from southern coastal plain cypress domes by the presence of tropical understory species.

Hydrology

The water levels of dome swamps are naturally fluctuating and dependent on seasonal rainfall. Dome swamps derive most of their water through runoff from surrounding uplands. They also may be influenced by groundwater when they are directly connected to the aquifer. Groundwater particularly impacts the hydrology during periods of drought. Dome swamps can recharge the aquifers, acting as reservoirs. The average hydroperiod for a dome swamp is approximately 180 to 270 days per year. The water is deepest and remains the longest in the center of the dome. Prolonged dry and wet periods have a huge effect on cypress regeneration. Adult cypress trees are tolerant to extended periods of inundation, however their seeds cannot germinate under water and may not survive.

Fire dependency

Cypress swamps occur in fire maintained communities. Fire is essential for maintaining the structure and species composition in these communities. Without periodic fires, cypress may become less dominant. Cypress are tolerant to light surface fires, due to their thick, fire-resistant bark. Surface fires act as a mechanism to remove potential competitors without tolerance and resilience to fires. However, catastrophic fires that burn into the peat can be detrimental to cypress trees, especially when there has been a long period with no fires. Catastrophic wildfires can alter the ground surface and transform a dome swamp into other types of wetlands, such as a wet prairie or shrub bog. Fire frequency is greatest along the edge of the dome and least moving inwards. Along the edge, the normal fire period may be three to five years, whereas the center may be as long as 100 to 150 years. Due to cypress domes having a more variable hydroperiod, cypress domes tend to have more natural fires than larger cypress forests. Fire patterns impact the quality of ecological services provided by cypress domes, for example carbon storage and hydrologic storage.

List of species

Flora

Plant species that occur in cypress domes include: ; Herbaceous species * toothed midsorus fern (''Blechnum serrulatum'') * false nettle (''Boehmeria cylindrica'') * sawgrass (''Cladium jamaicense'') * Carolina redroot (''Lachnanthes caroliana'') * taperleaf waterhorehound (''Lycopus rubellus'') * maidencane (''Panicum hemitomon'') *

knotweed Knotweed is a common name for plants in several genera in the family Polygonaceae. Knotweed may refer to: * ''Fallopia'' * ''Persicaria'' * ''Polygonum'' * ''Reynoutria japonica ''Reynoutria japonica'', synonyms ''Fallopia japonica'' and ''Poly ...

s (''Polygonum'' spp.) * beaksedge (''Rhynchospora'' spp.) * lizard's tail (''Saururus cernuus'') *

cinnamon fern ''Osmundastrum'' is genus of leptosporangiate ferns in the family Osmundaceae with one living species, ''Osmundastrum cinnamomeum'', the cinnamon fern. It is native to the Americas and eastern Asia, growing in swamps, bogs and moist woodlands. I ...

(''Osmunda cinnamomea'') * royal fern (''Osmunda regalis'' var. ''spectabilis'') * Virginia chain fern (''Woodwardia virginica'') ; Miscellaneous species * duckweeds (''

Lemna ''Lemna'' is a genus of free-floating aquatic plants referred to by the common name "Lemnoideae, duckweed". They are morphologically divergent members of the arum family Araceae. These rapidly growing plants have found uses as a Model organism, m ...

'', ''

Spirodela ''Spirodela'' is a genus of aquatic plants, one of several genera containing plants commonly called duckweed. ''Spirodela'' species are members of the Araceae under the APG II system. They were formerly members of the Lemnaceae. ''Spirodela' ...

'', and '' Landoltia'') * big floatingheart (''Nymphoides aquatica'') *

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

s (''Orchidaceae'' spp.) * bulltongue arrowhead (''Sagittaria lancifolia'') * floating water spangles (''Salvinia minima'') *

sphagnum moss ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...

(''Sphagnum'' spp.) * alligatorflag (''Thalia geniculata'') * wild pine (''Tillandsia'' spp.) ; Shrubs (uncommon) * common buttonbush (''Cephalanthus occidentalis'') *

titi The titis, or titi monkeys, are New World monkeys of the subfamily Callicebinae, which contains three extant genera: ''Cheracebus'', ''Callicebus'', and ''Plecturocebus.'' This subfamily also contains the extinct genera ''Miocallicebus, Homuncul ...

(''Cyrilla racemiflora'') *

St. John's wort ''Hypericum perforatum'', known as St. John's wort, is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae and the type species of the genus ''Hypericum''. Possibly a hybrid between '' H. maculatum'' and '' H. attenuatum'', the species can be found a ...

(''Hypericum'' spp.) * Virginia willow (''Itea virginica'') *

fetterbush Fetterbush is a common name for several plants in the family ''Ericaceae'', and may refer to: *''Leucothoe (plant), Leucothoe'' – several species including: **''Leucothoe fontanesiana'' (fetterbush) *''Pieris (plant), Pieris'' – several species ...

(''Lyonia lucida'') *

wax myrtle ''Myrica'' is a genus of about 35–50 species of small trees and shrubs in the family Myricaceae, order Fagales. The genus has a wide distribution, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and missing only from Australi ...

(''Myrica cerifera'') * coastalplain willow (''Salix caroliniana'') ; Trees *

red maple ''Acer rubrum'', the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as the most abundant nativ ...

(''Acer rubrum'') * pond apple (''Annona glabra'', South Florida) *

Coco plum Coco commonly refers to: * Coco (folklore), a mythical bogeyman in many Hispano- and Lusophone nations Coco may also refer to: People * Coco (given name), a first name, its shorthand, or unrelated nickname * Coco (surname), a list of people w ...

(''Chrysobalanus icaco'', South Florida) * loblolly bay (''Gordonia lasianthus'') * dahoon (''Ilex cassine'') * sweetbay (''Magnolia virginiana'') * swamp bay (''Persea palustris'') *

slash pine ''Pinus elliottii'', commonly known as slash pine,Family, P. P. (1990). Pinus elliottii Engelm. slash pine. ''Silvics of North America: Conifers'', (654), 338. is a conifer tree native to the Southeastern United States. Slash pine is named after ...

(''Pinus elliottii'') ; Vines * white twinevine (''Sarcostemma clausum'') * laurel greenbrier (''Smilax laurifolia'') *

Spanish moss Spanish moss (''Tillandsia usneoides'') is an epiphytic flowering plant that often grows upon large trees in tropical and subtropical climates. It is native to much of Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Central America, South America, the Southern Uni ...

(''Tillandsia usneoides'') * poison ivy (''Toxicodendron radicans'')

Fauna

Dome swamps provide breeding habitat for rare animals such as flatwoods salamanders (''Ambystoma'' spp.), white ibis (''Eudocimus albus''), and

wood stork The wood stork (''Mycteria americana'') is a large American wading bird in the family Ciconiidae (storks), the only member of the family to breed in North America. It was formerly called the "wood ibis", though it is not an ibis. It is found in ...

s (''Mycteria americana''). Other species include: *

Cottonmouth ''Agkistrodon piscivorus'' is a species of pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. It is one of the world's few semiaquatic vipers (along with the Florida cottonmouth), and is native to the southeastern United States. As ...

(''Agkistrodon piscivorus'') *

American alligator The American alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis''), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the g ...

(''Alligator mississippiensis'') * Florida sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis pratensis'') * Carolina

gopher frog The gopher frog (''Lithobates capito'') is a species of frog in the family Ranidae, endemic to the south-eastern United States. It primarily inhabits the threatened sandhill communities, flatwoods, and scrub in the Atlantic coastal plain, whe ...

(''Lithobates capito'') * Striped newt (''Notophthalmus perstriatus'') *

Ornate chorus frog The ornate chorus frog (''Pseudacris ornata'') is a species of chorus frog endemic to the Southeastern United States. Their distribution ranges from North Carolina, east to the very eastern part of Louisiana, and south to northern parts of Flori ...

(''Pseudacris ornata'') *

Florida panther The Florida panther is a North American cougar (''P. c. couguar'') population in South Florida. It lives in pinelands, tropical hardwood hammocks, and mixed freshwater swamp forests. It is known under a number of common names including Costa R ...

(''Puma concolor coryi'') * Similar cebrionid beetle (''Selonodon similis'') *

Florida black bear The Florida black bear (''Ursus americanus floridanus'') is a subspecies of the American black bear that has historically ranged throughout most of Florida and the southern portions of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The large black-furred be ...

(''Ursus americanus floridanus'')

Threats

The major threat to cypress swamps are humans. Anthropogenic alterations have negative impacts including hydrological modifications, logging, increased nutrients, pollution from agricultural runoff, and invasion of exotic species. Conversion of surrounding lands to urban development, pastures, and agriculture can impede natural fires and changes the hydrology. Changing the hydroperiods of cypress domes may limit reproduction of natural species and increase likelihood of invasive species. Invasive species threaten native species through competition for light, nutrients, and space. Dome swamps have been used as a timber resource since the late 19th century. The rapid harvesting of cypress trees has made it difficult for them to regenerate and made them especially vulnerable. In addition, dome swamps are used as areas to treat wastewater. This can cause increased nutrients, organic matter, and minerals to enter the swamp. This can increase aquatic plants, decrease oxygen in the water, and cause declines in native populations. Dome swamps treated with sewage may have higher water levels and litter production.

References

{{Reflist Ecology of the United States Natural history of Florida Bodies of water Swamps of Florida