A strand swamp or strand is a type of

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 ...

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 ...

that forms a linear drainage channel on flatlands. A forested

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

ecological

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

, strands occur on land areas with high

water table The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated. T ...

s where the lack of slope prevents stream formation. Strands are more linear than the

cypress dome A cypress dome is a type of freshwater forested wetland, or a swamp, found in the southeastern part of the United States. They are dominated by the ''Taxodium spp''., either the bald cypress (''Taxodium distichum''), or pond cypress (''Taxodium asc ...

swamps that form in more rounded depressions and are fairly similar to

floodplain swamp A floodplain swamp is a swamp habitat in Florida. They occur in areas of flooding and inundation along streams and rivers. They have a lot in common with strand swamps, found further south where lack of slope prevents stream formation and host a var ...

s that form further north along streams and rivers. For the most part, strand swamps occur south of

Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee (), also known as Florida's Inland Sea, is the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the tenth largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second-largest natural freshwat ...

. Notable strand swamps include the Fakahatchee Strand and Corkscrew Swamp, where the trees are up to 700 years old and tall. The Fakahatchee Strand is a tree-filled channel of slowly moving water that is long and wide. Strand swamps are often dominated by

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''). Shallower strand swamps may contain

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''). When either of these trees dominate, the strand is known as a "cypress strand". Outside of protected areas, most old-growth cypress trees in Florida along streams or lakes have been harvested for their rot-resistant wood. Beneath a strand swamp are layers of

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...

. Established strand swamps with a large amount of vegetation have deep peat layers. These deep peat layers can serve as a wick to draw water from underground into the swamp during droughts.

List of species

Undisturbed strand swamps support a number of plant species: ;Epiphytes and vines * white twinevine (''Sarcostemma clausum'') * common wild-pine (''Tillandsia fasciculata'') * eastern poison ivy (''Toxicodendron radicans'') ;Herbs * giant leather fern (''Acrostichum danaeifolium'') * waterhyssops (''Bacopa'' spp.) * toothed midsorus fern (''Blechnum serrulatum'') * sawgrass (''Cladium jamaicense'') * string lily (''Crinum americanum'') * royal fern (''Osmunda regalis'' var. ''spectabilis'') ;Shrubs *

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'' is a tropical fruit tree in the family Annonaceae, in the same genus as the soursop and cherimoya. Common names include pond apple, alligator apple (so called because American alligators often eat the fruit), swamp apple, corkwo ...

(''Annona glabra'') * common buttonbush (''Cephalanthus occidentalis'') *

strangler fig Strangler fig is the common name for a number of tropical and subtropical plant species in the genus ''Ficus'', including those that are commonly known as banyans. Some of the more well-known species are: * ''Ficus altissima'' * ''Ficus aurea'', ...

(''Ficus aurea'') * sweetbay (''Magnolia virginiana'') *

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'') * swamp bay (''Persea palustris'') * swamp laurel oak (''Quercus laurifolia'') *

myrsine ''Myrsine'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. It was formerly placed in the family Myrsinaceae before this was merged into the Primulaceae. It is found nearly worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical areas. It con ...

(''Rapanea punctata'') * Florida royal palm (''Roystonea regia'') *

cabbage palm Cabbage palm is a common name for several species of palms or palm-like plants: *'' Cordyline fruticosa'', a tropical tree native to Asia and Polynesia *''Corypha utan'', an East Asian fan palm (including Northern Australia) *''Euterpe oleracea'', ...

(''Sabal palmetto'') * coastalplain willow (''Salix caroliniana'') Strand swamps are also home to a number of animals, including Florida redbelly turtle (''Pseudemys nelsoni''),

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 ...

(''Mycteria americana''),

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an Upland game bird, upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of Turkey (bird), turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic ...

(''Meleagris gallopavo''),

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 (U.S. state), Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The ...

(''Ursus americanus floridanus''), and the

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

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 ...

References

{{Reflist Natural history of Florida Plant communities of Florida Swamps of Florida