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 name is derived from the Latin word ''taxus'', meaning " yew", and the Greek word ' ...

spp''., either the

bald cypress ''Taxodium distichum'' (baldcypress, bald-cypress, bald cypress, swamp cypress; ; ''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 w ...

(''

Taxodium distichum ''Taxodium distichum'' (baldcypress, bald-cypress, bald cypress, swamp cypress; ; ''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 ...

''), or pond cypress ('' 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 (U.S. state), Georgia, the southern two-thirds of Alabama, over m ...

and southern

Atlantic coastal plain The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

, in the states of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, and

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. Southern coastal plain nonriverine cypress domes 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 Regions of the United States#Florida, 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, in ...

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

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral island, coral cay archipelago 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 a ...

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

Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of flooded grasslands 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 Orlando with the K ...

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, beca ...

. 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 Relative species abundance is a component of biodiversity and is a measure of how common or rare a species is relative to other species in a defined location or community.Hubbell, S. P. 2001. ''The unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeog ...

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 ('' Telmatoblechnum serrulatum'') *false nettle (''

Boehmeria cylindrica ''Boehmeria cylindrica'', with common names false nettle and bog hemp, is an herb in the family Urticaceae. It is widespread in eastern North America and the Great Plains from New Brunswick to Florida to Texas to Nebraska, with scattered report ...

'') *sawgrass ('' Cladium jamaicense'') *Carolina redroot ('' Lachnanthes caroliniana'') *taperleaf waterhorehound ('' Lycopus rubellus'') * maidencane ('' Panicum hemitomon'') * knotweeds (''

Polygonum ''Polygonum'' is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plants in the buckwheat and knotweed family Polygonaceae. Common names include knotweed and knotgrass (though the common names may refer more broadly to plants from Polygonaceae). In the ...

'' spp.) * beaksedge ('' Rhynchospora'' spp.) * lizard's tail ('' Saururus cernuus'') * cinnamon fern ('' Osmunda cinnamomea'') * royal fern ('' Osmunda regalis'' var. ''spectabilis'') *Virginia chain fern ('' Woodwardia virginica'') ; Miscellaneous species *duckweeds ('' Lemna'', '' 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. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

s (

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family (biology), family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan plants that ...

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, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...

(''

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

'' spp.) *alligatorflag ('' Thalia geniculata'') * wild pine (''

Tillandsia ''Tillandsia'' is a genus of around 650 species of evergreen, perennial plant, perennial flowering plants in the family (biology), family Bromeliaceae, native to the forests, mountains and deserts of the Neotropical realm, Neotropics, from northe ...

'' spp.) ; Shrubs (uncommon) * common buttonbush (''

Cephalanthus occidentalis ''Cephalanthus occidentalis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae that is native to eastern and southern North America. Common names include buttonbush, common buttonbush, button-willow, buck brush, and honey-bells. Descripti ...

'') * titi ('' Cyrilla racemiflora'') * St. John's wort (''

Hypericum ''Hypericum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Hypericaceae (formerly considered a subfamily of Clusiaceae). The genus has a nearly worldwide distribution, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and polar re ...

'' spp.) * Virginia willow ('' Itea virginica'') * fetterbush ('' Lyonia lucida'') * wax myrtle ('' Myrica cerifera'') * coastalplain willow ('' Salix caroliniana'') ; Trees * red maple ('' Acer rubrum'') * pond apple ('' Annona glabra'', South Florida) *

river birch ''Betula nigra'', the black birch, river birch or water birch, is a species of birch native to the Eastern United States from New Hampshire west to southern Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and west to Texas. It is one of the few heat-tol ...

('' Betula nigra'') * Atlantic white cedar (''

Chamaecyparis thyoides ''Chamaecyparis thyoides'' (Atlantic white cedar, Atlantic white cypress, southern white cedar, whitecedar, or false-cypress), a species of ''Cupressaceae'', is native to the Atlantic coast of North America and is found from southern Maine to Geo ...

'') *

Coco plum ''Chrysobalanus icaco'', the cocoplum, paradise plum, abajeru or icaco, also called fat pork in Trinidad and Tobago, is a low shrub or bushy tree found near sea beaches and inland throughout tropical Africa, tropical Americas and the Caribbean, ...

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

swamp bay ''Persea palustris'', also known as swamp bay or swampbay, is a small tree or shrub found throughout the Southeastern United States and the Bahamas, with much of its range overlapping with that of its relative ''Persea borbonia''. It is generally ...

(''

Persea palustris ''Persea palustris'', also known as swamp bay or swampbay, is a small tree or shrub found throughout the Southeastern United States and the Bahamas, with much of its range overlapping with that of its relative '' Persea borbonia''. It is generally ...

'') *

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 Pinophyta, conifer tree native to the Southeastern United States. Slash pine is n ...

('' Pinus elliottii'') * loblolly pine ('' Pinus taeda'') * pond pine ('' Pinus serotina'') * water tupelo ('' Nyssa aquatica'') * black gum ('' Nyssa sylvatica'') * water hickory ('' Carya aquatica'') * Carolina ash (''

Fraxinus caroliniana ''Fraxinus caroliniana'', the pop ash, Florida ash, swamp ash, Carolina ash, or water ash, is a species of Fraxinus, ash tree native from Cuba through the subtropical Southeastern United States from southern Virginia to Texas. It was originally d ...

'') * Carolina cherry laurel ('' Prunus caroliniana'') *

American elm ''Ulmus americana'', generally known as the American elm or, less commonly, as the white elm or water elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America. The trees can live for several hundred years. It is a very hardy species that can ...

(''

Ulmus americana ''Ulmus americana'', generally known as the American elm or, less commonly, as the white elm or water elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America. The trees can live for several hundred years. It is a very Hardiness (plants), hardy ...

'') * water locust (''

Gleditsia aquatica ''Gleditsia aquatica'', commonly called water locust or swamp locust after its habitat of river swamps and slough margins, is a tree native to the Southeastern United States and adjacent regions. Description ''Gleditsia aquatica'' often grows ...

'') * swamp chestnut oak ('' Quercus michauxii'') * water oak (''

Quercus nigra ''Quercus nigra'', the water oak, is an oak in the red oak group (''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae''), native to the eastern and south-central United States, found in all the coastal states from New Jersey to Texas, and inland as far as Oklahoma, Ke ...

'') * willow oak ('' Quercus phellos'') * white fringetree ('' Cionanthus virginicus'') * pygmy fringetree ('' Cionanthus pygmeus'') *

American holly ''Ilex opaca'', the American holly, is a species of holly, native to the eastern and south-central United States, from coastal Massachusetts south to central Florida, and west to southeastern Missouri and eastern Texas. Description ''Ilex opaca ...

('' Ilex opaca'') * inkberry holly (''

Ilex glabra ''Ilex glabra'', also known as Appalachian tea, evergreen winterberry, Canadian winterberry, gallberry, inkberry, dye-leaves and , is a species of evergreen holly native to the coastal plain of eastern North America, from coastal Nova Scotia to ...

'') * cabbage palm (''

Sabal palmetto ''Sabal palmetto'' (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, SAY-bəl''), also known as cabbage palm, cabbage palmetto, sabal palm, blue palmetto, Carolina palmetto, common palmetto, Garfield's tree, and swamp cabbage, is one of 15 species of Saba ...

'') * dwarf palmetto (''

Sabal minor ''Sabal minor'', commonly known as the dwarf palmetto, is a small species of Arecaceae, palm. It is native to the deep southeastern and south-central United States and northeastern Mexico. It is naturally found in a diversity of habitats, includi ...

'') * saw palmetto ('' Serenoa repens'') *

(''

'') * pond cypress ('' Taxodium ascendens'') * needle palm (''

Rhapidophyllum hystrix ''Rhapidophyllum hystrix'', the needle palm, is a Arecaceae, palm native to coastal margins of the Subtropics, subtropical eastern Gulf and south Atlantic states of the United States. Populations can be found from coastal southeast South Carolin ...

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

Spanish moss Spanish moss (''Tillandsia usneoides'') is an Epiphyte, 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 (as far ...

('' Tillandsia usneoides'') *

poison ivy Poison ivy is a type of allergenic plant in the genus '' Toxicodendron'' native to Asia and North America. Formerly considered a single species, '' Toxicodendron radicans'', poison ivies are now generally treated as a complex of three separate s ...

(''

Toxicodendron radicans ''Toxicodendron radicans'', commonly known as eastern poison ivy or poison ivy, is a species of allergenic flowering plant. It has numerous subtaxons and forms both vines and shrubs. Despite its common name, it is not a true ivy, but rather a m ...

'')

Fauna

Dome swamps provide breeding habitat for rare animals such as flatwoods salamanders ('' Ambystoma'' spp.), white ibis ('' Eudocimus albus''), and wood storks ('' Mycteria americana''). Other species include: * Cottonmouth ('' Agkistrodon piscivorus'') * American alligator ('' Alligator mississippiensis'') * Florida sandhill crane ('' Antigone canadensis pratensis'') *Carolina gopher frog ('' Lithobates capito'') * Striped newt ('' Notophthalmus perstriatus'') * Ornate chorus frog ('' 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. Its range includes the Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglade ...

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

('' 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

External links

*{{commons-inline Ecology of the United States Natural history of Florida Bodies of water Swamps of Florida