Everglades Sawgrass Marsh

This marsh system was a dominant type throughout much of the Everglades region of southeastern Florida. It consists largely of herbaceous marsh vegetation across a range of soil and hydrologic conditions, i.e., hydroperiod of 225-275 days per year, maximum wet-season water level of 40 cm, and occurrence on peat soils. Several individual marsh community associations have been recognized based on species composition, structure, and aspect. Variations are largely due to the interrelated effects of fire, soils, and hydroperiod. Sawgrass beds or "glades" may have been the single most extensive component of this system, and large areas may have the appearance of nearly monotypic stands of Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense. However, local variation in composition and stature are also often apparent. For example, two broad aspect types of Cladium marsh are often recognized based on density and/or height with denser and taller stands typically occurring on higher topographic positions and deeper organic soils, while sparser, shorter stands occur in lower topography on shallower soils. In addition, other marsh types are also interfingered in the sawgrass matrix where wetter depressions are found and/or where fires have burned away peat soils.

Marsh communities present in this system include tall and short-statured Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense, spikerush - beaksedge flats, and maidencane flats. In the absence of fire, portions of stands will become dominated by Salix caroliniana. If fire continues to be absent, these areas may succeed to Acer rubrum until a replacement fire or mechanical activity restores the marsh.

Several individual marsh community associations have been recognized based on species composition, structure, and aspect. Variations are largely due to the interrelated effects of fire, soils, and hydroperiod. Sawgrass beds or "glades" may have been the single most extensive component of this system (Hilsenbeck et al. 1979), and large areas may have the appearance of nearly monotypic stands of Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense. However, local variation in composition and stature are also often apparent. For example, two broad aspect types of Cladium marsh are often recognized based on density and/or height (Kushlan 1990, Gunderson and Loftus 1993) with denser and taller stands typically occurring on higher topographic positions and deeper organic soils, while sparser, shorter stands occur in lower topography on shallower soils. In addition, other marsh types are also interfingered in the sawgrass matrix where wetter depressions are found and/or where fires have burned away peat soils.

A range of conditions are present, but generally falls within conditions outlined by Duever et al. (1986). Soils vary from shallow marl to relatively deep peat. Hydroperiod ranges from 5-12 months, with maximum wet-season water level of 40 cm. The effect of fire is influenced by both factors and affects them in turn. For example, peat accumulates in the absence of fire, but under certain conditions, fires may burn away accumulated sawgrass peat resulting in a thin, residual, marly soil and relative increase of effective water depth (resulting in community change).

In the absence of fire, portions of stands will become dominated by Salix caroliniana. If fire continues to be absent, these areas may succeed to Acer rubrum until a replacement fire or mechanical activity restores the marsh.

This system is endemic to south Florida.