Florida is known for its sandy beaches, warm clear springs, and swamps. Recently, I was introduced to an ecosystem I didn't know existed in the Sunshine State: prairies. Florida prairies come in two varieties, wet and dry.
Florida wet prairies are located mainly in the northern part of the state, and as the name implies are flat, wet land. The soil is wet but not inundated so it is not a wetlands. The degree of wetness depends on elevation, and a difference of just a few feet can mean a totally different plant community within the prairie. Wet prairies are dominated by grasses and sedges, and carnivorous plants such as flytraps inhabit wetter areas.
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| Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, a wet prairie |
Dry prairies are limited to central and south Florida and are dominated by shrubs, including stunted saw palmettos. They rely heavily on a fire regimen of one to two years, as opposed to two to three years for wet prairies. Burned areas are favored by the endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow. Ironically, one feature of dry prairies is poorly drained soil, which means they can become temporarily inundated.
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| Babcock Ranch dry prairie |
As is the case with better known prairies, Florida's prairies have been reduced to a fraction of their original extent. Remnants can be found in national forests, state parks, and an Air Force base. That used to guarantee a level of protection, but in today's political climate nothing is certain. If you get a chance, go explore the real Florida!
https://www.fnai.org/PDFs/NC/Dry_Prairie_Final_2010.pdf