Depression Marsh Alex Pepper WIS 4427 18 March 2014.

Depression MarshAlex PepperWIS 442718 March 2014

Important Definitions

Depression: severe despondency and dejection, typically felt over a period of time and accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy.

Marsh: an area of low-lying land that is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and typically remains waterlogged at all times

“Depression” Marsh

General Characteristics

Shallow, usually rounded depression in sand substrate with herbaceous vegetation or subshrubs, often in concentric bands

Located within fire-maintained communities Mesic flatwoods, dry prairie, or sandhill

Zones of surrounding vegetation determined by hydroperiod and length of annual flooding

Synonyms

Seasonal pond

Temporary pond

Flatwoods marsh

Isolated ephemeral pond

Range

Depression marshes occur throughout Florida, but are uncommon in the Panhandle and in extreme South Florida

In these habitats, marshes (glades marsh, marl prairie) become the matrix communities and uplands are the included communities

Description and Vegetation

The concentric zones or bands of vegetation are related to length of the hydroperiod and depth of flooding. The outer, or driest, zone is often occupied by sparse herbaceous vegetation

Longleaf threeawn (Aristida palustris) Beaksedges

Rhynchospora microcarpa R. cephalantha R. tracyi R. filifolia

Elliott’s yellow-eyed grass (Xyris elliottii)

Myrtleleaf St. John’s wort (Hypericum myrtifolium)

Blue maidencane (Amphicarpum muhlenbergianum)

Sand cordgrass (Spartina bakeri)

Three Main Zones

Sparse zone may be followed downslope by a sparse to dense zone of:

Peelbark St. John’s wort (Hypericum fasciculatum)

Water toothleaf (Stillingia aquatica)

Fringed yellow-eyed grass (Xyris fimbriata), pipeworts (Eriocaulon compressum),

Narrowfruit horned beaksedge (Rhynchospora inundata)

Baldwin’s spikerush (Eleocharis baldwinii)

Innermost, deepest zone is occupied by:

Maidencane (Panicum hemitomon)

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)

Bulltongue arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia),

Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense

Formation

Form when the overlying sands slump into depressions dissolved in underlying limestone.

These marshes also frequently form an outer rim around swamp communities such as dome swamps.

Depression marshes often burn with the surrounding landscape and are seasonally inundated.

Soils

Deepest zones May have a peat substrate and a continuous

layer of sphagnum moss

Shallower zones Sandy substrate

Common soil types: Depression phases of Basinger, Pompano, and

Myakka fine sand

Depression Marsh Variation

Southern end of Lake Wales Ridge Endemic cutthroat grass and Edison’s ascyrum

Panacea Unit of SMNWR Floating islands of soil and vegetation in the

center Home to recently described St. Marks Yellow-eyed

Grass 2008

Characteristic Species

Longleaf threeawn

Sand cordgrass

Peelbark St. John’s wort

Maidencane

Sawgrass,

Pickerelweed

Blue maidencane

Rare Species

Endemics (panhandle) Elliott’s croton (Croton elliottii) Karst pond xyris (Xyris longisepala), Small-flowered meadowbeauty (Rhexia

parviflora) Panhandle meadowbeauty (Rhexia salicifolia) St. Marks yellow-eyed grass (Xyris panacea)

More Rare Plants

Endemic (Lake Wales Ridge) Edison’s ascyrum (Hypericum edisonianum) Cutthroat grass (Panicum abscissum)

Rare Animals

Frosted flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum)

Reticulated flatwoods salamander (A. bishopi)

Tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)

Striped newt (Notophthalmus perstriatus)

Gopher frog (Rana capito)

Rare (but as so cool) Species

Florida sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pratensis)

Round-tailed muskrat (Neofiber alleni)

The Coolest and Second Coolest Rare Species

Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi)

Southern Hognose Snake (Heterodon simus)

Natural Processes

Maintained naturally against woody invasion by hydrologic fluctuations or by fire or by both

Fire frequency is a function of the fire frequency of the surrounding communities as well as fire-carrying capabilities of the marsh vegetation The very sparse outer zone of some marshes

may act as a natural firebreak. A lack of fire may lead to an increase in shrubs

at the expense of herbaceous species.

Management

Chemical: The liquid form of Sertraline Hcl must be diluted

before you give it to the Depression Marsh. To be sure you get the correct dose, measure the liquid with the medicine dropper provided. Mix the dose with 4 ounces (one-half cup) of water, ginger ale, lemon/lime soda, lemonade, or orange juice. Do not use any other liquids to dilute the medicine. Stir this mixture and give it all to the innermost zone of the Depression Marsh right away because that’s where it’s the most depressed.

“Anti-Depressant“

Real Management

Fires in surrounding communities should be allowed to burn into depression marshes and extinguish naturally or burn through them

This will prevent the encrouachment of shrubs such as: Common buttonbush Groundsel tree Wax Myrtle (Common signs of Depression Marshes that have

been excluded from fire)

Management

Physical disturbance, particularly from hog rooting, livestock, or vehicles (“mud bogging”) can cause serious damage in many marshes; these activities can destroy native species and churn the soil Subsequently can result in the colonization by

invasive plant species Torpedo grass (Panicum repens) Peruvian primrosewillow (Ludwigia peruviana) Common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius)

Drying of the marsh, either through artificial drainage or drawn-down of the water table by wells, perhaps also aided by cattle trampling, can allow pasture grasses to invade depression marshes, especially where the surrounding community has been converted to pasture Centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) Big carpetgrass (Axonopus furcatus) Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) Invasive exotic- West Indian marsh grass

(Hymenachne amplexicaulis)

Associtated/Similar Communities

Depression marsh is distinguished from wet prairie, which often borders its upper edges, by its concentric zones of vegetation, and its lack of wiregrass (Aristida stricta).

Depression marsh is similar to the upper margins of sandhill upland lakes (“karst ponds”), however, the lakes rarely dry completely.

Exemplary Sites

Munson Sandhills Bike Trail in Apalachicola National Forest (Leon County)

Triple N Ranch Wildlife Management Area (Osceola County)

Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area (Osceola County)

Archbold Biological Station (Highlands County)

Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area (Charlotte County)

Global and State Conservation Status

Globally: G4 Apparently Secure—At fairly low risk of

extinction or elimination due to an extensive range and/or many populations or occurrences, but with possible cause for some concern as a result of local recent declines, threats, or other factors.

State: S4 Apparently Secure- “ “

Questions?