Summary Of Big Cypress And The Ten Thousand Islands
Grant Miller
Andrew Wilkinson M.S.
University Colloquium
14 March 2012
SouthWest Florida’s Wetland Wilderness: Big Cypress and the Ten Thousand Islands Jeff Ripple’s extremely detailed book dives into the complex eco-systems of Big Cypress Swamp and the Ten Thousand Islands and extensively describes the plants and animals that live in these areas. Ripple leaves no stone unturned as he tells of the eco-systems that exist within these amazing subtropical watersheds. The book takes each eco-system and does an excellent job of describing what composes each one. For Example, Big Cypress holds many marshes, a low lying section of land that is often flooded, which are home to birds such as wood storks, Ibis, and great egrets as well …show more content…
as sawgrass and cattail plants. Ripple also spares no details when elaborating on the eco-system of the Mangrove Swamps and Ten Thousand Islands as he talks about the natural forces that shape the Islands and effect the Swamps in addition to each animal and plant that co-exist and live within them. Ripples book is a great way to learn about the Big Cypress Swamp and Ten Thousand Island and why we need to protect them from the threat of housing developments and other unnecessary human intrusions. In Chapter 1, Ripple Introduces the Big Cypress Swamp and talks about how rainfall has a huge effect on the eco-systems because rainwater effects the bedrock thorough increasing growth of probing tree roots and Vegetation. The Tree roots can reshape the bedrock and base of the foundation of the Swamp. This has a significant effect on the many ecosystems within Big Cypress. Ripple also explains how the seasonal cycle of rainfall effects the eco-systems and the animals and plants that live within it. The first eco-system within Big Cypress that he describes is the cypress forests, which gets its name not from the size, but the vast amount of land they cover. Many Cypress Forests form “strands” that follow north to southwest depression in the bedrock with the largest strands being Fakahatchee, Deep Lake, East Hinson, Gator Hook, and Roberts. A vast amount of plant species live within the Cypress Forests besides Cypress Trees like the “Sub canopy Trees” that live below the dominant cypress this includes red maple, swamps bay and pond apple. Although when Larger Cypress are logged the “subcanopy” trees become more dominant and the forest is now considered a mix swamp forest. A Variety of wildlife also finds its home in the cypress forests such as red-shouldered hawks, turkeys, wood storks, alligators, deer and even black bears to name a few. The wood stork is one native animal that is endangered and depends heavily on the Cypress Forests, but due to changes in the timing and rate at which water disappears numbers are declining. They are unable to gather enough fish and frogs in concentrated pools to feed their young due to water being too wet or too dry to collect an enough food to keep them alive. Logging has had a significant negative impact on the cypress forest in the past especially in the 1930s and 1940s when FakaHatchee, Deep Lake, and Gator Hook Strands were stripped of trees that exceed heights of 130 feet. Luckily, today the new generation of Cypress is protected from lumbering. The Marshes and prairies are also important eco-systems within the Big Cypress Swamp. They are broken up into dry prairies, wet prairies, freshwater marshes, and saltwater marshes. Dry prairies cover a very small portion while wet prairies are more dominant and remain flooded 2-5 months of the year and are found on mineral soils overlying limestone bedrock and cordgrass and sawgrass compose the majority of wet prairies. The bulk of creatures that live there are tree frogs, grasshoppers, and spiders. Freshwater Marshes are flooded 6-9 months out of the year and during dry season are used by deer for water, otters to raise their young along the banks, and hunting grounds for raccoons along the shoreline. When water levels are higher Herons use these areas for fishing. Suprisingly, the health of freshwater marshes depends on the alligators who create paths that help flood marshes during rainy seasons and prevent the build up of sediments and vegetation. They also form holes and dens that later serve as homes for aquatic creatures during dry season. Salt Marches make up a very small portion of Big Cypress and hold cordgrasses, and saltwort and glasswort both plants known for their ability to survive in salt water. Heron and Ibises feed in the salt marshes and bob cats use the marshes to hunt for rats and marsh rabbits. Hardwood Hammocks and Pinelands are two more ecosystems found within Big Cypress. Hardwood Hammocks or Tree Islands are found in Marshes and open cypress prairies. Fires can easily destroy hammocks and most are protected by a moat of deep water. Holes of dissolved limestone from plant decay raise humidity and the dense closed canopy traps moisture and moderate temperatures creating what experts call a “microclimate”. Hammocks hold trees such as the strangler fig and Devils claw which grow on other trees until the plant kills the original tree and takes it place. Smaller animals such as snakes, rats, and turtles live in Hammocks. The most notable animal that live in Hammocks is the Liguus Tree snail that are known for their beautiful shells that display colors such as emerald green, orange, yellow, and pink. Pinelands are open subtropical forests that develop on land that is several inches above prairies and cypress and cover a significant amount of Big Cypress. They are made up of slash pine, cabbage palm, saw palmetto and other shorter plants. Prescribed fires, fires that are caused by park rangers on purpose, are often used in Pineland communities to synchronize the reproduction of grasses and wildflowers. In areas without prescribed fires certain grasses and wild fires grow sporadically or not at all. Fires also limit the growth off hardwood shrubs that block sunlight from pines preventing growth. The Pinelands also serve as a home to the endangered Florida panther. Growth in Naples and Fort Myers to the west of Big Cypress Swamp and cattle ranches converting to expanding citrus farms to the north has shrunk panther habitat. If programs to protect panthers are not aggressively enforced they could eventually become extinct. The Mangrove Swamps and Ten Thousand is an estuarine wilderness that is made up of almost 200,000 acres.
Fresh water coming from Big Cypress Swamp combines with the Salt water in the Gulf of Mexico to create conditions that allow an amazing variety of life to flourish in features such as oyster bars, mangrove islands, tidal mud flats, and seagrass beds. While tidal mud flats and sea grass beds are important features the most prominent are the Oyster bars and Mangrove Islands. The Oyster bars and Mangroves are crucial in creating and continuing to develop the islands and characteristics that make up this region. Oyster Bars are formed by quartz sand carried by the current and deposited in deeper water parallel to the shore and eventually builds until it reaches the surface. If the conditions are right oysters colonize the sand deposits and the combination of oysters and sand create an oyster bar. Oyster bars gather nutrients by forming at right angles to tidal currents in order to catch nutrients from the incoming currents. Smaller branches form on the Oyster Bars and floating red mangrove seeds take hold in the sediments. Eventually multiple mangroves are caught and grow on the Oyster bar forming an island of roots and leaves. Overtime the mangroves arching prop roots will catch more sediment and the island will continue to develop eventually cutting off nutrients to the Oyster bar by restricting the currents that bring nutrients to the oysters. These structures help protect the region during storms, prevent erosion, and create Habitats for birds and fish. This is why more than 300 species of bird at some point are residents of the region as well as manatees and bottle-nose
dolphins. In this Book Jeff Ripple is merely trying to explain that we need to take action to preserve these major Florida eco-systems. The continued development of Southwest Florida has hurt many of the species that call these eco-systems home and we need to act immediately to ensure their continued existence. The book sums this up best in the foreword by saying “History has taught us that no major ecosystem, not matter how well protected by land ownership and government regulations, will endure unless people understand, appreciate, and support its existence.” References
Ripple, Jeff. Southwest Florida 's Wetland Wilderness: Big Cypress Swamp and the Ten Thousand Islands. Gainesville: University of Florida, 1996. Print.
Andrew Wilkinson M.S.
University Colloquium
14 March 2012
SouthWest Florida’s Wetland Wilderness: Big Cypress and the Ten Thousand Islands Jeff Ripple’s extremely detailed book dives into the complex eco-systems of Big Cypress Swamp and the Ten Thousand Islands and extensively describes the plants and animals that live in these areas. Ripple leaves no stone unturned as he tells of the eco-systems that exist within these amazing subtropical watersheds. The book takes each eco-system and does an excellent job of describing what composes each one. For Example, Big Cypress holds many marshes, a low lying section of land that is often flooded, which are home to birds such as wood storks, Ibis, and great egrets as well …show more content…
as sawgrass and cattail plants. Ripple also spares no details when elaborating on the eco-system of the Mangrove Swamps and Ten Thousand Islands as he talks about the natural forces that shape the Islands and effect the Swamps in addition to each animal and plant that co-exist and live within them. Ripples book is a great way to learn about the Big Cypress Swamp and Ten Thousand Island and why we need to protect them from the threat of housing developments and other unnecessary human intrusions. In Chapter 1, Ripple Introduces the Big Cypress Swamp and talks about how rainfall has a huge effect on the eco-systems because rainwater effects the bedrock thorough increasing growth of probing tree roots and Vegetation. The Tree roots can reshape the bedrock and base of the foundation of the Swamp. This has a significant effect on the many ecosystems within Big Cypress. Ripple also explains how the seasonal cycle of rainfall effects the eco-systems and the animals and plants that live within it. The first eco-system within Big Cypress that he describes is the cypress forests, which gets its name not from the size, but the vast amount of land they cover. Many Cypress Forests form “strands” that follow north to southwest depression in the bedrock with the largest strands being Fakahatchee, Deep Lake, East Hinson, Gator Hook, and Roberts. A vast amount of plant species live within the Cypress Forests besides Cypress Trees like the “Sub canopy Trees” that live below the dominant cypress this includes red maple, swamps bay and pond apple. Although when Larger Cypress are logged the “subcanopy” trees become more dominant and the forest is now considered a mix swamp forest. A Variety of wildlife also finds its home in the cypress forests such as red-shouldered hawks, turkeys, wood storks, alligators, deer and even black bears to name a few. The wood stork is one native animal that is endangered and depends heavily on the Cypress Forests, but due to changes in the timing and rate at which water disappears numbers are declining. They are unable to gather enough fish and frogs in concentrated pools to feed their young due to water being too wet or too dry to collect an enough food to keep them alive. Logging has had a significant negative impact on the cypress forest in the past especially in the 1930s and 1940s when FakaHatchee, Deep Lake, and Gator Hook Strands were stripped of trees that exceed heights of 130 feet. Luckily, today the new generation of Cypress is protected from lumbering. The Marshes and prairies are also important eco-systems within the Big Cypress Swamp. They are broken up into dry prairies, wet prairies, freshwater marshes, and saltwater marshes. Dry prairies cover a very small portion while wet prairies are more dominant and remain flooded 2-5 months of the year and are found on mineral soils overlying limestone bedrock and cordgrass and sawgrass compose the majority of wet prairies. The bulk of creatures that live there are tree frogs, grasshoppers, and spiders. Freshwater Marshes are flooded 6-9 months out of the year and during dry season are used by deer for water, otters to raise their young along the banks, and hunting grounds for raccoons along the shoreline. When water levels are higher Herons use these areas for fishing. Suprisingly, the health of freshwater marshes depends on the alligators who create paths that help flood marshes during rainy seasons and prevent the build up of sediments and vegetation. They also form holes and dens that later serve as homes for aquatic creatures during dry season. Salt Marches make up a very small portion of Big Cypress and hold cordgrasses, and saltwort and glasswort both plants known for their ability to survive in salt water. Heron and Ibises feed in the salt marshes and bob cats use the marshes to hunt for rats and marsh rabbits. Hardwood Hammocks and Pinelands are two more ecosystems found within Big Cypress. Hardwood Hammocks or Tree Islands are found in Marshes and open cypress prairies. Fires can easily destroy hammocks and most are protected by a moat of deep water. Holes of dissolved limestone from plant decay raise humidity and the dense closed canopy traps moisture and moderate temperatures creating what experts call a “microclimate”. Hammocks hold trees such as the strangler fig and Devils claw which grow on other trees until the plant kills the original tree and takes it place. Smaller animals such as snakes, rats, and turtles live in Hammocks. The most notable animal that live in Hammocks is the Liguus Tree snail that are known for their beautiful shells that display colors such as emerald green, orange, yellow, and pink. Pinelands are open subtropical forests that develop on land that is several inches above prairies and cypress and cover a significant amount of Big Cypress. They are made up of slash pine, cabbage palm, saw palmetto and other shorter plants. Prescribed fires, fires that are caused by park rangers on purpose, are often used in Pineland communities to synchronize the reproduction of grasses and wildflowers. In areas without prescribed fires certain grasses and wild fires grow sporadically or not at all. Fires also limit the growth off hardwood shrubs that block sunlight from pines preventing growth. The Pinelands also serve as a home to the endangered Florida panther. Growth in Naples and Fort Myers to the west of Big Cypress Swamp and cattle ranches converting to expanding citrus farms to the north has shrunk panther habitat. If programs to protect panthers are not aggressively enforced they could eventually become extinct. The Mangrove Swamps and Ten Thousand is an estuarine wilderness that is made up of almost 200,000 acres.
Fresh water coming from Big Cypress Swamp combines with the Salt water in the Gulf of Mexico to create conditions that allow an amazing variety of life to flourish in features such as oyster bars, mangrove islands, tidal mud flats, and seagrass beds. While tidal mud flats and sea grass beds are important features the most prominent are the Oyster bars and Mangrove Islands. The Oyster bars and Mangroves are crucial in creating and continuing to develop the islands and characteristics that make up this region. Oyster Bars are formed by quartz sand carried by the current and deposited in deeper water parallel to the shore and eventually builds until it reaches the surface. If the conditions are right oysters colonize the sand deposits and the combination of oysters and sand create an oyster bar. Oyster bars gather nutrients by forming at right angles to tidal currents in order to catch nutrients from the incoming currents. Smaller branches form on the Oyster Bars and floating red mangrove seeds take hold in the sediments. Eventually multiple mangroves are caught and grow on the Oyster bar forming an island of roots and leaves. Overtime the mangroves arching prop roots will catch more sediment and the island will continue to develop eventually cutting off nutrients to the Oyster bar by restricting the currents that bring nutrients to the oysters. These structures help protect the region during storms, prevent erosion, and create Habitats for birds and fish. This is why more than 300 species of bird at some point are residents of the region as well as manatees and bottle-nose
dolphins. In this Book Jeff Ripple is merely trying to explain that we need to take action to preserve these major Florida eco-systems. The continued development of Southwest Florida has hurt many of the species that call these eco-systems home and we need to act immediately to ensure their continued existence. The book sums this up best in the foreword by saying “History has taught us that no major ecosystem, not matter how well protected by land ownership and government regulations, will endure unless people understand, appreciate, and support its existence.” References
Ripple, Jeff. Southwest Florida 's Wetland Wilderness: Big Cypress Swamp and the Ten Thousand Islands. Gainesville: University of Florida, 1996. Print.