Wetland Communities - Cypress Domes and Strands
 

Cypress domes are forested wetlands (swamps) that are dominated by bald cypress and/or pond cypress. Generally these are depression wetlands with a domed canopy and mucky, organic soils. Often this plant community is associated with a seepage bog or savanna and is related to the bayhead community. Most of the characteristics of cypress dome swamps overlap with a bayhead. Pond cypress usually dominate these dome swamps in pine flatwoods, a variation on this type of community occurs along karst rivers (Aucilla river), here the dominant is bald cypress. Swamp gum, red maple, sweetbay (magnolia), dahoon holly, swamp bay and slash pine may be found in the canopy. Tropical species such as pond apple may be found in cypress domes in south Florida. Groundcover plants may be sparse due to prolonged inundation of these landscapes. Typical hydrologic indicators include: algal mats, aquatic mosses and liverworts, aquatic plants, elevated lichen lines, evidence of aquatic fauna, morphological plant adaptations, vegetated hummocks and tussocks, and water marks.

 

Canopy

Botanical name	Common name	DEP status
Acer rubrum	red maple	FACW
Gordonia lasianthus	loblolly bay	FACW
Magnolia virginiana var. australis	sweetbay magnolia	OBL
Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora	swamp tupelo	OBL
Persea palustris	swamp bay	OBL
Pinus ellottii	slash pine	UPLAND
Taxodium ascendens	pond cypress	OBL
Taxodium distichum	bald cypress	OBL

 

Subcanopy and Groundcover

Botanical name	Common name	DEP status
Annona glabra	pond apple	OBL
Ilex cassine	dahoon holly	OBL
Itea virginica	Virginia willow	OBL
Lyonia lucida	fetter-bush	FACW
Viburnum nudum	possum-haw viburnum	FACW

 

Groundcover

Botanical name	Common name	DEP status
Blechnum serrulatum	swamp fern	FACW
Osmunda cinnamomea	cinnamon fern	FACW
Osmunda regalis	royal fern	OBL
Woodwardia areolata	chainfern	OBL
Woodwardia virginica	chainfern	FACW

 

Soils

Soils commonly associated with this community are nearly level or depressional, poorly to very poorly drained, and are composed of organic or mineral surfaces with a loamy subsoil. A Histosols may be present particularly in the center of the dome. Representative soils include:

Dorovan-Pamlico association, frequently flooded

Dorovan – These soils are formed from the decomposition of woody and herbaceous plants. They are on broad, nearly level flooded plains of major streams and large hardwood swamps.

Dysic, thermic Typic Medisaprists

Pamlico - Sandy or sandy-skeletal, siliceous, dysic, thermic Terric Medisaprists

Cypress strand swamp with large bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) and an interesting diversity of temperate and tropical tree species such as pond apple, popash, red maple, royal palm and sweetbay magnolia. These swamps are found in South Florida and are linear landscape features. The soils are mucky and these swamps are generally flooded for long periods of time during the south Florida rainy season. Photo taken at Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, Collier County, Florida.