Wetland Communities - Mangrove Swamps
 

Mangrove Swamps are wetlands dominated by red, black and/or white mangroves. The large, arching prop roots are characteristic of red mangrove, while the upright roots called, "pneumatophores" are characteristic of black and white mangroves. Mangroves are distributed in coastal landscape by their ecological tolerance, i.e. there is zonation associated with a mangrove swamp. Look carefully and you may notice that black mangrove is the most salt tolerant mangrove species, often growing where the soils are hypersaline. As in the scene from Big Pine Key, below.

Red and black mangroves lining a tidal creek. The high tide is covering the prop roots of the red mangrove.
 

Red mangrove is found on the waterward edge of the mangrove swamp. With its large prop roots and unique architecture red mangrove can withstand more wave energy. White and black mangrove seem to be the most cold tolerant, with black mangrove surviving the winters of north Florida. Mangroves and saltmarsh are intermingled in coastal areas of central Florida. Here it is primarily the severity of winter cold that inhibits the northward spread and dominance of woody mangroves. Mangroves and saltmarsh are one of the most important coastal wetland plant communities in Florida. These wetlands along with near shore seagrass beds are the habitat, food and nursery area for many of Florida’s important fisheries. People benefit from mangrove swamps in many ways.

Here, black mangrove grows with saltwort, glasswort, keys grass and sea-blight.