Explanation of Indicator
Coastal salt marshes are herbaceous and shrubby wetlands that occur statewide in brackish waters. Mangrove swamp communities occur in brackish waters along protected and low energy shorelines of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of southern Florida. The mangrove community is composed of freeze-sensitive tree species (black, red, and white mangroves). Stunted individuals of black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) grow as shrubs on panhandle barrier islands, particularly Dog Island in Franklin County. They grow larger over warmer years and die back to the roots during winter freezes in colder years. The present northern Gulf coast limit for significant populations of small black mangrove is in the vicinity of Cedar Key, Florida, where they grow in the salt marshes.
Should these plants grow into trees and expand over more acres than they presently occupy, that might be an indication of possible climatic warming, and a shift from a temperate to a tropical flora. Nutrient availability and competition for resources may affect plant species distribution.
Species distribution shifts within the mangrove and salt marsh habitat types will affect the species that inhabit the coastal areas. While some species can live in either habitat, certain species are endemic to either mangrove swamps or coastal salt marshes. For example, the brown pelican nests in mangrove communities, but not in salt marshes, as there is inadequate nesting substrate in coastal salt marshes. Mangrove swamps serve as a nursery ground for pelagics and shellfish in tropical zones, and salt marshes provide the same advantages to juvenile aquatic species in temperate zones.
Data Characteristics
SOURCE
There is currently no source of data for this information.
ACQUISITION
Not applicable.
COLLECTION
Not applicable.
Recommendations
The data are not collected by a single source with any frequency or over any geographic range. The Cedar Key region should be monitored for changes in mangrove and salt marsh plant species distribution and abundance. Data on mangrove and salt marsh species distribution could easily be collected at little cost by state personnel, or a survey could be contracted to the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in Panacea, Florida or to other interested parties. Data should be collected consistently over time in order to accurately assess changes in community composition and to document possible species displacement.