Dome Swamp and
Basin Swamp
Nicole Smith
WIS 4427
Outline
 What is a Cypress/Tupelo?
 Dome Swamp
 Basin Swamp
 Comparing similar habitats
Vocabulary
 Hydroperiod-Period in which the soil is
waterlogged
 Peat-Accumulation of partially decayed
vegetation or organic matter
 Marl-CaCO3 or lime-rich mud or mudstone
which contains variable amounts of clays
and silt
 Hydrophytic-Grows wholly or partly in water
Cypress/Tupelo
•
Cypress or Tupelo dominate or are at least very important in the
canopy
•
Long hydroperiod
Dome Swamp
Dome Swamp
Description

Isolated, forested, depression wetland

Occurs within a fire-maintained community, such as
mesic flatwoods

Small, but can be large and shallow

Canopy dominated by pond cypress and swamp
tupelo

Shrubs are sparse to moderate

Herbaceous species can be dense to absent

Dome shape is made up of smaller trees that grow
along the outer edge in the shallows, while taller trees
grow in the interior where the water is deepest
Formation of Dome
Swamps

Flat terraces where overlying sand has slumped into
a depression in the underlying limestone

This creates a rounded depression connected to a
shallow water table

Soil-Layer of peat that becomes thicker towards the
center of the dome, over acidic sands or marl, and
then limestone or a clay lens underneath

Poor drainage at the surface allows the water to
move into the limestone, which fills in with peat or
marl

Hydroperiod-180 to 270 days/year
Distribution
 Occur throughout Florida, except the keys
 Most common in Central Florida
 Eglin Air Force Base, Everglades National
Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Three
Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Characteristic Set of
Species
Pond Cypress
(Taxodium
ascendens)
Swamp Tupelo
(Nyssa sylvatica var.
biflora)
Other Common Plant
Species
 Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
 Dahoon (Ilex cassine)
 Swamp Bay (Persea palustris)
 Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii)
 Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana)
 Loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus)
 Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
 Virginia willow (Itea virginica)
 Titi (Cyrilla raemiflora)
 Virginia chain fern (Woodwardia
virginica)
Common Wildlife
Species
 Racoon (Procyon lotor)
 Bobcat (Felis lynx)
 Gray Squirrel (Sciursus carolinensis)
 White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus
virginianus)
 Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
 Swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides forficatus)
 Barred Owl (Strix varia)
 Pileated Woodpecker (Drycopus
pileatus)
 Great crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus
crinitis)
 Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
Rare Species in Dome
Swamps
 Pondspice (Litsea aestivalis)
 Panhandle Spiderlilly
(Hymenocallis henryae)
 Small-flowered meadow
beauty (Rhexia parviflora)
 Many-flowered catopsis
(Catopsis floribunda)
 White Ibis (Eudocimus
albus)
 Wood Stork (Mycteria
americana)
Threatened Species
 Frosted Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma
cingulatum)
Endangered Species
 Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander
(Ambystoma bishopi)
Management of Dome
Swamps
 Fire is essential!
 3 to 5 years along outside
 100 to 150 years towards center
 Should be allowed to extinguish naturally, not
with firebreaks
 Protect a few Cypress seed trees from being
harvested as timber to allow regeneration of
the canopy
 Control for invasive species, such as
melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia)
Protection Status
G4/S4
Basin Swamp
Basin Swamp Description
 Basin wetland with hydrophytic trees
 Extended hydroperiod-200 to 300 days/year
 Occurs in large landscape depressions
 Canopy dominated by pond cypress and
swamp tupelo
 Shrubs may be found in the basin swamp, or
just around the perimeter
 Variable herbaceous layer
Formation of Basin
Swamps
 Local rainfall is primary source of water
 Acidic, nutrient poor peat over a clay lens
 Occurs in former lake beds, river basins, or
ancient costal swales
 Perched water table
 Standing water, but can flow during periods
of high water
Distribution
 Throughout the Florida Panhandle and
peninsula south to the Lake Okeechobee
area
 Strand swamps replace them in most of
South Florida
 Goethe State Forest, Lake Panasofkee,
Osceola National Forest, John M. Bethea
State Forest
Characteristic Set of
Species
Pond Cypress
(Taxodium
ascendens)
Swamp Tupelo
(Nyssa sylvatica var.
biflora)
Other Common Plant
Species
 Slash Pine (Pinus elliotti)
 Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
 Dahoon (Ilex cassine)
 Swamp Bay (Persea paulustris)
 Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana)
 Sweetgum (Liquidambar
styraciflua)
 Virginia Willow (Itea virginiana)
 Swamp dogwood (Cornus
foemina)
 Maidencane (Panicum
hemitomon)
 Virgina chain fern (Woodwardia
virginica)
Common Wildlife
Species
 Florida Black Bear (Ursus americanus
floridanus)
 Racoon (Procyon lotor)
 River Otter (Lutra canadensis)
 Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
 Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
 Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia)
 Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon bauri)
 Crayfish snake (Regina alleniI)
 Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus dorsalis)
 Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris ocularis)
Rare Species in Basin
Swamps
 Plume Polybody (Pecluma
ptilodon)
 Blackbanded Sunfish
(Enneacanthus chaetodon)
 Carpenter Frog (Rana virgatipes)
 Many-lined Salamander
(Stereochilus marginatus)
 Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)
 Swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides
forficatus)
 Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)
 Southeastern Weasel (Mustela
frenata olivacea)
 Florida long-tailed weasel (Mustela
frenata peninsulae)
Threatened Species
 Frosted Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma
cingulatum)
Management of Basin
Swamp
 Maintain natural hydroperiods
 Protect a few Cypress seed trees from being
harvested as timber to allow regeneration of
the canopy
 Control for exotics, like climbing fern
(Lygodium japonicum and L. microphyllum)
Protection Status
G4/S3
Compare
Dome Swamp
 Deciduous species (like
Cypress)
Baygall
 Evergreen bay species
Compare
Dome Swamp
 Isolated in the landscape
Floodplain Swamp
 Occur along perennial
streams
Compare
Dome Swamp
Basin Swamp and
Strand Swamp
 Always found in fire-
 Not always regulated with
 Generally smaller
 Generally larger
 Less peat accumulation
 More peat
 Lower species diversity
 Higher species diversity
regulated communities
fire
 More irregular shape
Compare
Basin Swamp
 More isolated
 Dominated by pond
cypress
 Near a lake more isolated
form the river
Floodplain Swamp
 Occur along rivers and
creeks
 Dominated by bald cypress
 Near a lake that is
connected to the river
Compare
Basin Swamp
 Develop in old basins of
lakes, lagoons
Strand Swamp
 Occupy troughs aligned
with bedrock lows in a
gently sloping limestone
plain
 South Florida
Compare
Basin Swamp
 Cypress
Hydric Hammock
 Oaks
Questions?