Freshwater Non-forested Wetlands:

Floodplain Marsh

By: Mattie J. E. Rush

http://www.nbbd.com/godo/StJohns.html

Description

• MARSHES – long hydroperiod; dominated by grasses, sedges, broadleaf emergents, floating aquatics, or shrubs

• Floodplain marsh differs from similar habitats by:• Position in flood plain (vs basin marsh)

• Receive water from the river (flow)

• Directly on river course

• Salinity (vs salt marsh)

• No halophytic species

• However, the freshwater tidal marsh variant may be located near a salt marsh

http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/dykemarsh.htm

Description

• Freshwater tidal marsh variant (mouths of rivers)• Influenced by saltwater

• Dominant species tolerate brackish water (also found in floodplains with upwelling)

• Juncus roemerianus (needle rush)

• Sarcocornia perennis (perennial glasswort)

• Sporobolus virginicus (seashore dropseed)

• Zizaniopsis miliacea (giant cutgrass)

• Sesuvium portulacastrum (shoreline seapurslane)

Description

• Location• Along rivers, streams, & lakes (influenced by river flow)

• in overflow channels

• Prolonged periods of inundation• Flat topography & slow drainage

• most inundated > 250 days/year

• Hydroperiod may be greatly reduced by alteration of hydrology

http://www.antaisce.org/naturalenvironment/Water/WaterFrameworkDirective/WFDObjectives.aspx

Description

• River flooding• Annual or semi-annual

• Direct influence on floodplain marshes

• Changing water levels permit a mosaic of vegetative communities

• Oxygenated freshwater pulses

• Enable aquatic species to use areas of the vegetated marsh

• Important feeding sites for many birds

• Low water levels concentrate preyhttp://restorecullinan.info/

Description

• Status – G3/S3

• Range• Most common in Central Florida

• St. Johns River and Kissimmee River

• Can also be found along rivers north of Lake Okeechobee

http://restorecullinan.info/

Description

• Ecological services• Flood & erosion control

• Reduce flood velocities, peaks, and sedimentation

• Filtration of nutrients and runoff

• Process organic wastes

• Moderate temperature fluctuations

• Breeding and feeding grounds for wildlife

http://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/2011fieldtrips.htm

Common Species

Cladium Jamaicense (sawgrass)

Spartina bakeri (sand cord grass)

Common Species Con’t

Panicum hemitomon (maidencane) Pontederia cordata (pickerelweed)

Common Species Con’t

Aramus guarauna (limpkin)Species of Special Concern

Polyborus plancus audubonii (Audubon’s

crested caracara)Threatened

Gretta cearulea (little blue heron)

Species of Special Concern

Common Species Con’t

Egretta tricolor (tricolored heron)Species of Special Concern

Egretta thula (snowy egret)

Species of Special Concern Eudocimus albus (white ibis)

Species of Special Concern

Common Species Con’t

Grus canadensis pratensis (Florida

sandhill crane)Threatened

Haliaeetus leucocephalus (bald eagle)

Ursus americanus (Florida black bear)Threatened

Endangered Species

Trichechus manatus latirostris (Florida manatee)

Endangered

Mycteria Americana (wood stork)Endangered

Vermivora bachmanii (Bachman’s wood warbler)

EndangeredRostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus (Florida snail

kite)Endangered

Other Threatened Species

• Drymarchon corais couperi (Eastern Indigo Snake)

• Charadrius melodus (Piping Plover)

• Sterna antillarlum (Least Tern)

Rare Species

Lythrum flagellare (loostrife)

Leitneria floridana (corkwood)

Obligate Species

Ludwigia leptocarpa (anglestem primrose

willow)

Acrostichum danaeifolium (giant fern)

Hibiscus grandiflorus(swamp rosemallow)

Crinum americanum (swamp lily)

Obligate Species Con’t

Aster carolinianus (climbing aster)

Canna flaccida (golden canna)

Threats

• Channelization (intervention in the course, characteristics or flow of a river with the intention of producing some defined benefit)

• Rooting (meaning uprooting in this case) habitat degradation• Feral hogs and cattle

• Invasives

• Off-road vehicle (OHV) use

• Ditching & draining for development

• People want to live by rivers

http://marineparkbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/12/atv-damage-to-gerritsen-creek-marsh.html

Threats

• Channelization• To ease navigation for large vessels

• To open up the rest of the land for agriculture

• Hydrologic alterations – vegetation of wettest zone is most sensitive long-term

• Decreased plant diversity

• Prolonged drainage greatly reduces seed bank

Threats

• Case Study: Channelization in Kissimmee• Water control structures

• Inhibited fluctuations in water levels

• Altered vegetation structure

• Sharp declines in species

• Wading birds & game fish

• Lost a lot of the natural sediment filtration

http://www.ces.fau.edu/riverwoods/kissimmee.php

Threats

• Case Study: Channelization in Kissimmee• Re-establishment of stream flow reduced weedy and exotic species

• Wildlife species populations had positive responses

• In part to increase in invertebrates

• Water level fluctuations’ return increased plant food growth for water fowl

http://www.protectingourwater.org/watersheds/map/kissimmee_river/

Threats

• Ditching Dragline ditched marsh

(The next 8 pictures were taken from: http://floridaswater.com/coastalrestoration/)

Threats

• Dragline ditch Ditch filling for restoration

Threats

• Immediately after restoration initiation 1-2 years after restoration

Threats

• 3-5 years after restoration 8 years after restoration

Threats

• Invasive plants:• Torpedo grass (Panicum repens)

• Peruvian primrosewillow (Ludwigia peruviana)

• Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides)

• Para grass (Urochloa mutica)

• West Indian marsh grass (Hymenachne amplexicaulis)

• Caesar's weed (Urena lobata).

Management

• Prescribed fire

• Cattle grazing

• Restoration

• Control visitor use types

Oxbow dredging to restore connections and river flowhttp://www.ces.fau.edu/riverwoods/

kissimmee.php

Management

• Prescribed fire• Aids in shrub cover control

• Decrease fuel load

• Maintain or restore natural hydrology

• Maintain natural community structure & habitat for wildlife

• Frequency will depend on species composition

• Ex. willow at St. Johns River (2 burns in 2 years)

• Needed well-developed herbaceous understory to carry fire may be impossible without such

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/mass-bays-program/whats-new/volume-5-issue-2-fall-2008-generic.html

Management

• Prescribed fire• Must consider wildlife responses to burn regime

• Leave a patchwork of unburned area for refuge

• Suggestion for St. Johns River regime is 3 year cycles

*Only burn freshwater tidal marsh variant when necessary for woody species control

• Only burn in the winter

• Protect nesting wildlife and decrease peat fire risk

Management

• Cattle grazing• Source of major land use

of floodplain marshes in

Florida

http://www.tampabay.com/news/perspective/celebrating-floridas-last-frontier/1156955

Management

• Cattle grazing• When combined with wet prairie, > 100 native plant species of

cattle forage

• May decrease plant diversity in sand cordgrass-dominated floodplain marshes

• However, it likely will not have an effect on the dominant species

http://www.ccght.org/our-heritage/natural-heritage/biodiversity/priority-habitats/farmland-grassland/coastal-floodplain-grazing-marsh

Management

• Control visitor use types• Passive recreation only

• Off-road vehicle (recreation & hunting)

• Alters natural vegetation

• Especially sawgrass-dominated marshes

• Prohibit and regulate

• Enforcement

http://marineparkbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/12/atv-damage-to-gerritsen-creek-marsh.html

Management

• Other management considerations• Establish areas of native vegetation

• Increase natural floodplain functioning

• Protect existing vegetation & topography

• Avoid development (obvious)

• Reduce runoff

End

• “Flooding is a natural process that forms and allows floodplains and coastal zones to function properly. Periodic flows of water that overtop the banks of a river and encroach upon coastal areas are the lifeblood of the riparian corridors, marshes, beaches, and other natural areas.”

-Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

• “When we disconnect rivers from their floodplains and completely prevent natural flooding, it is to the peril of the river, the floodplain and – quite often – people.” -The Nature Conservancy

• Questions?

References

• Giant leather fern = http://www.panoramio.com/photo/32010507

• Climbing aster = http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/images/astcar/astcar2.jpg

• Golden canna = http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/images/canfla/mcanfla5.jpg

• Swamp rosemallow= http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/images/hibgra/hibgra_ec2.jpg

• Swamp lily = http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/images/criame/crinum.jpg

• Anglestem primrose willow = http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/images/ludlep/ludlepn5.jpg

• Saw-grass = http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/images/clajam/clajam1.jpg

• Baker’s cord grass = http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/images/spabak/spabakn5.jpg

• Maidencane = http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/images/panhem/panhem5.jpg

• Pickerelweed = http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/images/poncor/poncor5.jpg

References

• Bald eagle = http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=B008

• Limpkin = http://www.jhillmer.com/wadingbirds/wadingbirds.html

• White ibis = http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/white_ibis/id

• Snowy egret = http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/snowy_egret/id

• Little blue heron = http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/little_blue_heron/id

• Tricolored heron = http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/tricolored_heron/id

• Wood Stork = http://www.alligatorfarm.com/rookery/2012/12/proposed-wood-stork-reclassification/

• Bachman’s wood warbler = http://warnell.forestry.uga.edu/service/library/index.php3?docID=94&docHistory%5B%5D=5&docHistory%5B%5D=202&docHistory%5B%5D=361

• Florida snail kite = http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/raptors-and-vultures/florida-snail-kite/

• Florida sandhill crane = http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/imperiled/profiles/birds/florida-sandhill-crane/

• Florida black bear = http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/animals/mammal/uram/all.html

• Florida manatee = http://www.travelographer.com/Florida/Manatees.htm

• Audubon's crested caracara = http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/imperiled/profiles/birds/audubons-crested-caracara/

References

• Tidal marsh 1 = http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/dykemarsh.htm

• Tidal marsh (all of the rest) = http://restorecullinan.info/

• Restored floodplain marsh Kissimmee = http://www.protectingourwater.org/watersheds/map/kissimmee_river/

• Floodplain marsh 1 = http://www.antaisce.org/naturalenvironment/Water/WaterFrameworkDirective/WFDObjectives.aspx

• Floodplain grazing marsh = http://www.ccght.org/our-heritage/natural-heritage/biodiversity/priority-habitats/farmland-grassland/coastal-floodplain-grazing-marsh

• Restored floodplain Fairfield = http://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/2011fieldtrips.htm

• Ditching pictures (all) = http://floridaswater.com/coastalrestoration/

• Floodplain marsh puzzle lake = http://www.nbbd.com/godo/StJohns.html

• Channelizing Kissimmee river and dredging = http://www.ces.fau.edu/riverwoods/kissimmee.php

• Cattle grazing = http://www.tampabay.com/news/perspective/celebrating-floridas-last-frontier/1156955

• Marsh burning = http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/mass-bays-program/whats-new/volume-5-issue-2-fall-2008-generic.html

• Off road vehicle 1 & 2 = http://marineparkbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/12/atv-damage-to-gerritsen-creek-marsh.html