Sunbelt Ag Expo 2011
October 18 - 20
FLORIDA: IT'S
A 'SWAMP' THING
Swamps, Wetlands, Estuaries and Linked Environments
Swamps are wetlands with trees, having saturated
soils and standing water for at least part of the year.
Environmental conditions in Florida allow the most diverse mosaic of
swamp habitats of any place in the world.
Swamps and other wetlands
function to:
·
Protect and improve water quality
·
Store floodwaters
·
Maintain surface water flow during dry periods
·
Provide fish and wildlife habitat
·
Produce food and nutrients that create the base of many food webs
Therefore, they contribute an array of ecologic and economic
services. Our swamps
and wetlands, and the enjoyment of these valuable resources, are
increasingly threatened by anthropogenic alterations and invasions
from harmful non-native plant and animal species. (From EPA and
UF/IFAS documents)