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Florida mangrove plant communities covered an estimated 430,000 to 540,000 acres (1,700 to 2,200 km 2) in Florida in 1981. Ninety percent of the Florida mangroves are in southern Florida, in Collier , Lee , Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.
Mangroves are hardy shrubs and trees that thrive in salt water and have specialised adaptations so they can survive the volatile energies of intertidal zones along marine coasts. A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal ...
A mangrove can reach up to 80 ft (24 m) in height in ideal conditions, but it is commonly found at a more modest 20 ft (6.1 m). Its bark is thick and a grey-brown color. Mangrove leaves are 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) wide and 3–5 in (7.6–12.7 cm) long, with smooth margins and an elliptical shape.
Brazilian pepper, Florida holly, Christmas-berry or false pepper Reaches 12 meters high with intertwined branches. First introduced in the United States in 1898 by a plant explorer. The Brazilian pepper tree has taken over thousands of acres in south Florida and is rapidly growing. [4]
Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. [1] [2] Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withstand freezing temperatures. There are about 80 different species of mangroves, all of which ...
All grow in oxygen-poor soil, can survive drastic water level changes, and are tolerant of salt, brackish, and fresh water. [77] All three mangrove species are integral to coastline protection during severe storms. Red mangroves have the farthest-reaching roots, trapping sediments that help build coastlines after and between storms.
Conocarpus erectus is usually a dense multiple-trunked shrub, 1–4 m (3.3–13.1 ft) tall, but can grow into a tree up to 20 m (66 ft) or more tall, with a trunk up to 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter. The United States National Champion green buttonwood is 35 ft (11 m) tall, has a spread of 70 ft (21 m), and a circumference of 207 in (530 cm). [ 7 ]
Indian Shores, Florida on left, mangroves on right. The ecology of Florida considers the state's two Level I and three Level II/III ecoregions containing more than 80 distinct ecosystems. [1] [2] They differ in hydrology, climate, landforms, soil types, flora, and fauna, forming a global biodiversity hotspot. [3]