Mangrove ecosystems lie at the interface of land and sea representing a crucial link in tropical and subtropical regions. Mangrove are important as a food source and habitat for fish and wildlife as well as to estuarine nutrient-cycling processes , and they have an important role in stabilizing the sediments deposited by physical processes (Odum and McIvor, 1990). In regions such as Cuba and south Florida, which have frequent and severe hurricanes, mangrove forests tend to be periodically damaged or destroyed before they reach their maximum height and development; these forests act as an important buffer, protecting coastal uplands from flooding (Surface water improvement and management plan for the Everglades,1992).

Mangrove species dominate these ecotones because they have evolved several mechanisms that allow them to be successful under these highly variable salinity regimes (Chapman, 1975; Clough, 1984). They are facultative halophytes: in other words they are able to utilize either fresh water or salt water depending upon availability. Salt water plays a key role in mangrove ecosystem development by excluding

red mangrove

potential competing species (Kuenzler, 1974).

A very peculiar characteristic of these mangrove forests is the root system. Mangroves have adapted to life in highly anaerobic soils by developing shallow root systems, and unlike most trees, they also lack a deep taproot. Some species, in this case the red mangrove, have developed drop roots from branches and upper parts of the stem that extend only a few centimeters into the soil. The above-ground portions of these roots have many lenticles that allow oxygen to diffuse into the plant and down to the underground roots. A different strategy has been evolved by certain other species, such as the black mangrove. They have system of cable roots, a few centimeters deep, which radiate outward for many meters from the stem base. Extending upward from the cable roots there may be erect aerial roots called pneumatophores (Odum and McIvor, 1990).

The same tremendous variability also affects their structural appearance and the identification of mangrove community type. The three major types are: riverine forest, fringing forest and basin forests (Cintron et al., 1985; Lugo et al., 1989). The riverine forests occur along tidal rivers and creeks and receive the greatest amount of tidal flushing and freshwater runoff of nutrients from terrestrial ecosystems; the trees may be higher than

food web diagram

20 m and have high primary production rates. The fringing forest form a relatively thin fringe along waterways and embayments; mangrove islands are include in this category; the are flushed by tidal water and they do non receive as much runoff of terrestrial nutrients as riverine forests: trees rarely exceed 10 m and primary production is lower than in riverine forests. The basin forests occur inland and the take a variety of forms (forest in depressions channeling terrestrial runoff , hammock forests, dwarf scrub forests) that can have different characteristics of primary production, tidal flushing, etc (Odum and McIvor, 1990).

Mangrove forests and associated waters provide valuable habitat for a wide range of invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals in Florida. Odum et al. (1982) reviewed the scattered literature dealing with mangrove habitat utilization and found numbers of species reported from Florida mangrove ecosystems: 220 species of fishes, 24 species of reptiles and amphibians, including turtles, snakes, lizards and frogs, 18 species of mammals, and 181 bird species (guilds include 18 wading birds, 25 probing shore birds, 29 floating and diving water birds, 14 aerially searching birds, 20 birds of prey and 71 arboreal birds).

In order to remove confusion that was created by our Cypress web pages, we have used the same parameter numbers throughout the Florida Bay pages. In our previous effort, both our calculated numbers (i.e., those we generated before performing the Network Analysis) and our balanced numbers appeared. From now on, as in this case, only the balanced numbers will be used. Additionally, we aim to have the entire data sets available on-line very soon. If you anticipate using a substantial amount of our data, we recommend that you download the appropriate data set, and use the values listed there. While we have striven for perfection in our presentation of the data, we realize that the sheer volume of data entries and tables almost guarantees that there are errors contained within. If you find any obvious discrepancy, please let us know so we may correct it immediately.

Lastly, we again recommend that you use the latest version of Netscape to view this site. While only the 4.0 or higher versions of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer support style sheet formatting (HTML 4) which we have used throughout this site, Navigator seems to read our HTML better than its rival.