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These herbaceous and shrubby wetland communities occur statewide in brackish waters along protected low energy estuarine shorelines of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The largest continuous areas of salt marsh occur north of the range of mangroves, and border tidal creeks, bays and sounds. Salt marshes are sometimes interspersed within mangrove areas, and also occur as a transition zone between freshwater marshes and mangrove forests such as in the Ten Thousand Islands area along the southwest Florida coast.
Plant distribution within salt marshes is largely dependent on the degree of tidal inundation, and many large areas are completely dominated by one species. Generally, smooth cordgrass typically occupies the lowest elevations immediately adjacent to tidal creeks and pools, while black needlerush dominates less frequently inundated zones. The highest elevations form transitional areas characterized by glasswort, saltwort, saltgrass, sea oxeye daisy, marsh elder, and saltbush. For the purposes of this project, cordgrass, needlerush, and transitional or high salt marshes are collectively mapped as this single category.
Prepared by: Terry Gilbert, Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission, Office of Environmental Services
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Last Update - 9/7/99