Upper Tampa Bay Earthcache EarthCache
Scooterpals: Moved from the area and no longer able to maintain.
Upper Tampa Bay Earthcache
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Upper Tampa Bay Park is a Hillsborough County Park. The park features a playground, picnicking, canoe/kayak launch, fishing, group camping, self-guided nature trails, boardwalks and a nature center with interpretive exhibits. Hours of operation of the Nature Center are 12pm to 4pm. Mon.-Fri. and 10am to 4pm Sat.-Sun. Closed Christmas day There is a $2.00 per vehicle admission charge. The park environment contains a rich diversity of natural habitats which result from a subtle interaction between two factors, moisture and salinity. The ground surface is primarily flat with the highest elevation being six feet above sea level. Most of the park is dominated by pine flatwoods and serves as a good example of the typical landscape of approximately 50% of the land area in the state of Florida. Also found in the park are examples of salt marshes, salt barrens, mangrove swamps, coastal wetlands and hardwood hammocks. A focal point of this earthcache is the pine flatwoods and their evolution. Typical flatwoods soils are moderate to poorly drained fine sands which are generally acidic and have low reserves of available nutrients. The flat topography, soils, and seasonal precipitation of the pine flatwoods strongly influence hydrology. Scattered throughout the flatwoods are ponds which provide habitat for aquatic plants and animals. These ponds may have been depressions formed by wave action when shallow seas covered this area sometime in the past, or they could have resulted from dissolving of the limestone bedrock beneath the surface layer, by slightly acidic surface water. The communities of plants and animals which exist in these areas must have some degree of salt tolerance to survive. They must also be able to tolerate both extremes of the dry and rainy seasons. North Florida flatwoods are typically open woodlands whose most common uses include timber, wildlife and recreation. South Florida flatwoods are typically savannas, a type of vegetation community used extensively for cattle grazing. Please remember to stay on the marked trails and boardwalks and practice “Leave no Trace”’ outdoor ethics. Regulations prohibit the picking of flowers, removal of plant life or rocks. Injuring, capturing or feeding of wildlife is also prohibited. How to earn credit/log a find To earn credit/log a find you must send an e-mail to us with the answers to the following questions: 1. Why are hardwood trees often found growing around the ponds located in the pine flatwoods? 2. Identify the area surrounding the boardwalk and note the surface condition at the time you visited? (i.e. dry, damp, muddy, wet, flooded, etc.) 3. Name two animals or reptiles which frequently inhabit the pine flatwoods. 4. What happens to pine flatwoods in the absence of frequent fires? 5. (optional) Post a photo of your smiling face and your gps at the end of the trail with Mobbly Bay in the background. The answers to these questions can be found in the Nature Center and along the Eagle Trail. Please do NOT post answers in your log or it will be deleted. Acknowledgements Joe Martinez, Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department, Friends of the Forest, University of Florida.
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