Florala Wetlands Park EarthCache
Hidden : 3/17/2011
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Florala Wetlands Park
During this cache you will learn several facts about this wetlands park. We have come up to this place for several years to picnic,swim, walk and to look for alligators. This is our 50th Geocache and we wanted to make it special and since we like it up here we want you to come see it. So come on in take a stroll and earn a smiley.
The park is open sunrise to sunset

The type of wetlands here is a swamp

The following is information on different types of wetlands

Marshes ---
Marshes are areas with shallow water that are mostly grasslands. Marshes can be freshwater or saltwater and the amount of water in a marsh can change with the seasons and in the case of salt water marshes, can also change with the tide. Plants Freshwater marshes have soft stemmed and herbaceous plants, like grasses, shrubs and wildflowers. Plants found in saltwater marshes include reeds, grasses and shrubs like rushes, sedges, and saltbush. Animals Marshes are home to a variety of animals, including beavers, alligators, newts, shrimp and turtles. Soil Marshes have soil with low mineral content. Location Freshwater marshes often occur along the edges of lakes and rivers. Saltwater marshes occur along coastlines, inlets and estuaries where they are affected by tides, and often have a source of fresh water from surrounding land, rivers or ground water.

Swamp ---
Swamps are slow moving streams, rivers or isolated low areas with more open and deeper water than marshes. Plants Swamps have trees (for example, cypress tress in freshwater and mangrove trees in salty water) and woody shrubs rather than grasses and herbs. In African swamps, papyrus is the main plant. Location Swamps are found in low-lying areas near rivers or coastal areas. Examples include the Everglades in Florida. Soil Swamp soil is poorly-drained and water logged. Animal Swamp wildlife includes alligators, snakes, a variety of insects, bobcat, beaver, large diversity of birds and river otter.
Bogs and Ferns ---
A bog is a fresh water wetland, usually formed in an old glacial lake with a spongy peat base. Most of the bog’s water comes from rain. A fen is a fresh water peat wetland covered mostly by grasses sedges, reeds, and wildflowers of high pH (alkaline) ground water. Soil Bogs have soil that is low in nutrients. Plants Evergreen trees and shrubs, and a floor covered by a thick carpet of sphagnum moss. Some species of carnivorous plants are also found in bogs. Animals There are only a few animals that are found in bogs. These include, red deer, Dragonflies and birds such as grouse and plover.
Did you know? More than one-third of the federally listed species on the Endangered Species Act rely directly, or indirectly, on wetlands for their survival. .
Did you know?Other names for wetlands include: muskeg, moor, fen, carr, dambo, mangal, vlei, bayou, slough, pocosin, prairie pothole and vernal pools. Each type of wetland has characteristics specific to their part of the world.

During your visit read the signs and learn several facts including due to low oxygen and a flooded environment that hydrophytic plants are a good sign that you are in a wetland. There are over 5,000 plant species that are supported by a wetland. At these wetlands you will be walking around on a boardwalk under some very tall trees giving you plenty of shade-as you read in the information above you already know that there are trees in a swamp but not in a marsh. Here there are trees in abundance as in many swamps.
If you would like to see an example of a marsh wetland visit N 30° 59.336 W 086° 20.091, which is only 4,158 feet away of course that is how the crow flies. This swamp is on the west side of beautiful Lake Jackson and the marsh example is on the southwest side.



? Questions ?


1. What is one feature here that proves that this is a swamp?
2. During your visit there was a sign that told you what the wetlands are also known as- What was it? And why do you think they got that name?
Find and read the sign telling visitors about the two types of trees that are prevalent along the waters edge.
3. Which tree is on your left and which tree is on your right at the sign?
4. (Optional) Take a picture at N 30° 59.945 W 086° 19.745 that includes the wetlands and the lake and your gps'r.and post it in your online log
5. At the center of the wetlands there is a bigger pavilion. Is there a side of the pavilion that the water is deeper? If so, which side and how deep is the water?
Email the answers to the link in our profile

Additional Hints (No hints available.)

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