Big Cypress Swamps EarthCache

For this earthcache there is no physical container to find. To get your smiley for the cache you will need to e-mail your answers to the questions below to the cache owner. Please visit this earthcache during daylight hours as not to disturb guests who may be staying nearby. A special thank you to Niki Butcher of The Big Cypress Gallery for permission to place this earthcache.

Water is the predominant resource in this area which is not surprising in a state such as Florida. However, the water here does not flow in well defined streams and rivers, instead water flows through swamps. The swamps in this area are typically cypress swamps which occur when depressions in the earth expose the shallow water table and the community is dominated by bald cypress trees. The main types of swamp classifications for this specific area include dome and strand swamps.

A dome or head swamp is an isolated, forested wetland which generally forms on a flat karst landscape. The word "karst" is a term for a terrain produced by the chemical erosion of carbonate rocks such as limestone and dolomite. Often dome swamps occur in a sink or dissolution hole which has created a depression in the earth. The depressions in this area are formed when acidic water (rain water that has flowed through decaying plant debris and soil) reacts with oolitic limestone bedrock to dissolve it along cracks and fractures. These fractures create an underground network of cavities which widen over time. Eventually the rocks which are sitting above the cavities collapse and a dissolution or sink hole is formed. The holes then begin to accumulate peat and then water which will support the cypress trees.

The name dome swamps comes from the cypress tree groups which grow in a dome or circular shape. The canopy of the dome is a mirror image of the sink or dissolution holes the trees are growing in. The tallest trees with thickest trunks grow in the center of the dome where the holes are larger. Trees growing in the center of the dome are rooted in soil which is usually composed of thick organic material or peat, a sandy mineral layer, and broken pieces of limestone. Common soil types in this area are Bladen, Coxville, and Bayboro.

Due to the deep holes in the center of a dome swamp, there is usually standing water in the middle of the dome all year round. Dome swamps have a circular look from above, although some may have a hole in the center looking like a doughnut. The doughnut shape happens when the hole in the center becomes too deep for trees to grow.

Trees that grow along the edges of the dome swamp are smaller due to the lack of nutrients in the soil and layer of limestone which makes it difficult for the cypress roots to grow in. Near the edge of the dome there is also more sunlight which allows prairie grasses to grow more abundantly.

Strand swamps are shallow, forested, elongated channels within a flat limestone plain. Strand swamps are located along streams, riverbanks, spring runs or in ponds with still or slow moving water. Strand swamps are quite common in Florida wherever ground elevation is slightly lower than surrounding communities or there is enough water flow to make a channel.

The main difference between dome and strand swamps is their shape. While dome swamps are circular, strand swamps are long like a strand of hair. Dome swamps are classically small and circular. Strand swamps are also generally much larger than domes due to the fact that they are longer.

In general, dome and strand swamps contain water levels less than three feet deep, although water levels fluctuate dramatically depending on the time of year. During the summer months or wet season, south Florida receives large amounts of rainfall, which raises the water level. During the winter months and early spring or dry season water evaporates slowly and the overall water level in the swamp decreases (see Cypress Head Illustration above).

Now it’s time for the application part of the cache. When answering the questions do your best. It is more important that you learn a new concept about our earth and can apply your knowledge, rather than have a precise answer. DO NOT go in the water or disturb the wildlife while doing this earthcache. To answer the following questions please go to N 25 51.317 W 81 01.195 to view the swamp.

1-Describe the water and soil of the swamp.

2-Looking out to the deepest part of the swamp how deep would you say the water is in feet? Would you classify the water depth as wet or dry season?

3-Would you classify this location as a dome or strand swamp? Explain why.

Thank you for visiting this earthcache. Please send your answers to the above questions to the cache owner, once you have feel free to log it. In your "found it" log feel free to write about your experience, but don't include the earthcache answers. Thanks and we hope you enjoy the beautiful big cypress swamps!

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