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Palm Beach County is home to a variety of native ecosystems. Small variations in elevation, water salinity, soil type, and fire frequency dictate which plant community will prevail. Within our County park system you can experience Coastal Dunes & Strands, Cypress swamps, Florida scrub, Hardwood hammocks, Lakes, Mangrove swamps, Maritime hammocks, Marshes, Pine flatwoods, and Ponds. The Mangrove & Estuarine Systems occur in tidally influenced areas where strong ocean wave action is absent and where salt and fresh water mix. Soils are sandy, nutrient rich, saline, and usually oxygen deficient. Although plant species diversity is mainly limited to mangrove and sea-grasses, this ecosystem provides one of the most productive nursery habitats for fish, shellfish, birds, and other estuarine wildlife. Three species of mangroves are found in Florida: red mangrove, black mangrove, and white mangrove. Typically, red mangroves grow along the water’s edge, black mangroves grow on slightly higher elevations than the red mangrove, and white mangroves grow upland from the red and black. The buttonwood is often associated with the mangrove community. Mangroves also provide shoreline protection from wind, waves, and erosion. It is our intent that native ecosystems within our parks are managed and operated in an environmentally sensitive manner. This will ensure their survival and the habitat that they provide through our County parks system. |
Natural Areas Program
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