Botany--Florida--Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve

The distribution of plant communities along a water level gradient was examined, in light of recent logging and fire history, in Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve. The dominance values of trees and shrub were used in cluster analysis to delineate plant communities. Qualitative data on logging and fire history was obtained by inspecting aerial photographs and surveillance in the field. Local water regime, as a function of topography, appears to be the most important factor associated with the distribution of plant communities in Fakahatchee Strand. Logging of cypress and subsequent dominance of hardwoods has altered the species composition of most communities so that community types have become more distinct from one another. The species composition of plant communities has apparently been altered even more when severe fire followed logging.

Populations of Guzmania monostachia, Catopsis berteroniana, C. floribunda
and C. nutans were studied in the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve,
located in southwestern Florida in Collier County. The habitat preference,
within habitat distributions and quantitative estimates of rarity were
determined for each of the bromeliads. Catopsis and Guzmania are found
primarily in swamp communities, especially in Fraxinus caroliniana-Annona
glabra sloughs. Fraxinus carolihiana is the most comroon host for these
bromeliads. On a host, these species are distributed along a vertical
gradient probably in relationship to light intensities. Guzmania monostachia
is found at the lowest height (Y = 2.5 +- 0.5 m) while Catopsis
berteroniana is found at the greatest height (Y = 5.2 +- 0.2 m). Catopsis
berteroniana occurs in the lowest densities and Guzmania in the highest.
Specific ecological requirements, habitat destruction and the existence
at the extremes of their ranges are responsible for the rarity of Catopsis
and Guzmania in Florida.