Betsy Purdum
|
Dry prairie is a fast disappearing community occuring only in
central Florida. “Dry” prairie does not describe a
permanent condition: portions of “dry” prairies are
often “wet.” During the summer rainy season, standing
water may drain as overland sheet flow, and even in the winter
during El Nino years, dry prairies may be wet for a month or more.
Dry prairies are dry only in relation to marshes, the other major
treeless community in central Florida.
Dry prairies often share soil types, topography, and hydrologic
regimes with neighboring mesic flatwoods. Their distinguishing
characteristic is absence of trees, most likely the result of
more intense and more frequent fires historically caused by lightning.
Central Florida has more thunderstorm days and lightning strikes
than any place in the United States. The largest, most intense
burns historically occurred in late spring and early summer when
conditions were relatively dry and fuel abundant. Fires later
in the summer were probably smaller and less intense because of
wetter conditions. In frequently burned dry prairies, the understory
is diverse although wiregrass, sparse stunted palmetto, and low-growing
runner oak commonly dominate.
Return
to Natural Communities
