Natural Communities
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© Paul Martin Brown
Rare long-lipped ladies tresses
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Triple N Ranch contains some relatively pristine
natural plant communities. Noteworthy are high-quality dry prairie
and hydric hammocks and floodplain swamps along Crabgrass Creek.
Some plant communities on Triple N Ranch have been modified by
altered hydrologic and fire regimes, past cattle operations, and
past forestry practices.
In December of 2002, botanists from the Florida
Natural Areas Inventory discovered about 200 plants of the
rare orchid Spiranthes longilabris (long-lipped ladies
tresses) across a large area in the mesic (moist) flatwoods and
adjacent wet prairies.
FWC has contracted with the Florida
Natural Areas Inventory to map natural communities and collect
data on vegetation structure and composition for each community
on 25 managed areas. You may view or print the Natural
Communities Map (pdf file) for Triple
N Ranch.
