ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY


 NO. 23 PITCHER PLANT BOGS


OCCURRENCE

The Pitcher Plant Bogs ecological community occurs primarily in north Florida.
They are most common in northwest Florida just inland from the coast.
Individual communities vary in size but are usually no more than 100 acres.

DESCRIPTION

This community appears as an open expanse,of grasses, sedges, and pitcher
plants with scattered, stunted pine and cypress. At times, the bogs are
flamboyant with wild flowers. There is a predominance of insect-eating
plants, dominated by pitcher plants. The erect "trumpets" of these
spectacular plants protrude up through the grasses and sedges. The community
occupies generally flat areas or seepage hillsides. Water frequently stands
on the surface.

1. Soils

 Soils commonly associated with the community are nearly level to sloping,
 deep, acid, poorly or very poorly drained, and developed from sandy or
 sandy and loamy materials. Representative soils are Mulat and Rutledge.
 Appendix A contains information on correlation of soil series with the
 appropriate ecological community.

 2. Vegetation

 The natural vegetation of this community is low-growing grasses and
 herbaceous plants with scattered trees or shrubs. There is a predominance
 of pitcher plants. Plants which characterize this community are:

 TREES Slasn pine, Pinus elliottii

 SHRUBS Waxmyrtle, Myrica cerifera; Myrtle-leaved holly, Ilex cassine
 var. myrtifolia

 HERBACEOUS PLANTS Hat pin sedge, Eriocaulon spp.; Pitcher-plant,
 Sarracenia spp.; Rush featherling, Pleea tenuifolia; Sundews,
 Drosera spp.

 GRASSES Blue maidencane, Amphicarpum muhlenbergianum; Florida threeawn,
 Aristida rhizomophora; Pineland threeawn, Aristida stricta;
 Toothachegrass, Ctenium aromaticum; Warty panicum, Panicum
 verrucosum

 A list of other plants that occur in the community is in Appendix B.

 3. Animals

 This community is characterized by a low diversity of wildlife. The fauna
 is not well known but is largely burrowing, such as crayfish, earthworms,