State 1
Vegetated Coastal Zones

These are highly fluctuating communities that occur along high-energy coastlines and is dominated by saltwater tolerant annuals and perennials closest to the ocean and grading into taller grasses and woody species further away from the coast. The communities in the sub-model show the undisturbed succession after the reference community (State & Community 1.1) depending on the type of substrates they are deposited on. The transitions shown are characteristic if the community is left undisturbed over time. However this is a highly fluctuating community and disturbances can affect one or all of the following communities, often transitioning it back to unconsolidated substrate (State & Community 2.1), which over time can recolonize with any of the coastal communities behind a beach dune.

Characteristics and indicators. This state is characterized by vegetated communities directly adjacent to the ocean, often influenced by the salt spray and tidal fluctuations. The more developed communities are often found on stabilized beach dunes and can support more woody vegetation.

Resilience management. These are highly prized communities for both urbanization and recreational uses.

Community 1.1
Beach Dune

Figure 7. Stabilized Beach Dune .

This is a predominantly herbaceous community of wide ranging coastal specialist plants found on both the vegetated upper beach and the first dune above the beach (foredune). This community is usually built by perennial rhizomatous grasses, whose stems trap the sand grains blown off the beach, building up the dune by growing upward to keep pace with sand burial. Dune and upper beach plants colonize this new area haphazardly at first, but gradually become organized into foredune and upper beach zones as waves build the beach back up and wind moves the sand inland to build a new dune ridge. Once a new foredune ridge blocks salt spray and plant cover inhibits sand movement, inland herbaceous and eventually woody species can begin to replace the coastal pioneer species of the beach dune community in the back-dune area. As dune systems forms, there will be a continuum in soil surface coverage of sparsely populated vegetation to more dense coverage further from the water line.

Resilience management. Water and wind are the primary environmental forces that shape the ecology of beach dunes. Plants on the foredune are regularly exposed to salt spray and sand burial from onshore winds blowing across the salt water and open sandy beach; plants on the upper beach are subject to these stresses plus occasional inundation by high seasonal or storm tides and periodic destruction by waves. The plants of the beach dune community are adapted to either withstand these stresses or to rapidly re-colonize from seed or vegetative parts following destruction. Storm waves may either erode the seaward face of the foredune, moving sand offshore to form underwater bars, or break through the dune, moving sand inland as an overwash fan. Fire is naturally rare in this community. The shoreline location prevents fires from spreading from at least half the possible compass directions, and beach dunes typically lack the necessary fuel loads and continuity to carry fire for appreciable distances.

Community 1.2
Coastal Grassland

This is a predominantly herbaceous community occupying the drier portions of the transition zone between beach dunes on the immediate coast and communities dominated with more woody species, such as coastal strands or maritime hammocks, found further inland. It is similar to beach dunes by having similar vegetative species, but is protected by the dunes, allowing a more stable community.

Resilience management. Coastal grassland develops in two ways: either as a barrier island builds seaward, developing new dune ridges along the shore which protect the inland ridges from sand burial and salt spray, or as a beach recovers after storm overwash and a new foredune ridge builds up along the shore, protecting the overwashed area behind it from sand burial and salt spray. Distance from the coast and the physical barrier of the first dune ridge above the beach (foredune) diminish the intensity of sand burial and salt spray, which affect the coastal grassland community to a lesser extent than they do the beach dune community. If storm waves breach the foredune and spread sand over the coastal grassland, a beach dune community will re-colonize at first. Fertilization from piles of seaweed washed up by the storm helps to speed plant growth and the re-colonization process. Once a new foredune ridge builds up above the beach and plant cover inhibits further sand movement behind this ridge, other herbaceous species can colonize and occur with the coastal pioneer species to form the coastal grassland community. As time passes, absent further storms, the coastal grassland community itself will gradually be replaced by woody species to form scrub, coastal strand, or maritime hammock communities. Fire is naturally rare and localized in this community with water barriers and sparse fuels combining to limit its spread.

Community 1.3
Coastal Strand

This community is an evergreen shrub community growing on stabilized coastal dunes with a smooth canopy due to pruning by salt spray. It usually develops as a band between dunes along the immediate coast, and maritime hammock, scrub, or mangrove swamp communities further inland. On broad barrier islands or protruding coasts, it may also occur as patches of shrubs within a coastal grassland matrix. Coastal strand is usually the first woody plant community inland from the coast, behind dunes or grasslands and in front of taller maritime hammocks. The width of the band of coastal strand is determined by the degree of protection from spray provided by the foredune. Coastal strand is distinguished from maritime hammock by the absence of distinct tree canopy and understory layers. It is distinguished from coastal berm and shell mound by its occurrence on sand deposits along a high-energy sandy coast, rather than on a shell deposits along a low-energy, mangrove-dominated coast. It is distinguished from coastal grassland by the dominance of woody, rather than herbaceous species.

Resilience management. Salt spray, blown off the water when the wind speed is high enough to produce white caps (ca. 16 mph), maintains a low, even canopy by killing the most seaward twigs of the shrubs. As salt spray is combed out of the wind stream by the more seaward dead twigs, those landward of them can grow a little taller to landward, producing a canopy that slants up away from the coast. Storm waves periodically destroy sea oats dunes and the coastal strand behind them, with the resulting bare area being re-colonized first by sea oats and pioneer beach species and then by coastal grassland as the sea oats foredune is re-built and provides some protection from moving sand off the beach. The resulting coastal grassland is in turn invaded by patches of woody species which eventually coalesce into a continuous woody community of coastal strand.

Community 1.4
Coastal Interdunal Swale

Coastal interdunal swales are marshes, moist grasslands, dense shrubs, or damp flats in linear depressions formed between successive dune ridges as sandy barrier islands, capes, or beach plains build seaward. They are saltwater intolerant wetlands found in depressions embedded within coastal grasslands or between beach dunes.

Resilience management. The low areas between the dunes are progressively more protected from blowing sand and seawater intrusion, allowing a succession of several associations of herbaceous species, and ending with woody species. Salt water intrusion and increased sand movement following storms can set this successional process back to its initial stages, or storm surge and storm waves may obliterate the ridge-swale topography completely, leaving a level plain, which is in turn colonized by the dune grassland community. Coastal interdunal swale differs from both coastal grassland and beach dune communities in that it lacks species intolerant of inundation.

Community 1.5
Coastal Berm

Coastal berms are short forests or shrub thickets found on long narrow storm-deposited ridges of loose sediments formed by a mixture of coarse shell fragments, pieces of coralline algae, and other coastal debris. These ridges parallel the shore and may be found on the seaward edge or landward edge of the mangroves or further inland depending on the height of the storm surge that formed them. They range in height from 1 to 10 feet. Structure and composition of the vegetation is variable depending on height and time since the last storm event. The most stable berms may share some tree species with rockland hammocks, but generally have a greater proportion of shrubs and herbs. Found along lower energy coastlines in Florida and the Florida Keys, coastal berms are formed by deposition from storm surges. Tall berms may be the product of repeated storm deposition.

Resilience management. Coastal berms that are deposited far enough inland and remain long undisturbed may in time succeed to maritime hammock. It can be distinguished from neighboring communities by its physical features rather than species composition. This is a structurally variable community that may appear in various stages of succession following storm disturbances, from scattered herbaceous beach colonizers to a dense stand of tall shrubs. Fires are rare to non-existent in this community but are threatened by exotic species invasion following storm disturbances. Because of its proximity to ocean, sea level rise is one of the biggest environmental drivers, with inundation and impacts of storm events leading to increased habitat fragmentation and changes in the structure of the system. Increased soil salinity will lead to more salt tolerant plant dominance and eventually ghost forests where no salt intolerant species thrive.

Community 1.6
Maritime Hammock

Maritime hammocks are the climax community of the coastal zone ecological site (Bellis, 1995). They are predominantly evergreen hardwood forests growing on stabilized coastal dunes lying at varying distances from the shore. They are fully developed communities with an array of tropical and temperate species that can survive in calcitic soils. While seen as the climax community, these hammocks are very sensitive to changes in the surrounding coastal communities habitat.

Resilience management. Due to their coastal location with water barriers on at least one, if not two sides, fire was probably naturally rare and very spotty in maritime hammock, especially on the narrower barrier islands. Fires may weaken the canopy trees making them more susceptible to damage by other coastal stresses, such as salt spray and storm winds. Maritime hammocks are principally influenced by wind-borne salt spray, storm waves, and sand burial. Salt spray from both the ocean and bay sides of islands can enter and kill the upper buds, producing smooth, “pruned” canopies of evenly increasing height away from the coast. If storm waves destroy the protective dunes seaward of the hammock, sand can blow inland, burying the trees. In addition to physical destruction by storm waves, hammock trees are susceptible to being killed by standing salt water deposited in low areas by storm surge.

Pathway 1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2

As a beach dune becomes more stable, the area behind the dune becomes more protected from changes, which allow for this communities to form. The following communities rely on the stabilization to allow for the growth of grassy, and eventually, woody species.

Context dependence. This community is dependent on the stabilization of sand by perennial rhizomatous grasses such as sea oats on a beach dune. As these plants grow they are able to trap more sand, creating a more stable dune over time, which will allow for the communities behind the dune to form.

Pathway 1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.3

As a beach dune becomes more stable, the area behind the dune becomes more protected from changes, which allow for this communities to form. The following communities rely on the stabilization to allow for the growth of grassy, and eventually, woody species.

Context dependence. This community is dependent on the stabilization of sand by perennial rhizomatous grasses such as sea oats on a beach dune. As these plants grow they are able to trap more sand, creating a more stable dune over time, which will allow for the communities behind the dune to form.

Pathway 1.3A
Community 1.3 to 1.4

As a beach dune becomes more stable, the area behind the dune becomes more protected from changes, which allow for this communities to form. The following communities rely on the stabilization to allow for the growth of grassy, and eventually, woody species.

Context dependence. This community is dependent on the stabilization of sand by perennial rhizomatous grasses such as sea oats on a beach dune. As these plants grow they are able to trap more sand, creating a more stable dune over time, which will allow for the communities behind the dune to form.

Pathway 1.4A
Community 1.4 to 1.5

This mechanism is driven primarily by storm surges and other extreme weather events that are able to deposit shelly materials further inland from the coast, allowing for the establishment of a protected vegetated community found on shelly substrates.

Pathway 1.4B
Community 1.4 to 1.6

As a beach dune becomes more stable, the area behind the dune becomes more protected from changes, which allow for this communities to form. The following communities rely on the stabilization to allow for the growth of grassy, and eventually, woody species.

Context dependence. This community is dependent on the stabilization of sand by perennial rhizomatous grasses such as sea oats on a beach dune. As these plants grow they are able to trap more sand, creating a more stable dune over time, which will allow for the communities behind the dune to form.

Pathway 1.5A
Community 1.5 to 1.6

As the area becomes more stable, the area deposited with shells behind the dune becomes more protected from changes, which allow for this community to form. The following communities rely on the stabilization to allow for the growth of grassy, and eventually, woody species.

State 2
Unconsolidated Substrate

This area is typically an unvegetated community that is found in the inter- and supra-tidal zones and deposits wind blown and tidally moved sand on the shore. Unconsolidated Substrates are important in that they form the foundation for the development of other Marine and Estuarine Natural Communities (Ecological Sites R156AY500FL and R156AY550FL) when conditions become appropriate. Unconsolidated Substrate Communities are associated with and often grade into Beach Dunes (Phase 1.1) in this ecosite.

Characteristics and indicators. This area is characterized by very sparse to no vegetation in the inter- and supra-tidal zones. It is the main depositor of sand for the establishment of the vegetated coastal communities.

State 3
Invasive Non-Native Community

This state consists of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Non-Native Category 1 Species list . More information on these species list can be found: https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/63140/file/Florida%E2%80%99s_Pest_Plants.pdf or by contacting the UF / IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/), the UF / IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas (https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/), or the FWC Invasive Plant Management Section (http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/invasive-plants/). This community will not represent every possibility of invasive species but rather the most common in these areas.

Characteristics and indicators. Non-Native species include species that exist outside of Florida's natural range and are introduced to the state via people, weather events, or any other means.

Resilience management. This state can be found as a part of any other state and can completely replace the native habitat if not properly managed. Restoration to natural communities after exotic non-native invasion includes practices such as mechanical and chemical removal.

State 4
Human Altered and Human Transported Areas

These areas include soils that were intentionally and substantially modified by humans for an intended purpose, commonly for terraced agriculture, building support, mining, transportation, and commerce. The alteration is of sufficient magnitude to result in the introduction of a new parent material (human-transported material) or a profound change in the previously existing parent material (human-altered material). They do not include soils modified through standard agricultural practices or formed soils with unintended wind and water erosion. When a soil is on or above an anthropogenic landform or microfeature, it can be definitely be associated with human activity and is assigned to a unique taxa, usually found as an "Urban land complex" within that communities' natural soil properties (e.g., Bahiahonda fine sand-Urban land complex, 0-3 % Slopes).

Characteristics and indicators. Evidence of these areas include soils with manufactured items (e.g. artifacts) present in the profile, human altered-materials (e.g., deeply excavated or plowed soil) or human-transported material (e.g., fill), and position on or above anthropogenic landforms (e.g., flood-control levees) and microfeatures (e.g., drainage ditches). Detailed criteria regarding the identification of anthropogenic (artificial) landforms, human-altered materials, and human-transported material are in the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy" (Soil Survey Staff, 2014).

Community 4.1
Reclaimed Areas

Reclaimed areas are areas that have been modified through anthropogenic means that are restored to a natural or second-hand natural community. Areas that can be reclaimed are any intensity urban areas, and may be required to be reclaimed after urban use (e.g., active mines must be reclaimed). These practices include the identification, removal, and stockpiling soil materials before altering the land, and revegetation and replacement of soil materials after altering the land. This also applies to nearby urban areas that have been adversely affected by the anthropogenic activities.

Community 4.2
Urban

This urban community consists of development for human use. Urban areas include a variety of land uses, e.g., inner city or urban core, industrial and residential areas, cemeteries, parks, and other open spaces; the overall function which may benefit the quality of human life. These often form an urban soil mosaic, where the natural landscape has been fragmented into parcels with distinctive disturbance and management regimes and, as a result, distinctive characteristic soil properties.

Resilience management. Within this community there are three different levels of urbanization, based off population dynamics, residential density, and intensity of development. These are labeled as low-intensity, medium-intensity, and high-intensity urban areas, which can eventually be split apart into its own separate state. Low-intensity urban areas may consist of single dwelling homes with little impact on the surrounding community which still somewhat represents the natural community (e.g., represents natural landscape, hydrology, and vegetation) , other examples of this are urban parks, cemeteries, or campgrounds with little urban development. Medium-intensity urban areas consist of larger urban dwellings with some natural features, but have been modified to meet urban needs (e.g., towns). High-intensity urban areas are areas of heavily modified areas with complete alterations of the natural landscape, hydrology, and vegetation to support a very large population, which once constructed is permanently altered (e.g., metropolis areas/ active mines).

Pathway 4.1A
Community 4.1 to 4.2

This shift in communities is driven by clearing and developing the land for the desired community.

Pathway 4.2A
Community 4.2 to 4.1

This transition is driven by the revegetation, reestablished hydroperiods and replacement of displaced soil materials after altering the land.

State 5
Permanently Flooded Hydroperiod

This state describes the impact of increased hydroperiods from anthropogenic or natural causes that creates an altered hydrologic state resulting in permanent flooding. The impact of this causes destruction of the terrestrial community and may in time shift to a subaqueous community.

Characteristics and indicators. This state is characterized by permanent water levels in an area that was previously in an intertidal or supratidal zone.

Resilience management. This is a final state and unlikely and improbable to go back to the original reference state.

Community 5.1
Ghost Forests (if wooded)

Ghost forests are the remains of a wooded vegetated community after changes in the long term hydroperiod (primarily sea level rise or artificial impoundment) permanently saturate the root system and becomes too saline for the species tolerance. They appear as standing dead wood representing where once the living vegetation stood. Evidence of previous shorelines may be found in subaqueous soil cores as root matter or a buried organic horizon.

Community 5.2
Open Water

This is the final state and is when alteration of the natural hydroperiod has left an area permanently flooded. No terrestrial vegetation representative of the reference state will be present but may support rooted submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) species if proper growth conditions are met.

Pathway 5.1A
Community 5.1 to 5.2

This is caused by anthropogenic or natural increases in hydroperiods causing the area to be permanently flooded.

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

This transition from vegetated to nonvegetated communities is driven by the destruction of the beach dune. This can be from coastal erosion via naturally or anthropogenically, or from extreme storm events that destroy the beach dune and allow for washover of sand and saltwater. The rapid intrusion of saltwater and / or sand can smother the existing vegetation that depended on the beach dune for protection.

Constraints to recovery. Depending on the intensity of the destruction, the vegetated communities behind the dune may be destroyed, and will depend on the reestablishment of the dune before the following communities may be reestablished.

Context dependence. This is most often seen with extreme storm events during storm surges, blowing through the established dune to destroy the vegetated communities. It can also happen over time anthropogenically, when beachgoers create a path through the dunes perpendicular to the water, making the dune more susceptible to erosion.

Transition T1B
State 1 to 3

The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as changes in natural hydroperiods or in fire regimes. Typically once a change in one of the two factors mentioned above occurs, non-native or exotic invasive species become established and begin to compete with native species for habitat and nutrients.

Constraints to recovery. Recovery from non-native or exotic invasive species may be difficult due to many adaptations which allow them to survive and outcompete in intolerable conditions. Localized knowledge for each species must be known for best removal of it without harming the native environment, and often different treatments must be applied over one given area.

Context dependence. Growth of non-native and exotic invasive species can be rapid following a change in a natural stressor such as fire frequency or natural hydroperiods which might have once kept the invasive species at bay.

Transition T1C
State 1 to 4

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.

Transition T1D
State 1 to 5

This is driven by increased hydroperiods, both anthropogenic and natural, which causes long-term flooding and permanently altering the state.

Restoration pathway R2A
State 2 to 1

This restoration strategy depends on the undisturbed succession of the vegetated communities. It depends on the recolonization of a beach dune with seaoats or another dune stabilizing grass/ forb that can protect the communities behind it. After a storm surge the deposition of shelly substrates in an area might lead to the formation of a coastal berm instead of a dune if found along a lower energy coastline.

Context dependence. Over longer periods of time if remained undisturbed this area can transition along back towards a maritime hammock. This is dependent on the community remaining undisturbed, from natural influences such as extreme weather events or from anthropogenic influences such as urbanization.

Transition T2A
State 2 to 3

The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as changes in natural hydroperiods or in fire regimes. Typically once a change in one of the two factors mentioned above occurs, non-native or exotic invasive species become established and begin to compete with native species for habitat and nutrients.

Constraints to recovery. Recovery from non-native or exotic invasive species may be difficult due to many adaptations which allow them to survive and outcompete in intolerable conditions. Localized knowledge for each species must be known for best removal of it without harming the native environment, and often different treatments must be applied over one given area.

Context dependence. Growth of non-native and exotic invasive species can be rapid following a change in a natural stressor such as fire frequency or natural hydroperiods which might have once kept the invasive species at bay.

Transition T2B
State 2 to 4

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.

Transition T2C
State 2 to 5

This is driven by increased hydroperiods, both anthropogenic and natural, which causes long-term flooding and permanently altering the state.

Restoration pathway R3A
State 3 to 1

Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the non-native and exotic invasive species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for individual non-native or exotic invasive species is needed for specific management. Sometimes introduction of fire regimes may prevent or stop the growth of non-native or exotic invasive species, but many species are fire tolerant. Mechanical removal might include cutting and removal of invasive species. Chemical removal might include spot spraying or basal bark injection treatments.

Context dependence. Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal of non-native and exotic invasive species is a time dependent process, with both removal types taking long times to be considered effective.

Restoration pathway R3B
State 3 to 2

Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the non-native and exotic invasive species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for individual non-native or exotic invasive species is needed for specific management. Sometimes introduction of fire regimes may prevent or stop the growth of non-native or exotic invasive species, but many species are fire tolerant. Mechanical removal might include cutting and removal of invasive species. Chemical removal might include spot spraying or basal bark injection treatments.

Context dependence. Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal of non-native and exotic invasive species is a time dependent process, with both removal types taking long times to be considered effective.

Transition T3A
State 3 to 4

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.

Transition T3B
State 3 to 5

This is driven by increased hydroperiods, both anthropogenic and natural, which causes long-term flooding and permanently altering the state.

Transition T4A
State 4 to 5

This is driven by increased hydroperiods, both anthropogenic and natural, which causes long-term flooding and permanently altering the state.

Transition T5A
State 5 to 2

This is driven by soil aeration which causes rapid oxidation within the community. This allows the soil to produce sulfates and cause rapid decomposition, leaving behind an area of unconsolidated substrates.