State 1
Marl Prairie

Marl prairies are sparsely vegetated, graminoid dominated communities found on marl substrates in the Everglades ecoregion of South Florida. Periphyton function within this ecological site to precipitate calcium carbonate to form marl substrates found within the soil profile and on the surface. Stunted trees may be present within this community.

Characteristics and indicators. Marl is the primary indicator of this ecological site, formed by blue-green algae species known as periphyton.

Resilience management. Fire is used to maintain this community, estimated at intervals of every 3 to 15 years. This helps prevent invasion from woody species and help stimulate flowering plants, with fires taking place during the winter months. Maintenance of the hydroperiod is also plays an important role. This site has a hydroperiod of 3 to 7 months which helps maintain grasses and herbaceous species being dominant. Alteration of the natural hydroperiod, whether increases or decreases, or changes in salinity, will alter the reference state.

Community 1.1
Freshwater Marl Prairie

Freshwater marl prairies are sparsely vegetated, graminoid-dominated communities found on marl substrates influenced primarily by freshwater. Periphyton function to precipitate calcium carbonate to form marl substrates, often found within the soil profile and throughout the prairie on rocks and grasses. This allows for slow permeability through the soil which creates slightly longer hydroperiods than wet prairies, but shorter than freshwater marshes and sloughs. These are highly diverse communities, and can support many herbaceous species while having the majority of the plant cover being two or three different grass species.

Resilience management. Fire is used to sustain this community, with return intervals every 3 to 15 years to maintain structure and prevent woody invasion. These prairies usually dry out in the winter and is subject to fire before the growing season in the spring, which help stimulate flowering of dormant grasses.

Community 1.2
Shrub bog

Shrub bogs consists of dense stands of broadleaf evergreen shrubs, vines, and short trees, with height dependent on time since fire, with or without an overstory of scattered pine or bay trees, growing in mucky soil where water is usually less than a foot deep. These communities become formed when fire is excluded from the reference communities for a long period of time (estimated more than 15 years), which allow for the establishment of woody species. Fires tend to extinguish themselves from this community, and are often found adjacent to freshwater marshes or other wetlands. The larger the shrub species are the longer without fire this community has gone. Within marl prairies these shrub bogs may form when there has been a decrease in freshwater hydrology through urbanization and fire has been excluded from the system. This will allow for the growth of shrubby species to become established.

Resilience management. This community is maintained by the absence of fire within a community which allows for the establishment of organic matter accumulation and shrub growth. Excluding fire from this community maintains this structure. When fires do occur in this community, it is during periods of extreme drought, in which the shrubs are able to re-sprout rapidly.

Pathway 1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2

This mechanism that drives the change from a prairie to a shrub bog consists of the absence of fire from the community which allows organic matter accumulation and the establishment of woody shrub species. Introduction of species may be from wildlife, introduction anthropogenically, or from encroachment of surrounding communities.

Context dependence. This is dependent of the absence of fire from this community which can allow the accumulation of organic matter and growth of shrubby species. It is estimated for the transition fire must be excluded from this community more than 15 years, which is sufficient amounts of time to allow for woody growth. Absence of fire may be from poor management, anthropogenic firebreaks that block natural fires, or unusually wet years.

Pathway 1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.1

The transition back to a marl prairie includes the removal of shrubs. This may be achieved by reintroducing fire back into the system along the proper intervals. It may also be achieved by mechanical, chemical, or biological removal of undesirable shrubby species. Fire reintroduction will be needed if mechanical, chemical, or biological methods are utilized to remove excessive organic matter buildup already present in the system.

State 2
Freshwater Marsh

This state is characterized by a long hydroperiod (>7 months) and is dominated by grasses, sedges, broadleaf emergent, floating aquatics, or shrubs. Species composition usually is heterogeneous and forms along different zones related to length of hydroperiod and depth of flooding. These marshes are often the result of marl prairies which have experienced an increase in its long-term hydroperiod, promoting organic matter accumulation and sawgrass development. These can be characterized as sawgrass marshes found on organic soils over calcitic soils.

Community 2.1
Marly Glades Marsh

Figure 9. Close up of soil core from the Everglades ecoregion showing a layer of marl (left) under highly decomposed organic material (right). The vegetation currently represents a sawgrass marsh, but shows evidence of once of marl prairie origin.

This community is representative of the sawgrass marshes similar to the Non-Forested Glades Marsh and Slough Wetlands of Everglades concept (R156A220FL). These are sawgrass dominated marshes found on organic soils over a marl substrate.

Community 2.2
Open Water

This community is formed from long hydroperiods that can cause permanent flooding in a given area, destroying the reference site and creating a permanently flooded waterbody. Emergent aquatic vegetation may occur within this area.

Pathway 2.1A
Community 2.1 to 2.2

This driver stems from increased freshwater hydroperiods, whether natural or anthropogenic. Natural increases in hydroperiods may be due to increased precipitation over a decadal scale or changes in sea level rise. Anthropogenic increases in hydroperiods may be from urbanization further up the watershed, which may lead to increased sheet flow or longer standing water.

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 introduced to the state by people, weather, or any other means.

Resilience management. This state can be found as a part of any other state and can completely destroy the native habitat if not properly managed. Restoration to natural communities after exotic invasion include practices such as mechanical, biological, and chemical removals.

State 4
Managed Resource Areas

The following communities comprise the major land uses in the United States and the land uses receiving the majority of the conservation treatment that address soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources within the USDA.

Characteristics and indicators. These land uses consist of areas that are not completely naturalized (i.e. native habitat) but are not completely altered by anthropogenic means.

Community 4.1
Rangeland

Rangelands are described as lands on which the indigenous vegetation is predominately grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, and possibly shrubs or dispersed trees. Existing plant communities can include both native and introduced plants. Primary export from Florida ranges are cattle and have been present in the state since their first introduction by Spanish explorers in 1521. This is the reference community for this state because it requires very little alterations to the landscape for grazing species. Rangelands provide a diversity of ecosystems and also provide a diverse and significant production of economic benefits and ecosystem goods and services. Livestock production along with sustainable wildlife populations provide for the major direct economic benefits, but also tourism, recreational uses, minerals/energy production, renewable energy, and other natural resource uses can be very significant. Vital ecosystem contributions include clean water, clean air, fish/wildlife habitat, as well as intangible considerations such as historical, cultural, aesthetic and spiritual values.

Resilience management. Grazing, by both domestic livestock and wildlife, is the most common ecological management process, with fire and weather extremes also being significant ecological factors. For information regarding specific cattle grazing techniques please contact your local NRCS office.

Community 4.2
Open Transitional Managed Communities

This is an area that is managed to maintain open land before shifting to another community. These communities are often used as transitional periods from one practice to another and could lead to an abandoned / fallow field.

Community 4.3
Improved Pasture

Pasture is a land use type having vegetation cover comprised primarily of introduced or enhanced native forage species that is used for livestock grazing. Pasture vegetation can consist of grasses, legumes, other forbs, shrubs or a mixture. The majority of these forages are introduced, having originally come from areas in other states or continents. Most are now naturalized and are vital components of pasture based grazing systems. Pasture lands provide many benefits other than forage for livestock. Wildlife use pasture as shelter and for food sources. Well managed pasture captures rainwater that is slowly infiltrated into the soil which helps recharge groundwater. Many small pasture livestock operations are near urban areas providing vistas for everyone to enjoy.

Resilience management. Pastures receive periodic renovation and cultural treatments such as tillage, fertilization, mowing, weed control, and may be irrigated. For more information regarding specific pasture management please contact your local NRCS office.

Community 4.4
Agriculture

The agriculture industry includes cultivated crops, aquaculture, and apiculture. Cultivated cropland includes areas used for the production of adapted crops for harvest. These areas comprises land in row crops or close-grown crops that are in a rotation with row or close-grown crops. Primary export from Florida consists of fruits, greenhouse and nursery products, sugar cane, and the signature export of citrus. Aquaculture includes the cultivation and maintenance of aquatic plants, aquatic reptiles, crustaceans, food/ ornamental fish, shellfish, and other miscellaneous species for harvesting. Apiculture includes the maintenance of honeybees and hives to provide beeswax, honey/ other edible bee products, crop pollination services, and sales of bees to other beekeepers. These areas have been modified resulting in land clearing practices and hydrologic management to fit the growers needs.

Resilience management. Major natural resource concerns facing cropland include: (1) erosion by wind and water, (2) maintaining and enhancing soil quality, (3) water quality from nutrient and pesticides runoff and leaching, and (4) managing the quantity of water available for irrigation. For more specific information regarding cropland please contact your local NRCS office.

Community 4.5
Silviculture

Silviculture is land used in controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society such as wildlife habitat, timber, water resources, restoration, and recreation on a sustainable basis. These are forestry practices that include thinning, harvesting, planting, pruning, prescribed burning and site preparation, for managed goals such as wildlife habitat creation or harvesting. Many managed silvicultural lands in Florida include tree plantations for growth of tropical ornamental species such as palms; and lumber, pulp, and paper species such as slash pine, longleaf pine, cypress, and eucalyptus. This community also include management practices of agroforestry, the intentional mixing of trees and shrubs into crop and/or animal production systems to create environmental, economic and social benefits. This is included in this community and not any other state because the primary management is for tree species. This may include practices such as riparian forest buffers, windbreaks, forest farming, silvopasture, and alley cropping.

Resilience management. Management of silvicultural lands require specific prescriptions based on the management goals for the stand, and may include thinning, harvesting, planting, pruning, prescribed burning and site preparation. For more information regarding specific management for silviculture practices please contact your local NRCS office.

Pathway 4.1A
Community 4.1 to 4.2

This pathway is driven by land clearing practices that consists of removing the existing vegetation from the habitat and altering the habitat to prepare for modified land use.

Pathway 4.2A
Community 4.2 to 4.1

This pathway is driven by the restoration of the native habitat for the use of rangeland. This includes restoration of both the hydrology and landscape in advance of replanting native species. This is a time-consuming process and often results in second-hand community structure. Once restored to a natural capacity the introduction of grazing species to the system creates a managed rangeland.

Pathway 4.2B
Community 4.2 to 4.3

This pathway is driven by preparing the land for pasteurization. This includes the planting of vegetation consisting of grasses, legumes, other forbs, shrubs or a mixture that will provide preferred forage for managed grazing species.

Pathway 4.2C
Community 4.2 to 4.4

This pathway is driven by the preparation of land for agricultural uses. This change is dependent on the type of agricultural community is being created, but often depends on the growing, maintenance, and cultivation of an agricultural product for consumers. This community may require modification to the land to fit the hydrologic requirement of the growing crop.

Pathway 4.2D
Community 4.2 to 4.5

This pathway is driven by the preparation of the land for silvicultural purposes. This change is dependent on the type of silvicultural product being cultivated, as many different practices require different growth requirements.

Pathway 4.3A
Community 4.3 to 4.2

This pathway is driven by land clearing practices that consists of removing the existing vegetation from the habitat and altering the habitat to prepare for modified land use.

Pathway 4.3B
Community 4.3 to 4.4

This pathway is driven by the preparation of land for agricultural uses. This change is dependent on the type of agricultural community is being created, but often depends on the growing, maintenance, and cultivation of an agricultural product for consumers. This community may require modification to the land to fit the hydrologic requirement of the growing crop.

Pathway 4.3C
Community 4.3 to 4.5

This pathway is driven by the preparation of the land for silvicultural purposes. This change is dependent on the type of silvicultural product being cultivated, as many different practices require different growth requirements.

Pathway 4.4A
Community 4.4 to 4.2

This pathway is driven by land clearing practices that consists of removing the existing vegetation from the habitat and altering the habitat to prepare for modified land use.

Pathway 4.4B
Community 4.4 to 4.5

This pathway is driven by the preparation of the land for silvicultural purposes. This change is dependent on the type of silvicultural product being cultivated, as many different practices require different growth requirements.

Pathway 4.5A
Community 4.5 to 4.2

This pathway is driven by land clearing practices that consists of removing the existing vegetation from the habitat and altering the habitat to prepare for modified land use.

State 5
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., Biscayne gravelly marly silt loam, drained-Urban land complex, 0-1% 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 deeply 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 5.1
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 5.2
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. 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).

Community 5.3
Non-Reclaimed Areas

Non-reclaimed areas are areas that have been modified through anthropogenic means that are unable to be restored to a natural or second-hand natural community. Areas that cannot be reclaimed are areas under active mining status or mined areas before the Phosphate Land Reclamation Act in 1975, which leaves shut down operations alone. These areas also include fallow mines that have been flooded and are now permanent bodies of water.

Community 5.4
Landfills

This is an anthropogenic site for the disposal of waste material. It includes manufactured layers (artificial, root limiting layer below the soil surface) that are representative of human altered and human transported sites. These layers are often alternative between natural fill material and geotextile liners, asphalt, concrete, rubber or plastic that are built up and can rise above the surrounding landscape by 30 meters or more often impeding water, gas, or roots from moving through the profile.

Pathway 5.1A
Community 5.1 to 5.2

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

Pathway 5.1B
Community 5.1 to 5.4

This transition is driven by the deposition of manufactured layers along with anthropogenic waste which is consistently built upon.

Pathway 5.2A
Community 5.2 to 5.1

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

Pathway 5.2B
Community 5.2 to 5.3

This transition is driven from heavy industrial or urban development which causes the land to become non-reclaimable. This transition is rare due to the many environmental laws and regulations that must be followed when developing.

Pathway 5.2C
Community 5.2 to 5.4

This transition is driven by the deposition of manufactured layers along with anthropogenic waste which is consistently built upon.

Pathway 5.3A
Community 5.3 to 5.1

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

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

Longer hydroperiods can transition this community to freshwater marshes favoring peat development. Occurrence of this transition can be natural over extended periods of time or may be through anthropogenic alterations of the surrounding landscape which may alter the natural hydroperiod of these communities.

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 outcompete and survive in altered 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

Modify the land for the desired land use. This may include the establishment of grazing species or the modification of land for the cultivation of crops of other desired products. Due to the shallow nature of this ecosite, the development of these areas utilize rock plowing, a process that breaks the limestone bedrock to establish deeper soils used for agriculture and planting species.

Transition T1D
State 1 to 5

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

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 outcompete and survive in altered 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

Modify the land for the desired land use. This may include the establishment of grazing species or the modification of land for the cultivation of crops of other desired products.

Transition T2C
State 2 to 5

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

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

Modify the land for the desired land use. This may include the establishment of grazing species or the modification of land for the cultivation of crops of other desired products.

Transition T3B
State 3 to 5

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

Restoration pathway R4A
State 4 to 1

These practices include the restoration of both the natural hydroperiods and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).

Restoration pathway R4B
State 4 to 2

These practices include the restoration of both the natural hydroperiods and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).

Restoration pathway R4C
State 4 to 3

These practices include the restoration of both the natural hydroperiods and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).

Transition T4A
State 4 to 5

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