Led by Tom Morris
Tom Morris will lead a pre-convention ecology field trip on Sunday, August 10, focusing on Florida's more important types of habitats. The first stop will be at Morningside Nature Center where he will show and discuss the longleaf pine sandhills ecosystem, which is an endangered plant and animal community harboring specialized species of wildlife like the indigo snake, coachwhip, sharp-tailed snake, pine snake, six-lined racerunner, sand skink, worm lizard, gopher frog, gopher tortoise and Florida mouse. The pine flatwoods habitat is abundant throughout the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain and is noted for its extremely high wildflower species richness. Cypress ponds are also common in the pine flatwoods, and provide necessary breeding habitat for many of the flatwoods and sandhill herps.
The ecology field trip then will progress on to Payne's Prairie, which is a huge polje occupied by an intermittent freshwater marsh supporting dozens of microhabitats and hundreds of species of herbaceous plants. Wildlife to see here includes sandhill cranes, bald eagles, hawks, osprey, ducks, and all the species of wading birds that occur in North Florida. Payne's Prairie is drained by Alachua Sink, which is snoozing and sunning habitat for more large alligators than you will feel comfortable with. Come and enjoy the feeling of your own mortality!
Next on the ecology trip agenda are the mesic hammock and hydric hammock forests on the south side of Payne's Prairie. The semi-evergreen mesic hammock forest is rich in tree and shrub species, and bird life. The deciduous hydric hammock community, conversely, is often poor in tree and shrub species, but like the cypress pond is very important to herps for breeding and nesting.
The last stop on the ecology field trip will be Itchetucknee River State Park, a place of pristine springs and waters. Over a dozen springs feed this small river, altogether comprising a first magnitude flow. While locals tube down the river, you will be shown several of the spring vents and the spring run forest ecosystem where Tom will point out significant vegetation and discuss the hydrology of the river. Finally, you will don your swimming suits and enjoy a cooling swim in the mighty Itch. Bring swim gear, mask and snorkel!
A pine flatwoods habitat
You will see Alligator mississippiensis - we promise!
Tillandsia bartramii (Bartram's Airplant), a unique florida bromeliad
