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Abiotic Setting
The various ecosystems (communities of plants, animals and other organisms) that exist in Florida are greatly influenced by abiotic factors such as geology, hydrology, temperature and fire frequency. These factors are themselves all influenced by the state's climate, which changes from more temperate to more tropical with decreasing distance from the equator. Florida is an extension of the Southeastern Coastal Plain of the U.S.. Like other states in this province (e.g., Texas, Louisiana, etc.), Florida has a relatively flat landscape with terraced topography shaped by former high sea levels, sandy soils, inland lakes and wetlands, and a long coastline that adds to the richness of habitats found in the state.

Climate
Florida's humid, subtropical climate is characterized by a cool and dry season and a wetter and hotter season. The lengths and timings of these seasons are different from north to south, with northwestern parts of Florida experiencing more rainfall in spring than more eastern and southern parts, but generally correspond to winter and fall for the dry season and summer for the wet season. During the wet season, daily rain and thunderstorms are common, often occurring in the afternoons. More lightning strikes occur in Florida than in any other state in the U.S., with most strikes occurring in the summer. Additionally, Florida's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea leaves it susceptible to tropical storms and hurricanes during summer months and into the fall, with peak occurrences during September and October. Seasonal variation in temperatures is different from north to south. Average winter lows may be as low as 39 °F in the northern part of the state, while in South Florida they may range from 49 to 80 °F. As a result, northern parts of Florida experience more extremes in seasonal variation. Although it is rare, snow is sometimes reported in the state. For example, 0.1 inches of snowfall was reported in Tallahassee on January 3, 2018. Because of its climate, which grades from more temperate in the north to more tropical in the south, Florida represents the southern extent in the distribution of many temperate species of plants, as well as the northern extent for many tropical plants (including many with broad Caribbean, Neotropical or pantropical distributions).

Geology
The vast majority of Florida's geologic history (95%) has been spent submerged in marine environments. Carbonates from calcifying marine creatures (including corals) and phosphorous from large deposits of organic material (e.g., dead plankton) helped shape the bedrock of present day Florida. The landmass was at one time attached to the part of the super continent Pangaea that is now Africa and migrated to its present position over millions of years due to tectonic processes. The peninsula is the part of the Florida Platform that appears above water, and the size and shape of it has fluctuated over millions of years as the Earth has heated and cooled, and caused sea levels to rise and fall correspondingly. Some parts of Florida have likely been above water for at least 35 million years. Florida's modern topography was partly shaped during the Pleistocene when sea levels were higher than present day. During this time, coastal processes accumulated large amounts of carbonate sands along what were then coastal areas. When sea levels dropped and exposed more of the Florida Platform, these dune systems were partially eroded. However, their remains were left behind, forming areas of relatively higher elevation far from the coast, such as the Lake Wales Ridge. Many of the peninsula's lakes were also formed during this time.

Karst
Most of Florida's bedrock is formed of limestone. Acidic groundwater seeping through porous limestone causes dissolution of the limestone and the formation of karst terrain. Over time, water dissolves channels, cracks, and caves through the bedrock, forming aquifers, and exits through springs or another point of discharge, carrying with it dissolved carbonates and other minerals. Given enough time, large cavities with overlying rock can form that may eventually collapse, forming sinkholes that may fill to form lakes, depressions and hilly topography.

Hydrology
Florida is a peninsula and its proximity to the sea on three sides adds to the amount of precipitation in the state. Topography greatly influences the character of hydrologic features. In the northern panhandle (coastal plain) region where there is higher topography, alluvial rivers are more common, but isolated wetlands are not. The opposite is true for South Florida, where rivers tend to be slow paced due to its flat topography, and wetlands have historically blanketed much of the landscape. A North-South hydrological divide is present in the state, which stretches from Cedar Key on the west coast to Daytona in the east. North of this divide, Florida's hydrology is greatly connected to the rest of the continent, with much of the state's water flowing in from underground sources in Georgia and Alabama. To the south, all groundwater comes from precipitation. Most of the state's lowermost groundwater system is the Floridan aquifer, formed from the state's carbonate bedrock. The Biscayne Aquifer underlies portions of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and parts of the western panhandle have an aquifer composed of sand and gravel. The groundwater in these aquifers is trapped underground in areas where impermeable rocks lie on top of it, but in many areas of Florida where permeable sediment overlies the aquifer, groundwater resurfaces and forms springs. More than 300 springs are known in the state. In other areas (recharge areas or "areas of contribution" ), precipitation permeates through the sediment and recharges the aquifer. Areas of higher elevation (e.g., the Lake Wales Ridge) may have deeper water tables that most plant roots cannot access, either seasonally or throughout the entire year, but Florida's relatively low elevation and flatness means that a great deal of the land has very shallow water tables within reach of plant roots. In wetland areas, the water table seasonally or permanently rises above the land surface. During the last ice age, Florida was much drier, and had more expansive scrublands. Over the last 10,000 years, rising water tables have increased the amount of mesic and wetland habitats on the peninsula. Because of its hydrology, Florida has the most and highest density of wetlands out of all the states in the continental U.S. Florida has around 7800 lakes, mostly small and shallow, and formed from sinkholes.

Fire
Fire has historically played a roll in maintaining and shaping the different native ecosystems found in Florida. Many of these ecosystems depend on short fire return intervals (periods of time between fires). When these intervals are prolonged, the habitat may succeed to a different type of ecosystem. Fire is a natural part of Florida's ecology, and has historically been started by lightning. Knowledge of natural fire regimes to which native species have adapted is necessary to maintain Florida's biodiversity.

Ecosystems
Florida's ecosystems are the assemblages of organisms found in the state along with their abiotic environment. The state's geologic history as well as its latitude - in the temperate zone, but straddling the tropical - create an ecologically unique collage of xeric, mesic and wetland habitats. Florida's ecosystems may be classified in different ways by different authorities, but generally focus on identifying distinct vegetation communities which are greatly influenced by abiotic factors such as elevation and soil fertility. In Ecosystems of Florida, Myers and Ewel use only a few broad definitions of ecosystem units. On the other hand, the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI), which was founded in 1981 and is overseen by Florida State University, following guidance from the Nature Conservancy, has identified 81 different habitat types in the state that fall into several broader categories. FNAI's definitions are based on their concept of a natural ecosystem or natural community. This is inherently arbitrary to some degree though, as the ecosystems present in Florida are mostly a result of alterations that have been made both during pre-Columbian times by its original native inhabitants and afterward during European-American colonization, continuing into the present day; therefore, what is truly "natural" is open to interpretation.

Freshwater Wetlands
Florida's freshwater wetlands are found in depressions bordered by upland ecosystems or peripheral to bodies of waters such as lakes or rivers. Fire frequency, water source and hydroperiod (the pattern of water level in a wetland) also play a role in producing the diversity of wetland types found in the state. The state's wetlands experience a high degree of interconnectivity. 90% of Florida's wetlands (which covered 32% of the state in 1980, and an estimated two-thirds of the state during pre-Columbian times) are freshwater habitats.

Seepage Wetlands

Seepage wetlands are found predominately in the North and Central part of the state because of their relatively higher topography compared to the South. These wetland habitats are formed when uplands gently slope downward. Groundwater - and to a lesser degree, rainwater - from upland slowly flows down slope, soaking the soil and forming acidic bogs. The degree to which the water inundates the soil, influenced by topography, determines the type of wetland communities that develop. The least wet areas are herb bogs. Herb bogs are maintained by infrequent fire, and are highly diverse. They are dominated by sedges, grasses, ferns, and also may contain rare orchids, carnivorous plants and other uncommon plants. Farther downslope areas may form shrub bogs, which demarcate where the path of fire spreading through an herb bog ends. The shrub bog is much shadier and the plant diversity is much lower. Two species of titi often form dense thickets in these habitats, sometimes leading them to be called titi swamps. Finally, farthest downslope may be a bay swamp (also called bayheads or baygalls in Florida). The community is named because many (closely unrelated) trees whose common names include "bay" are found in these areas (e.g., loblolly bay, sweetbay, swamp bay). Cypress, tupelo, red maple and sweetgum are also common tree species. Fires may only occur once or twice a century in bay swamps, and result in their complete destruction. More rarely, permanently flooded swamps downslope from shrub bogs may be dominated by the Atlantic white-cedar. The Okefenokee Swamp which straddles the border of Georgia and Florida is home to all of these swamp habitats and more.

Swamps
Many of Florida's wetlands are forested areas that are flooded seasonally to intermittently and sometimes permanently with flowing water. Tree species with adaptations to withstand periodic exposure to flowing water such as pond and bald cypress or swamp, water and ogeechee tupelo may dominate in strand swamps. Florida's landscape consisted of 10-15% cypress wetlands in 1977. This includes floodplain forests that are associated with rivers and streams, where cypress tends to co-dominate with hardwood tree species. These floodplain swamps are dependent on regular flooding from rivers and streams to maintain their community composition. A type of still water swamp that is also dominated by cypress and tupelo are basin swamps, which occupy natural areas of low elevation such as former lake beds or the swales in ancient dune systems.

Marshes
Florida is composed of a variety of different freshwater marsh habitats, which are created by local topography, fire frequency, soil types and bedrock. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) distinguishes between long hydroperiod marshes and short hydroperiod wet prairies. The majority of these kinds of habitats are found in South Florida. The most well-known example is the Everglades which consists mostly of sawgrass marshes. Unique subtypes of marshes exist in isolated areas throughout the state, home to rare endemic species, for example in the Florida Keys. Other marshes may be dominated by cattails, "flag" species (e.g., Sagittaria species, Thalia geniculata, Pontederia cordata, etc.), grasses (e.g., maidencane and Spartina species) or other types of sedges such as Eleocharis and Rhynchospora species. Other important marsh plants include floating-leaved plants (e.g., Nymphaea species and Nuphar advena) and Xyris species.

Lakes
Most of Florida's nearly 8,000 lakes are solution basins, formed when superficial deposits collapsed into sinkholes formed in Florida's karst terrain. Florida lakes ranges from naturally oligotrophic (especially in the Central Ridge region) to naturally eutrophic, dependent on edaphic factors of the lake's watershed. While recent increases in the presence and abundance of cyanobacteria in many Florida lakes are likely caused by humans, presence of these organisms have been documented in some Florida lakes prior to human disturbances associated with agricultural and residential expansion. Lake color also varies from very clear to darkly colored, with consequences for productivity and biotic community structure. Lakes are the headwaters for many of the state's important wetlands, including the Everglades, the headwaters of which are the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in the state and the center of South Florida's hydrology.

Rivers and Streams
Florida has at least 1,700 named rivers and streams that comprise over 12,000 miles of waterways. Compared to rivers in other parts of the country, Florida's are relatively small (for instance, none are in the 25 largest rivers in North America in terms of discharge). However, six of Florida's (Apalachicola, Choctawatchee, Escambia, Kissimmee, Suwannee and St. Johns) might be considered large with drainage basins over 3,000 square miles, and the state is home to dozens of medium-sized rivers, with the remainder of its waterways having a drainage basin of less than 1,000 square miles. Other than drainage from their watersheds, Florida's rivers may have spring inputs (e.g., the Santa Fe River) or have their headwaters in a chain of lakes (e.g., the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and the Kissimmee River). Most of Florida's rivers are blackwater rivers, with dark waters stained by organic acids such as tannins. Some of Florida's northern rivers are classified as alluvial rivers. Many species that live associated with rivers are dependent on natural variations in water level and flow that occur at particular times or seasons. However, some of Florida's rivers (e.g., the Kissimmee River) have been channelized to control their naturally meandering flow and seasonally variable water levels, with resultant losses in biodiversity, connectivity with floodplain wetlands and important ecosystem functions like flood control.

Springs
Florida's springs are the surface expression of the Floridan aquifer. Florida may have the highest concentration of freshwater springs in the world, with an estimated 600 found in the state, and at least 300 named springs. These springs are connected with and greatly affected by the surrounding landscape. Springs are fed by aquifer water that comes from the surface and rain waters of extensive recharge areas, and thus are negatively influenced by human activities like groundwater withdrawal and pollution, sometimes even when it occurs many miles away from springs. Many rare and unique plants and animals depend on Florida's springs for their survival. For example, the Ocala vetch (Vicia ocalensis) is an endemic Florida plant in the legume family, found only along undisturbed spring runs with intact stream banks. Its four known populations have a geographic distribution limited to just two counties (Lake and Marion).