Leah Mejias

Wetland Final Paper

Introduction:

Leah Mejias

It was a hot Saturday afternoon and a classmate and I decided to canoe

down in Spring Hill by Weeki Wachee. I personally wanted to see the live
mermaids as it was always a dream of mine to be after watching The Little
Mermaid but we were on a mission to find the best location to write our report on.
As we kept driving we stumbled upon a narrow road there I saw many small
creeks and canals that led to open water. We stopped the car and decided to canoe
at Baypoint. I was slightly terrified about there
being alligators but was informed that the area
was salt water. Reading and watching videos
about wetlands is nothing compared to actually
going out and seeing the land for oneself.
Wetlands are very important because they
stabilize water supplies and prevent flooding.
They also clean polluted water areas and protect
shorelines and recharge the ground water.
Wetlands are also critical because the
downstream act as receivers from waste of humans and natural toxins. They also
house many species of animals and different classes of vegetation, which help
balance the ecosystem. Everything has a place in the biosphere and it was a
pleasure to witness Mother Nature at work and with that thought my wetland
adventure began.
Description of Site:

Leah Mejias

As stated the location of the wetland was just south of Weeki Wachee at a
place called Baypoint. I went on a Saturday June 13, 2015 afternoon around 6:00
pm. Even though it was later in the afternoon the sun was still scalding. I was
sweating buckets as I was trying to pull the canoe into the shoreline. The first
thing I saw were little miniature
craps on the shore and they were
clustered together. I really
wanted to catch some but they
were so fast and scattered with
quickness if you even got close
to them.
Once out in the water when I was paddling in the little creek I noticed that the
amount of vegetation was greater than the water but that was only when I was in
that canals but when I paddled out more it opened to a vast amount of water. In the
distance you could
see little islands of
mangroves spread
out and hear
jumping fishes in
the distance. I was
not able to paddle out further into the open water because it started to rain out of
nowhere and the wind plus the current was starting to go against me. Since I had

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gone out later in the evening there was also low tides which didnt help either.
Over all regardless of the sudden rain it was great to see some open water.
Vegetation:
The first thing I noticed was the tall saw grass that covered most of the
area. There was such an abundance that I feel that they were almost invasive since
nothing else grew around them. Saw grass based off the class is categorized as
emergent species. Emergent species tend to
have stems both above and below water
surfaces, which the saw grass did show
when exposed. They look huge in person
and grow in large bundles or clumps. They
made a calming noise when the breeze
toppled over them and they covered most of
the area. Another species of vegetation that
was seen were the grassy patches of green
under the water. It looked like seaweed at
first but later was known to be sea grass,
which sounds very fitting as it looked just
like grass but under water. Sea grass is a submergent species, which means their
steams grow below the water surface but are still visible within the water since
they still need photosynthesis to grow. Also I saw a lot of little baby mangroves as
they started to sprout into the roots. Mangroves are considered to be woody since

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they are trees and thrive above water levels like any traditional plan or tree would
do. Mangroves are unique because they are mainly found in tropical or subtropical
areas like Florida. They live in salty environments and have prop roots or
pneumatophores, which look like wooden arches in the soil. Since mangroves like
salt water they are also know to excrete salt rocks on their leaves. I would have
loved to actually witness that but because they were not as close to the canoe as I
had wanted them I was not able to see for myself, plus I didnt want to disturb the
area. Mangroves also limit the amount of water they lose through their leaves via
the regulation of an open or closed stomata which are found on the leaves which
also rotate to avoid direct sun light. All the vegetation discussed so far would be
considered hydrophytes because they are located by a wetland and depend on the
water and soil to thrive as well as precipitation. The surrounding plants like the
random trees in the far back would not be considered hydrophytes because they
were farther from the wetland. I also found palm trees near the location and those
are not hydrophytes either. Palm trees took me by surprise because I dont
remember that being discussed in lecture but thought they were a good attribute to
the location. There could have been palm trees because its Florida and they grow
everywhere but I did wonder if they grow in other wetland areas other Florida.
Wetlands hydrologic regime leads to a unique vegetation assemblage and based off
the previous discussion I would say that the wetland meets met the criteria for
having an abundance of hydrophytes.

Leah Mejias

trees because its Florida and they grow everywhere but I did wonder if they grow
in other wetland areas other Florida. Wetlands hydrologic regime leads to a unique
vegetation assemblage and based off the previous discussion I would say that the
wetland meets met the criteria for having an abundance of hydrophytes.
Water:
It was
concluded that the
wetland chosen was
a tidal wetland.
Tides are important
because they
influence the
surface water flow in a wetland. Since I
arrived later in the day I actually got to
experience the low tide and because the
area is a tidal wetland it would then be said
that the wetland is regularly flooded which
means the area is flooded early in the day but towards the afternoon some of the
surface is exposed. In the imagine it can be seen that towards the roots of the saw
grass they are dark and muddy as if water was occupying the area and the soil is
still very moist and wet. Personally I didnt think about wearing old shoes because
after the trip my shoes were covered in dirt. When also at the shore the water was

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very shallow and translucent which means it was pulling back and all the little
crabs were able to walk the surface. With all that being said it would be known
that the wetland meets the criteria for having an abundance hydrology because of
the fluctuation in water levels, tides and copious amounts of precipitation and
evaporations.

Soil:

Since the soil was stuck all over my shoes I would classify the soil as muck
soil which display black color from large quantities of organic matter. Since the
soil was located in a wetland it is known that the soil is acidic due to the
decomposition of built up organic materials. Soil is very important because they
allow plants to grow like the saw grass seen in the picture. Soil also helps dissolve
nutrients and decompose organic matter. I would categorize the soil as hydric soil
because the soil was formed under conditions of saturation. Since the soil is
covered in water the soil works under anaerobic conditions which means that the

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soils thrives without the lack of oxygen because the pores are saturated with water.
This can sometimes be problematic for some plants whose roots need oxygen to
function. Clearly to fully see what exactly the soil is composed of would imply
disturbing the area but what was just seen the soil was very saturated and acidic.
Based off lecture it was said that soil is composed of clay and silt and I would
have to agree because the soil was very smooth and the particles were very small
and the soil resembled closely to silt.
Wetland Classification:
I visited a tidal saltwater marsh, which is defined as having natural or
semi natural halophytic grassland on alluvial sediments bordering water bodies.
Tidal saltwater marshes are to be found along intertidal shores in middle and high
latitudes. I feel
where I was
located there
were tidal creeks
which is when
the water depth
fluctuates with
tides. I know for
a fact I was not
in a tidal flat because they are categorized to have no vegetation. The vegetation
matched the tidal saltwater marshes because of the mangroves seen, which have

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salt glands that remove excess salt from the water, which is taken into the plants
via osmotically. Chemically the soil water salinity also should influence the tide
frequency via drainage, slopes, and freshwater inflow. Due to the conditions the
nutrients are primarily nitrogen limited thats because the sulfide exposed areas
turn to sulfuric acid, which leads to low pH levels. Based off the Cowardin chart
the classification of the majority of the intertidal was estuarine. The creek would
be considered a sub tidal with an aquatic bed covering the floor. The grassy
surrounding areas were intertidal and emergent as previously stated and finally the
saw grass or sedge was the subclass within the area. Those choices were made
based off the chart and from module one plant classifications. There wasnt an
abundance of vegetation in our wetland due to the fact that it was a saltwater
marsh but as a side note I did see a Great Blue Herring. The water was low enough
that the bird could easily try to catch small fishes. Also I saw what I think to
believe was a hawk but the bird flew away for me to snap a photo. I do wish that
lecture would have talked more about the animals that live the habitats so that I
could have been more aware of the surrounding
animals. Overall I believe that the area I chose
to do the final on was a great exemplification of
a saltwater marsh due to its organic soil,
arrangement of vegetation and amount of water
flow.
Conclusion:

Leah Mejias

I really enjoyed going out and seeing a wetland in person. With my busy
schedule its relaxing and enjoyable to interact with nature and understand the
value of how a wetland benefits many aspects of an ecosystem. I would say
Baypoint is a natural occurring wetland. Baypoint is located in the back with
winding roads far from major highways or massive roads. This marsh was a gem
that only the locals would know about so it was reassuring to know that the
wetland was kept well and I barely saw a pollution or toxic runoff water enter the
creek. Everything was kept clean and is habitat for little crabs, fishes and blue
herrings and possibly many more creatures. Thriving vegetation grow in
abundance and the mangroves were a sight to see. Wetlands benefit everyone and
everything, they allow growth and create new life plus they benefit humans with
naturally regulated water quality. I never knew much about wetlands nor did I pay
much attention to them so Im glad I got to know the benefits of a wetland and

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how they actually contribute to our ecosystem.

Leah Mejias