FLORISTIC INVENTORY OF TIGER CREEK PRESERVE AND SADDLE BLANKET SCRUB PRESERVE, POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA By PAUL T. COROGIN A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2008 1 © 2008 Paul T. Corogin 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My sincere thanks go to Dr. Walter Judd, my supervisory committee chairman. His academic professionalism, his belief in my abilities, and his enthusiastic willingness to share his vast botanical expertise, have guided me invaluably in my academic aspirations, as well as in the production of this thesis. I also thank the other members of my committee. Dr. Doria Gordon’s knowledge of Florida habitats and her affiliation with The Nature Conservancy have given me insights concerning my study sites. Dr. David Hall’s expertise in the Florida flora has been of great assistance as I have puzzled over stacks of unidentified specimens. And the work and teaching of Dr. Francis “Jack” Putz have refined my understanding of ecology and natural history, and instilled in me a drive for academic perfection in my work. For their help in using the University of Florida Herbarium, I thank staff members Kent Perkins and Trudy Lindler. Thanks are also due to Richard Abbott, whose insightful pointers on many occasions helped me solve plant identification puzzles. I am grateful as well to the staff of The Nature Conservancy’s Lake Wales Ridge Program, especially Beatriz Pace-Aldana, Adam Peterson, and Steve Morrison, for their support and assistance throughout this project. I also thank Dr. Terry Lucansky, who guided me through the bureaucratic maze when I came back to academia in mid-life as a post-baccalaureate student. His encouragement did much to propel me toward eventual entrance into graduate school. Finally, I thank my mother for instilling in me the importance of believing in oneself. I thank my father for his generosity, and for being a continual inspiration, showing by example that many of our perceived limitations are illusory. Most of all, I thank Ananda Devi, my wife – her unfailing love and support have smoothed many a bump in the road to this journey’s completion. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................3 LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................................................6 LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................7 ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................................8 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................9 The Preserves............................................................................................................................9 Geology and Physiography.....................................................................................................11 Climate....................................................................................................................................15 Hydrology and Soils ...............................................................................................................17 History ....................................................................................................................................20 Pre-Human Florida ..........................................................................................................21 Human Florida.................................................................................................................23 History of the Preserves...................................................................................................25 2 PLANT COMMUNITIES......................................................................................................33 Upland Communities..............................................................................................................34 Scrub................................................................................................................................36 Scrubby Flatwoods ..........................................................................................................42 Sandhill............................................................................................................................43 Xeric Hammock...............................................................................................................46 Mesic Flatwoods..............................................................................................................47 Lowland Communities............................................................................................................48 Wet Flatwoods.................................................................................................................48 Bayhead ...........................................................................................................................49 Seepage Slope..................................................................................................................50 Depression Marsh............................................................................................................50 Floodplain Wetlands........................................................................................................51 Blackwater Stream...........................................................................................................53 Ruderal ............................................................................................................................54 3 FLORISTIC METHODS AND RESULTS............................................................................58 Methods ..................................................................................................................................58 Results.....................................................................................................................................59 Taxa of Special Interest or Concern ................................................................................59 Endemism on Florida’s Ancient Sand Ridges.................................................................63 4 4 ANNOTATED LIST OF VASCULAR PLANTS .................................................................73 LITERATURE CITED ..................................................................................................................94 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................................................107 5 LIST OF TABLES Table page 3-1 Endemic vascular plant species found on Tiger Creek and Saddle Blanket preserves that are restricted to Florida peninsular scrubs or scrub/sandhill ecotones. ......................71 3-2 Endemic vascular plant species found on Tiger Creek and Saddle Blanket preserves that are not restricted to peninsular scrubs.........................................................................72 6 LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 1-1 Peninsular Florida, showing the central ridge system and Polk County............................30 1-2 Polk County area, showing the Polk Upland, ridges, and locations of Tiger Creek and Saddle Blanket Preserves...................................................................................................31 1-3 Tiger Creek Preserve acquisition map ...............................................................................32 2-1 Vegetation map of Tiger Creek Preserve...........................................................................56 2-2 Vegetation map of Saddle Blanket Scrub Preserve ...........................................................57 7 Abstract of Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science FLORISTIC INVENTORY OF TIGER CREEK PRESERVE AND SADDLE BLANKET SCRUB PRESERVE, POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA By Paul T. Corogin May 2008 Chair: Walter S. Judd Major: Botany A floristic inventory of vascular plants for The Nature Conservancy’s Tiger Creek Preserve and Saddle Blanket Scrub Preserve, Polk County, Florida was conducted from August 2004 through February 2008. Twelve plant communities were characterized: scrub, scrubby flatwoods, sandhill, xeric hammock, mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, bayhead, seepage slope, depression marsh, floodplain wetlands, blackwater stream, and ruderal. The 2308 combined hectares of the Preserves yielded vouchers for 541 taxa, of which 51 are non-native to Florida, 37 are at or near the southern or northern limits of their ranges in Florida, and 24 are new Polk County records. The Preserves are located on the Lake Wales Ridge. This area’s unique geological history has contributed to the evolution of a high number of endemic taxa, many of which are rare and of conservation concern. This study found 55 taxa endemic to Florida, of which 27 are restricted to Florida peninsular scrubs or scrub/sandhill ecotonal habitats. Of these 27 taxa, 15 are restricted to Florida’s central ridges, especially to the ancient scrubs on the Lake Wales, Lake Henry, and Winter Haven Ridges. Nine of these taxa are restricted to four or fewer