What is Freshwater Slough?
A slough is a swamp or shallow lake system, usually a backwater to a larger body of water.
What animals live in the freshwater slough?
The refuge contains 200 acres of sloughs which benefit juvenile salmon and other native fish, waterfowl, bald eagles, and other native species. Sloughs also help minimize potential flooding impacts to Columbian white-tailed deer (CWTD) habitat.
What is River Slough so important to the River of Grass?
Historically, Shark River Slough was the primary path for water flow in the Everglades system. Restoration of the historic function of the slough is essential to restoration of Everglades National Park.
Where does Taylor Slough start and stop?
The slough stretches from the east everglades, to the northern portion of Florida Bay. In its natural form, Taylor Slough is the primary source of overland, freshwater flow into the north eastern part of Florida Bay. A major portion of the Taylor Slough resides in Everglades National Park.
What animals eat Sawgrass?
In the Everglades, apple snails, white-tailed deer and some turtles and water rats can eat sawgrass. They then become food for yet another animal, and transfer the energy they got from the grass.
Is the Everglades a slough?
Everglades National Park contains two distinct sloughs. Both sloughs discharge into Florida Bay. A series of other sloughs that flow through the Big Cypress Swamp supply freshwater to western Florida Bay and the Ten Thousand Islands.
Do snails eat Sawgrass?
That mammal is the white tailed deer. Like the deer, humans can also eat sawgrass, if they eat the white tip found at the bottom end of a blade. Apple snails also utilize sawgrass to lay their eggs on. Fishes and apple snails move underwater among the sawgrass stalks.
Are macrophytes plants?
Macrophytes are aquatic plants growing in or near water. They may be either emergent (i.e., with upright portions above the water surface), submerged or floating. Examples of macrophytes include cattails, hydrilla, water hyacinth and duckweed.
What is the name of the plant that is considered living mud?
periphyton
Why is sawgrass sharp?
Sawgrass is famous for its sharp points that run along the edges of its leaves. These teeth can cut you upon contact – hence the name sawgrass.
What are solution holes?
Solution holes are pits in karst that formed in the past when sea level and the water table were lower than present levels.
How were the Florida Keys formed?
During the last ice age (100,000 years ago) sea level dropped, exposing the ancient coral reefs and sand bars which became fossilized over time to form the rock that makes up the island chain today. The two dominate rock formations in the Keys are Key Largo Limestone and Miami Oolite.