Pine Flatwood Trail Ecosystem

The CREW Marsh trails are composed of four ecosystems: pine flatwoods, marsh, pop ash slough, and hammock. Each of these ecosystems have different soils and vegetation. The first trail that I took was the Pine Flatwood trail. I found that the ground was flat and sandy, and there were little to no puddles or mud on the ground. As the name of the trail suggested, the majority of the trees in this ecosystem were tall pines, though I did see some palm trees. There was a lot of open air, and the sky was not obscured. A large grassy space was to the side of the trail I also saw moss growing on the trees, and ferns growing on the ground.

The next trail I went on was the Marsh Loop Trail. Along the trail a large area of forest was burned. After checking the website, I found out it was the result of a recent prescribed burn. The reason for conducting prescribed burns is because the dead plant material dries out and could help a wildfire spread. Prescribed burns get rid of this plant material in a controlled way, and then the dead plant material fertilizes the ecosystem. They are also beneficial to the humans living around the area because a wildfire could put their lives in danger or destroy their homes. I saw that the scorched palmetto trees had already started growing new green fronds. …show more content…
I found out that a watershed is an area that drains water into a river or a lake, and is composed of uplands and wetlands. Uplands are on higher ground, and wetlands are on lower ground. Watersheds are important because they collect rainwater so that it can be purified and drain into aquifers which are used as a water source by humans. The watershed here is 60,000 acres large. If the watershed did not exist, water would become polluted by the land we live on and drain into canals, which would then empty into the Gulf of