Ask IFAS: Ecosystems

Ecosystems

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Aquatic Ecosystems

Interaction of living organisms with the physical or chemical environment in a body of water.

Process of reversing the degradation of ecosystems, such as landscapes, lakes and oceans to regain their ecological functionality; in other words, to improve the productivity and capacity of ecosystems to meet the needs of society.

Ecosystem Services

Benefits people and other organisms obtain from ecosystems; examples include: pure water and clean air, scenic landscapes, wildlife habitat and biodiversity.

Habitats

The natural environment where an organism, population or community lives, including biotic and abiotic factors.

Terrestrial Ecosystems

Upland Pine Ecosystems

Upland pine communities are woodlands characterized by widely spaced longleaf pines with a sparse to moderate shrub layer, along with a dense, species-rich groundcover of grasses and herbs. Other plants commonly occurring in this community are turkey oak, bluejack oak, southern red oak, live oak, persimmon, gopher apple, and leadplant. Animal species include green treefrog, gopher tortoise, eastern fence lizard, red-bellied woodpecker, loggerhead shrike, cotton mouse, and fox squirrel.

Vegetation

Publications

Florida Soil Series and Natural Community Associations

FR455/FOR384by G. D. J. LaPierre, N. D. Medina-Irizarry, and M. G. AndreuJune 2, 2022Soils often dictate the presence of different types of inherent natural communities. In this project we created a table that relates soil series to natural communities found in Florida. Correlation of soil series and natural communities was performed through the synthesis of land management plans, the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) documentation of exemplary sites, along with the UC Davis Soil Resource Laboratory Soil Web Survey mapping information system (SoilWeb). The GPS coordinates and conservation site names of the selected locations for said soil series are also recorded in this table. Use of this table can help private landowners, land managers, and researchers detect current and former natural communities on sites.

Study reveals growing interest in natural shorelines

Megan WinslowJune 26th, 2024Promoting the idea of installing a living shoreline was once a losing battle. Savanna Barry recalls a colleague who attempted to introduce the concept during a gathering of marine contractors about a decade ago. “He was asked to leave,” said Barry, a Florida Sea Grant (FSG) regional Extension agent for the Nature Coast. “Late last […]

Red Tide, Fisheries Modeling and Citizen Science: Casting a Line to Anglers and Gulf of Mexico Stakeholders for Better Data!

Michael SiposJune 19th, 2024In fisheries management, setting the acceptable biological catch (ABC) is vital to ensure sustainable harvest without overexploiting fish stocks. The ABC determines how much fish can be harvested each year, and is estimated using a stock assessment model that brings together multiple data sources to estimate fish abundance and productivity. However, in the Gulf of […]

Water Wednesday Recap: Is Xeriscaping for Florida?

YilinMay 23rd, 2024Are you curious about xeriscaping and how we can establish it in the Sunshine State? This Water Wednesday, Jamielyn Daugherty, the Florida-Friendly Landscaping and Urban Forestry Agent in Sumter County gave us an overview of xeriscaping and why it is not the recommended for Florida. Why is xeriscaping not recommended for Florida? Xeriscaping is primarily […]

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