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SEASONALLY MOIST LANDS
Flatwoods.  The high ridges of sandhill and scrub are surrounded by Florida's most widespread natural habitat, flatwoods. Early European settlers coined the term flatwoods, emphasizing its characteristic low, flat topography. Plants must endure temporary inundation during rainy seasons and dehydration during drier seasons. Longleaf or slash pines, form an open canopy with saw palmetto, gallberry, fetterbush, blueberry, tarflower, and grasses below.

Seasonal Ponds.  Seasonal ponds dot the Ridge landscape. Appearing as small marshes or circular depressions, these ponds fill with water during the wet season. They often lack trees and usually are dominated by grasses and herbs. Seasonal ponds are extremely important breeding grounds for amphibians like the gopher frog and for everal species of toads and tree frogs. They are also important watering holes for many mammals and birds inhabiting the surrounding dry uplands.

WETLANDS
Seepage Slopes.  Descending the gentle slopes of the Ridge edges, shin-high spires of cutthroat grass grow. Water seeps from the surrounding well-drained uplands forming seepage slopes. Over time, dark organic soils develop on these frequently burned moist meadows. Regular fire, every two to five years, limits shrub and tree growth. Scientists estimate that only 1 percent of this system remains in peninsular Florida.

Bayheads.  At the base of the Ridge's sandy slopes, where water constantly seeps out of the Ridge, shady forests of tall broad-leafed evergreen hardwoods, grow in organic mucky pockets. These stands, called bayheads, are dominated by several species of bay trees that thrive on thick nutrient-rich soils. Since bayheads rarely dry out, fire only returns every 50 to 100 years.

From Scrub to Creek:A Little Topography Goes a Long Way-Page 1 From Scrub to Creek:A Little Topography Goes a Long Way-Page 2 Bottomland Hardwood Forests.  On the low-lying flatlands, migrating songbirds dart between the trees bordering the creek. Roots of red maples and water oaks grip the water's edge. Other trees dominating this steamy forest include: live oak, cabbage palm, sweet gum, dahoon holly, and loblolly bay.

WATER BODIES
Sinkhole Lakes. On the Ridge, sinkhole lakes occur typically in deep, funnel-shaped depressions in a limestone base. These lakes are characterized by clear, acidic water with low mineral content and low nutrients. Other lakes on the Ridge occur in the intra-ridge valley, and often include several sinkholes in their basin.

Creeks. On the Ridge, flowing water is rare because the sand is porous. Some lakes have no surface streams flowing in or out. But in Ridge valleys and ravines, and in the sandy lowlands, tea-colored water gently meanders, sometimes laden with particulates and organic matter after heavy rain. Blackwater creeks often have sandy bottoms and are sometimes lined with high sandy banks.