Imagine your favorite childhood fishing spot. The lake where you caught sunfish now resembles a swamp. Ten years later, it’s a thicket of trees. This isn’t magic. It’s ecological succession, nature’s relentless remodeling plan. As J. Nicholas Ehringer explains in Ecology of Florida, plants like cattails act as covert engineers, quietly transforming water into land and forests.
Meet the Wetland Developers
Cattails (Typha species) are nature’s construction crew. Their secret weapon? Rhizomes. These horizontal underground stems spread aggressively through shallow water. Each fall, cattails die back, but their roots trap sediment flowing into the lake. Over the years, layers of decaying leaves and silt build up around the rhizomes. Ehringer notes in Ecology of Florida that one acre of cattails can capture over 50 tons of sediment annually. They don’t just grow in wetlands; they build them from open water.
The Blueprint: Lake → Wetland → Forest
Succession unfolds in a natural sequence across Florida’s landscapes, beginning with open water. In this initial stage, deep lakes teem with fish, plankton, and submerged vegetation like eelgrass. Sunlight penetrates clear water, sustaining aquatic ecosystems where bass patrol and dragonflies dart.
Then, pioneer plants launch their land-building campaign. Cattails spearhead this effort, colonizing shallow zones with relentless rhizomes. Their roots grip loose sediment, slowing currents and trapping soil particles. As debris accumulates around these biological nets, the lake’s edges grow shallower. Water levels retreat, inch by inch, season by season.
This sets the stage for wetland formation. Rising soil platforms emerge where open water once dominated. Cattails gradually yield to water lilies, pickerelweed, and swamp grasses, plants adapted to marshy conditions. Frogs now chorus where fish once swam; aquatic insects thrive in new shallows. Soon, woody invaders like willows and buttonbushs seize the opportunity. Their deeper roots accelerate drainage, further drying the land.
Finally, the forest finale commences. Dryland solidifies underfoot. Cypress knees puncture the soil, followed by red maple saplings and oak seedlings. Raccoons replace frogs; deer trails crisscross former lily pads. The lake breathes its last sigh as a mature forest claims its grave, a silent testament to nature’s patience.
Your Backyard Time Machine
This transformation happens faster than you think. In Central Florida’s Lake Apopka, cattail marshes expanded by 300% in 20 years after nutrient reductions allowed natural succession. Near Gainesville, Paynes Prairie’s Lake Wauburg visibly shrinks annually as vegetation claims its edges. Even small retention ponds follow this pattern. Visit one monthly: you’ll see water retreating, plants advancing, and trees like wax myrtle rising where minnows once swam.
Why Messy Marshes Matter
Succession isn’t just a curiosity. It creates critical habitats. Wetlands filter pollutants, store floodwaters, and sequester carbon. Forests regulate temperatures and support biodiversity. Ecology of Florida documents how succession rebuilds entire food webs: submerged plants feed turtles; emerging wetlands shelter herons; mature forests host endangered species like fox squirrels. Each stage supports a unique life.
When Humans Crash the Party
We often disrupt nature’s renovation schedule. Draining wetlands for development halts succession at stage two. Dredging lakes reset the clock to open water. Invasive species like hydrilla can accelerate filling, while fertilizers cause chaotic algae blooms that smother native plants. Ehringer warns that ignoring succession leads to dysfunctional ecosystems, like flooded subdivisions built on former wetlands.
Working With Nature’s Rhythm
Smart stewardship respects succession. Cities like Orlando now design stormwater ponds to evolve into parks. Conservationists plant cypress saplings in retiring farm fields, jumpstarting forest development. You can participate:
- Observe: Monitor a local pond’s plant growth.
- Protect: Leave shoreline vegetation undisturbed.
- Restore: Join native plantings in degraded wetlands.
Change Is the Only Constant
That “permanent” lake behind your house? It’s temporary. Forests are just lakes waiting to emerge. Succession reminds us that landscapes breathe, evolve, and renew themselves, with cattails as their unsung architects. By understanding these natural rhythms, we learn to build with nature rather than against it.
Unlock Florida’s Living Landscape
Ecology of Florida by J. Nicholas Ehringer delves deeper into succession, wetlands, and our role in nature’s unending transformation. Gain the knowledge to protect our state’s evolving beauty. Explore the book that rewilds your perspective.