The Lake Wales Ridge , sometimes referred to as the Mid-Florida Ridge , is a sand ridge running for about 100 miles (160 km) south to north in Central Florida . Clearly viewable from satellite, the white sands of the ridge are located in Highlands County and Polk County , and also extend north into Osceola , Orange , and Lake Counties . It is named for the city of Lake Wales , roughly at the midpoint of the ridge. The highest point of the ridge is Sugarloaf Mountain , which at 312 feet (95 meters) is also the highest natural point in peninsular Florida. (The highest point of land, at 371 ft (113 m), is a manmade mining tank west of Bartow .) Iron Mountain , the location of Bok Tower , marks another well known high point on the ridge, attaining an elevation of 295 ft (90 m). A northern unconnected extension of the Lake Wales Ridge exists in western Putnam County near the town of Grandin .
16-457: Florida's ancient sand islands stretch for over 100 miles (160 km) down the middle of central Florida. Glacial changes and the rising and falling of the oceans caused dramatic transformations on the Florida peninsula. Covered almost completely by water two million years ago, only a series of small islands existed. It is the remnants of those islands that make up today's Lake Wales Ridge. Although
32-601: A bayhead swamp are mostly broad, shallow drains, which can be found near margins of bottomlands and floodplains with little or no drainage. They most often receive a slow, but steady supply of water from seepage at the base of slopes and bluffs. Baygalls are relatively shallow wetlands, ranging from wet and saturated soils and leaf litter, to a few inches of stagnate or very slowly moving water, although some may occasionally be deeper depending on topography and rainfall. Most are also under closed or nearly closed canopies. Occasionally, larger and deeper baygalls may have open water at
48-644: A discrete ecosystem by ecologists and the swamps have been described as "distinct wetland communities in the Natural Communities of Louisiana". Baygall swamps are most often found in the low lying margins of floodplains and bottomlands with little or poor drainage to the main creek, bayou, or river channel. Baygall or bayhead swamps found on slopes and hillsides are sometimes referred to as a forest seep or hanging bogs. Hanging bogs are typically found in hardwood-pine forests. Most baygall swamps are semi-permanently saturated, or flooded. The characteristics of
64-541: A long period of isolation, plants and animals that live on the Ridge have developed ways to deal with their harsh environment. One of the scrub's best known residents is Florida's only endemic bird, the Florida scrub-jay . When walking through scrub areas, small scrub lizards often race off in the distance — perhaps an adaptation for crossing the hot sand quickly. Many animals of the scrub spend much of their lives underground to escape
80-427: A variety of habitats from low and wet bayheads to high and dry sandhills, the ridge is most famous for its scrub habitat. Wildlife and plants once isolated on these islands evolved extremely unusual characteristics. This forest in miniature consists of clusters of shrubs scattered between patches of open sand. The lack of canopy cover and very deep porous sands create a hot, dry, desert like habitat. Due primarily to
96-414: Is an aquatic plant belonging to the genus Nymphaea . It can commonly be found in shallow lakes, ponds, and permanent slow moving waters throughout North America where it ranges from Central America to northern Canada . It is also reported from Brazil and Guyana . This plant is rooted from branched rhizomes that gives rise to long petioles that terminate in smooth floating leaves. Since
112-477: Is n = 28 or n = 56. The genome size is 1574.58 Mb. The lignans nymphaeoside A and icariside E , and the flavonols kaempferol 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside ( afzelin ), quercetin 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside ( quercitrin ), myricetin 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside ( myricitrin ), quercetin 3-O-(6'-O-acetyl)-beta-d-galactopyranoside , myricetin 3-O-beta-d-galactopyranoside and myricetin 3-O-(6'-O-acetyl)-beta-d-galactopyranoside can be found in N. odorata . It
128-1781: The baygalls of the Big Thicket region of Southeast Texas, USA. The acidic waters that drain from baygalls can contribute significantly to blackwater rivers and creeks in the bottomlands. A baygall may be no more than a small pool or they can be a mile across. The Jack Gore Baygall Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve at 12 square miles is said to be is the largest in the world. Baygalls are typically found in densely forested areas. Over-story trees associated with baygalls include baldcypress ( Taxodium distichum ), swamp tupelo or swamp blackgum ( Nyssa biflora ), red maple ( Acer rubrum ), green ash ( Fraxinus pennsylvanica ), laurel oak ( Quercus laurifolia ), water oak ( Quercus nigra ), sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua ), and sweetbay ( Magnolia virginiana ). Longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) are usually associated with hanging bogs or forest seeps. Understory species include smooth or hazel alder ( Alnus serrulata ), swamp titi or leatherwood ( Cyrilla racemiflora ), sweet gallberry ( Ilex coriacea ), American holly ( Ilex opaca ), Virginia willow or sweetspire ( Itea virginica ), wax-myrtle ( Morella cerifera ), red bay ( Persea borbonia ), swamp redbay ( Persea palustris ), bamboo-vine ( Smilax laurifolia ), poison sumac ( Toxicodendron vernix ), possum-haw viburnum ( Viburnum nudum ), muscadine grape ( Vitis rotundifolia ). Ferns such as net-veined chain fern ( Lorinseria [ Woodwardia areolata ] areolata ), sensitive fern ( Onoclea sensibilis ), cinnamon fern ( Osmunda cinnamomea ), and royal fern ( Osmunda spectabilis ) may be found in
144-430: The center with floating vegetation such as the fragrant water-lily ( Nymphaea odorata ). High acidity levels distinguish baygalls from other wetlands and they often support plant communities that are distinct from those of adjacent areas. Sphagnum moss is often associated with baygalls. Sometimes referred to as acid bog baygalls, baygalls typically have very low pH levels . Levels as low as 4.5 are not uncommon in
160-617: The herbaceous layer. Several species of orchid ( Orchidaceae ) are also associated with baygalls. The baygall swamps have around 20 animal species which are considered to be endangered or of conservation concern in various states and countries. Butterflies Amphibians Mammals Birds Nymphaea odorata Nymphaea odorata , also known as the American white waterlily , fragrant water-lily , beaver root , fragrant white water lily , white water lily , sweet-scented white water lily , and sweet-scented water lily ,
176-503: The hot Florida sun as well as to avoid predators. The gopher tortoise digs a burrow underground that may be up to ten feet deep and up to 30 feet long. More than 360 species may share the gopher's burrow. Other small animals such as the sand skink leave only S-shaped tracks as it "swims" just beneath the surface of the sand. It is the only known sand-swimming skink in North America and occurs in only seven counties in Florida . Most of
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#1732847777941192-413: The hot sun and fast draining soils. In the early twentieth century parts of the ridge were converted to citrus groves. More recently, some of the citrus groves, particularly in the north of the ridge, have been redeveloped for residential housing. Today several areas of the Ridge are protected National Wildlife Refuges and State Forest . The refuge preserves natural habitat in four separated areas of
208-424: The leaves are subject to tearing by water and waves, they are round with a waxy upper coating that is water-repellent. The flowers also float. They are radially symmetric with prominent yellow stamens and many white petals. The flowers open each day and close again each night and are very fragrant. Once the flowers are pollinated, the developing fruit is pulled back under water for maturation. The chromosome count
224-415: The ridge. The refuge is not open to the public. The state forest is located east of Frostproof , and provides hiking trails and other recreational facilities. Bayhead A bayhead or baygall is a specific type of wetland or swamp habitat. The name baygall is derived from sweetbay magnolia ( Magnolia virginiana ) and sweet gallberry holly ( Ilex coriacea ). Baygalls are recognized as
240-495: The vegetation in the Lake Wales Sand Ridge consists of (or has evolved into) scrub plants with thick waxy coated leaves that are drought tolerant. The leaves of the sand live oak are thick and leathery, rolled in at the edges to help retain as much water as possible during the blazing hot days of summer. Species of Opuntia , Yucca , Scrub plum , and scrub Serenoa repens palm dot the landscape and are well adapted to
256-474: The waters have receded, the islands continue to support distinctive life forms found nowhere else. Today several communities are located inside the Lake Wales sand ridge, with the glaring white sands visible in many neighborhoods. These relic sand dunes created over thousands of years by the dynamic movements of sea, ice and wind now provide refuge for rare and endangered plants and animals. Although consisting of
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