Subtropical Keys Tidal Rock Barrens of Southern Coast and Islands

Description

Keys tidal rock barren is a flat rockland with exposed limestone in supratidal zone. They are dominated by salt tolerant species along low-energy coastlines, typically found in the supratidal zones, with little to no soil development. it is inundated by salt water only during extreme high tides or storm surges.

Characteristics and indicators

This site is characterized by herbaceous and woody halophytic vascular plants. They occur on white colored limestone, in contrast to grey or black colored limestone of lower tidal zones.

Submodel

Description

These areas include soils that were intentionally and substantially modified by humans for an intended purpose, commonly for terraced agriculture, building support, mining, transportation, and commerce. The alteration is of sufficient magnitude to result in the introduction of a new parent material (human-transported material) or a profound change in the previously existing parent material (human-altered material). They do not include soils modified through standard agricultural practices or formed soils with unintended wind and water erosion. When a soil is on or above an anthropogenic landform or microfeature, it can be definitely be associated with human activity and is assigned to a unique taxa, usually found as an "Urban land complex" within that communities' natural soil properties (e.g., Rock outcrop-Cudjoe complex, tidal-Urban land complex, 0-1% slopes).

Characteristics and indicators

Evidence of these areas include soils with manufactured items (e.g. artifacts) present in the profile, human altered-materials (e.g., deeply excavated or deeply plowed soil) or human-transported material (e.g., fill), and position on or above anthropogenic landforms (e.g., flood-control levees) and microfeatures (e.g., drainage ditches). Detailed criteria regarding the identification of anthropogenic (artificial) landforms, human-altered materials, and human-transported material are in the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy" (Soil Survey Staff, 2014).

Submodel

Description

This state describes the impact of increased hydroperiods from anthropogenic or natural causes that creates an altered hydrologic state resulting in permanent flooding. The impact of this causes destruction of the terrestrial community and may in time shift to a subaqueous community.

Characteristics and indicators

This state is characterized by permanent water levels in an area that was previously in an intertidal or supratidal zone.

Resilience management

This is a final state and unlikely and improbable to go back to the original reference state.

Submodel