Florida is so flat that small changes in elevation, a few feet or even a few inches, can amount to major differences in habitat. Yamato Scrub Natural Area is a prime example. Geological processes millions of years ago account for the differences in habitats on site today. At a time when ocean levels were much higher than they are presently, an ancient river north of the site created an estuary as it met the ocean just east of Yamato. The actions of the river and the ocean deposited and shifted sand in various depths and elevations on land that is now the natural area. Where the sand is deepest and the land elevation is highest, scrub formed. Pine flatwoods, like that shown in the photo, formed where the sand was a little less deep. The Yamato Marsh formed where no sand was deposited. Sand doesn't hold water all that well, so plants to grow in sand either have adaptions that allow them withstand dry conditions or very deep roots — Photo by David Sedore
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