Environments and Habitats around Florida State
University
North
Florida encompasses an incredibly diverse array of habitats. Ranging from
south Appalachian clay hills to nearly subtropical forests to incredibly
diverse seagrass communities, the plants and animals of the area reflect
the vareity of local habitats. These habitats are used for graduate and
undergraduate classes in ecology and evolution, as well as research by
various faculty and graduate students. Much of the immediate area around
Tallahassee was originally a mosaic of long-leaf pine and wiregrass communities,
interspersed with live-oak woodlands and swamps, as captured in the writings
of early explorers such as William Bartram. Collaborative research on
long-leaf pine communities is frequently conducted at the Tall
Timbers Research Station. An excellent introduction to the wildflowers
of our area can be found on Mike
Abrahms Wildflower page.
To
the southeast of Tallahassee is the St.
Marks National Wildlife Refuge. A large section of the refuge consists
of freshwater and saltwater impoundments maintained for migratory waterfowl.
This area also is home for a variety of other wildlife including alligators,
otters, and deer. The coastline from here east to Cedar Key is included
in the Nature Conservancy's list of "Last Great Places" because of its
unique habitats. Another section of the National Widlife Refuge is more
inland and includes old second growth flatwoods and sandhills habitat.
The Florida National
Scenic Trail runs through the sanctuary into the Appalachicola National
Forest to the west.
The Program in Ecology and Evolution uses the refuge for a variety of
activities, including studies on fish population dynamics and evolution
(J. Travis lab), the evolution of plasticity in several understory plants
(A. Winn lab), and local adaptation in wiregrass (Winn & Miller labs).
A number of other researchers work on fire ecology in this area, including
W. Platt of Louisiana State University.
Tallahassee is located only thirty minutes from the Gulf of Mexico and
within a short drive of a variety of marine habitats. Salt marshes, seagrass
beds, bivalve reefs and hard bottom communites can all be found within
a two-hour drive from campus. FSU's
Marine Laboratory is situated an hour from our main campus, with research
facilities, housing, and a flotilla of boats. This allows access for research
in several ecologically interesting and critical habitats, including St.
Joe Bay, Appalachicola Bay, and Apalachee Bay. We are also affiliated
with the National Marine Fisheries Service through the Institute
for Fishery Resource Ecology, which offers graduate and undergraduate
research opportunities throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
Many
graduate students have studied the marine ecology of this area. In particular,
B. Herrnkind's lab has many years of experience on a variety of marine
species, including lobster and hermit crab behavior, with both local work
and work in the Florida Keys. Don Levitan and his students have been studying
urchins and other invertebrates in sea grass systems, locally in St. Joe
Bay, but also througout the Carribean and even western Canada. Florida
State University also has one of the nation's largest Academic
Diving Programs supporting research programs locally, and throughout
the world.
Some
of the most beautiful local habitatas are still preserved in the Appalachicola
National Forest and Tate's Hell State Wildlife Area to the south and west
of Tallahassee. This area consists of mostly second growth forests and
some pristine swamps, interspersed with boggy, open "savannahs." One of
the largest populations of the endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker is studied
here by F. James and students in her lab. North Florida contains among
the highest diversity of carnivorous
plants in the world, including pitcher plants, sundews, and bladderworts.
The invertebrate communities in these pitchers have been used as microcosms
for experimental community studies by students in T. Miller's lab. Most
of the vegetation in this area has been documented by L. Anderson in the
R. Godfrey Herbarium.
To
the southwest of Tallahassee is the Appalachicola Bay, where the Appalachicola
River runs into the northern Gulf of Mexico. The bay is fronted by four
unique island, including St. Vincent (a national Wildlife refuge), Cape
St. George Island (a state wildlife refuge), St. George Island (the
extensive St. George State Park), and Dog Island (primarily owned by the
Nature Conservancy). These islands are an ideal resource for research
and teaching, utilizing the nearby FSU
Marine Lab and the Apalachicola
National Estuarine Reserve.
The
city of Tallahassee itself is a combination of the state capital and a
college town, with Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and
Tallahassee Community College. It is a blend of southern culture and modern
technology, with beautiful canopy roads and colorful local
festivals, alongside the National
High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Because it is the largest city (approx.
150,000) for over 150 miles, it also acts as a social, cultural, and commercial
center for a large geographic area. There is little agriculture or heavy
industry in the area, with the primary local employers being the state
government or the local universities. For further information, contact
the Tallahassee
Visitor Center. Recreational activities include the St.
Marks bike trail, canoeing on the many spring-fed rivers, and excellent
gulf fishing.
North
Florida encompasses an incredibly diverse array of habitats. Ranging from
south Appalachian clay hills to nearly subtropical forests to incredibly
diverse seagrass communities, the plants and animals of the area reflect
the vareity of local habitats. These habitats are used for graduate and
undergraduate classes in ecology and evolution, as well as research by
various faculty and graduate students. Much of the immediate area around
Tallahassee was originally a mosaic of long-leaf pine and wiregrass communities,
interspersed with live-oak woodlands and swamps, as captured in the writings
of early explorers such as William Bartram. Collaborative research on
long-leaf pine communities is frequently conducted at the 
To
the southeast of Tallahassee is the 
Many
graduate students have studied the marine ecology of this area. In particular,
B. Herrnkind's lab has many years of experience on a variety of marine
species, including lobster and hermit crab behavior, with both local work
and work in the Florida Keys. Don Levitan and his students have been studying
urchins and other invertebrates in sea grass systems, locally in St. Joe
Bay, but also througout the Carribean and even western Canada. Florida
State University also has one of the nation's largest 
Some
of the most beautiful local habitatas are still preserved in the Appalachicola
National Forest and Tate's Hell State Wildlife Area to the south and west
of Tallahassee. This area consists of mostly second growth forests and
some pristine swamps, interspersed with boggy, open "savannahs." One of
the largest populations of the endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker is studied
here by F. James and students in her lab. North Florida contains among
the highest diversity of 
carnivorous
plants in the world, including pitcher plants, sundews, and bladderworts.
The invertebrate communities in these pitchers have been used as microcosms
for experimental community studies by students in T. Miller's lab. Most
of the vegetation in this area has been documented by L. Anderson in the
R. Godfrey Herbarium. 
To
the southwest of Tallahassee is the Appalachicola Bay, where the Appalachicola
River runs into the northern Gulf of Mexico. The bay is fronted by four
unique island, including St. Vincent (a national Wildlife refuge), 
The
city of Tallahassee itself is a combination of the state capital and a
college town, with Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and
Tallahassee Community College. It is a blend of southern culture and modern
technology, with beautiful canopy roads and colorful