Likith Swamp
Along the eastern shore of the Lake Likith is the lowland swamp named for the lake.
Geography
The Likith swamp is an area of low-lying land along the eastern shore of Lake Likith. The land is low enough to have standing water from Lake Likith, but shallow enough that the water doesn’t form much in the way of freestanding water. Instead the land consists of islands crisscrossed by bayous. While much of the water is stagnant, a great deal more flows into and out of Lake Likith.
Fauna & Flora
The Likith swamp is home to a vast array of plants and animals that have adapted to a wet, temperate environment.
While some of its flora and fauna are widely recognized, the Likith swamp also is comprised of many hundreds, if not thousands, of lesser-known plants, animals and fish that are part of a living, dynamic ecosystem. The River of Grass includes wetlands plants, trees and marsh vegetation; invertebrates, fresh and saltwater fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds.
The Likith swamp is comprised of more than 100 marsh species that live in water all or much of the year. Its most well-known wetland plant is sawgrass, a normally hearty grass-like species that has formed thousands of acres of marshes. Floating aquatic plants that dominate the waterscape include bladderwort, white water lily, spatterdock and maidencane. Living among these is one of the tiniest members of the Everglades plant community, periphyton algae. The base of food webs, algae floats in mats on or just below the water's surface, and is found throughout the swamp.
In addition to aquatic ones, other plants in the Everglades live in wetland tree islands and upland hardwood hammocks that dot the landscape. Tree islands are small forests of trees and shrubs that have adapted to a wet environment. They provide an important home to the many mammals that live in the Everglades and are a site for wading and migratory bird rookeries. Tree islands generally are named after the trees that dominate them, with the most common the bay, willow and cypress.
Cypress is probably the most recognized tree in the swamp, and includes the dwarf and bald species. Cypresses require water to develop, and then can live on either dry land or in water as mature trees. They have unusual root systems producing "knees" that grow out of the earth which scientists think are used for breathing. Cypress trees shed their leaves in the fall. Another interesting tree found in the islands is the pond apple, which produces large, bitter, yellow-green fruit. Pond apples are a food source for some animals.
Trees also exist in the swamp in hammocks, which are localized, mature hardwood forests. Unlike the tree islands that are dominated by wetland species, hammocks can have trees that traditionally live in drier conditions such as oak and pine. Royal palm, cabbage palm, live oak, gumbo limbo and mahogany are some trees that live in these tropical hardwood hammocks.
Within the tree islands and hammocks, can be found breathtaking orchids, bromeliads and ferns. The warm, humid environment is ideal for air plants, with some unusual and beautiful orchids found in the swamp. Many species of ferns also thrive in this environment, often found under shade trees and covering the forest floor.
A keystone plant community of the swamp, the mangrove is a coastal plant that is known for its vast root system. Mangroves help reduce soil erosion and buffer the land from wind and waves; and build the soil through their growth and decomposition.
It is reported that there are so many migratory and wading birds that their numbers darkened the skies. Today some 350 bird species have been identified in swamp alone. Some are year-round residents; other just visit for the winter; and still others stop by on their journey to more southern destinations.
The most notable of the wading birds includes the Wood Stork; White and Glossy Ibises; Roseate Spoonbill; Great Blue, Great White and Tricolored Herons; and Snowy and Great Egrets. The Snail Kite is an unusual bird in that it survives exclusively on the apple snail.
Many animals live in the swamp including the raccoon, skunk, opossum, bobcat, and white-tail deer. Most majestic is the swamp panther. Panthers feed on deer and other mammals, live in uplands swamp areas, and require large ranges.
Another keystone species of the ecosystem is the alligator. This ancient reptile builds "alligator holes" that provide an important food and water source for many other animals in times of drought.
Among the more dangerous and non-mundane denizens of the swamp are aboleth, akata, ankou, basilisk, belostomatid, black dracolisk, bog strider, boggard, boruta, catoblepas, chuul, dire alligator, emkrah, faceless stalker, fetid spore mound, fire beetle, freshwater merrow, froghemoth, gargoyle, garipan, giant amoeba, giant dragonfly, giant fly, giant flytrap, giant frog, giant gar, giant hellgrammite, giant leech, giant maggot, giant mosquito, giant nymph dragonfly, giant slug, giant spider, giant stirge, giant toad, goblin dog, gray render, green hag, harpy, hydra, kelpie, lamia matriarch, larabay, living topiary, lurker in light, medusa, mi-go, mimic, mindslaver mold, moonflower, neh-thalggu, ochre jelly, peryton, redcap, rorkoun, sandpoint devil, scarlet spider, shambling mound, skin stealer, slurk, soucouyant, spawning canker, spirit naga, spring-heeled jack, stirge, tear of nuruu’gal, tentamort, thrasfyr, vampiric mist, viper vine, will-o’-wisp, witchwyrd, xenarth (ichor shark), and xtabay. However the swamp is most known for the tribes of lizardfolk that inhabit it.
While some of its flora and fauna are widely recognized, the Likith swamp also is comprised of many hundreds, if not thousands, of lesser-known plants, animals and fish that are part of a living, dynamic ecosystem. The River of Grass includes wetlands plants, trees and marsh vegetation; invertebrates, fresh and saltwater fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds.
The Likith swamp is comprised of more than 100 marsh species that live in water all or much of the year. Its most well-known wetland plant is sawgrass, a normally hearty grass-like species that has formed thousands of acres of marshes. Floating aquatic plants that dominate the waterscape include bladderwort, white water lily, spatterdock and maidencane. Living among these is one of the tiniest members of the Everglades plant community, periphyton algae. The base of food webs, algae floats in mats on or just below the water's surface, and is found throughout the swamp.
In addition to aquatic ones, other plants in the Everglades live in wetland tree islands and upland hardwood hammocks that dot the landscape. Tree islands are small forests of trees and shrubs that have adapted to a wet environment. They provide an important home to the many mammals that live in the Everglades and are a site for wading and migratory bird rookeries. Tree islands generally are named after the trees that dominate them, with the most common the bay, willow and cypress.
Cypress is probably the most recognized tree in the swamp, and includes the dwarf and bald species. Cypresses require water to develop, and then can live on either dry land or in water as mature trees. They have unusual root systems producing "knees" that grow out of the earth which scientists think are used for breathing. Cypress trees shed their leaves in the fall. Another interesting tree found in the islands is the pond apple, which produces large, bitter, yellow-green fruit. Pond apples are a food source for some animals.
Trees also exist in the swamp in hammocks, which are localized, mature hardwood forests. Unlike the tree islands that are dominated by wetland species, hammocks can have trees that traditionally live in drier conditions such as oak and pine. Royal palm, cabbage palm, live oak, gumbo limbo and mahogany are some trees that live in these tropical hardwood hammocks.
Within the tree islands and hammocks, can be found breathtaking orchids, bromeliads and ferns. The warm, humid environment is ideal for air plants, with some unusual and beautiful orchids found in the swamp. Many species of ferns also thrive in this environment, often found under shade trees and covering the forest floor.
A keystone plant community of the swamp, the mangrove is a coastal plant that is known for its vast root system. Mangroves help reduce soil erosion and buffer the land from wind and waves; and build the soil through their growth and decomposition.
It is reported that there are so many migratory and wading birds that their numbers darkened the skies. Today some 350 bird species have been identified in swamp alone. Some are year-round residents; other just visit for the winter; and still others stop by on their journey to more southern destinations.
The most notable of the wading birds includes the Wood Stork; White and Glossy Ibises; Roseate Spoonbill; Great Blue, Great White and Tricolored Herons; and Snowy and Great Egrets. The Snail Kite is an unusual bird in that it survives exclusively on the apple snail.
Many animals live in the swamp including the raccoon, skunk, opossum, bobcat, and white-tail deer. Most majestic is the swamp panther. Panthers feed on deer and other mammals, live in uplands swamp areas, and require large ranges.
Another keystone species of the ecosystem is the alligator. This ancient reptile builds "alligator holes" that provide an important food and water source for many other animals in times of drought.
Among the more dangerous and non-mundane denizens of the swamp are aboleth, akata, ankou, basilisk, belostomatid, black dracolisk, bog strider, boggard, boruta, catoblepas, chuul, dire alligator, emkrah, faceless stalker, fetid spore mound, fire beetle, freshwater merrow, froghemoth, gargoyle, garipan, giant amoeba, giant dragonfly, giant fly, giant flytrap, giant frog, giant gar, giant hellgrammite, giant leech, giant maggot, giant mosquito, giant nymph dragonfly, giant slug, giant spider, giant stirge, giant toad, goblin dog, gray render, green hag, harpy, hydra, kelpie, lamia matriarch, larabay, living topiary, lurker in light, medusa, mi-go, mimic, mindslaver mold, moonflower, neh-thalggu, ochre jelly, peryton, redcap, rorkoun, sandpoint devil, scarlet spider, shambling mound, skin stealer, slurk, soucouyant, spawning canker, spirit naga, spring-heeled jack, stirge, tear of nuruu’gal, tentamort, thrasfyr, vampiric mist, viper vine, will-o’-wisp, witchwyrd, xenarth (ichor shark), and xtabay. However the swamp is most known for the tribes of lizardfolk that inhabit it.
Natural Resources
In addition to the great diversity of plants and animals, many of which are hunted from the fringes, the swamp is also a source of clay finely suited for pottery. A unique property of the clay is the blue-green tint it develops once fired.
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