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Information about Peggy Trail
Look out tower
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to John Chestnut Sr. Park, a 255 acre facility owned and
operated by the Pinellas County Park Department. Dedicated in October
1977, this park was built with matching funds from the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers and Pinellas County.
John Chestnut Sr. Park provides opportunities for a wide variety of
recreational activities including fishing, boating, canoeing and
picnicking. Also available for use, is a softball field and playground
equipment. Those interested in passive recreation and nature education
will enjoy the park's two nature trails.
This guide is intended for use on the boardwalk section of the Peggy
Park Nature Trail, which is 3,300 feet long. Station markers along the
boardwalk handrails correspond to the numbered paragraphs in this guide.
While the park is here for your enjoyment, please remember that all of
the plants and animals are protected.
1. PINE FLATWOODS
The plant community known as pine Flatwoods is common in Florida.
The dominant plant species in pine Flatwoods are slash pine (Pinuselliotti)
and saw palmetto (Serenoa reopens). Slash pine is an economically
important tree because it is a major source of lumber for the
construction industry. Saw palmettos were used in several ways by
Florida's prehistoric Native Americans. This plant was vitally important
as a food source and the large leaves, fibers and trunks were used in
building shelters. In modern times, the berries and extracts are used
medicinally.
Muscadine grape vines (Vitis munsoniana) grow profusely and can
completely cover other vegetation. These vines, as well as sand
blackberry (Rubus cuneifolius), provide juicy berries to a wide variety
of birds and animals. Another common plant interspersed within this
community is red bay (Persea borbonia). Crushing the leaves of this
plant will reveal a familiar scent. While red bay is not the source of
commercial bay leaves, it can be used as a substitute.
2. FERNS
The dry, sandy, pine Flatwoods gradually give way to a cypress swamp.
A swamp is a wetland dominated by large trees. A change in plant species
will become evident. The ground in the cypress swamp is at a slightly
lower elevation than the pine Flatwoods and the soil is wet and rich
with decomposing organic matter. Taking advantage of these moist, shaded
conditions to form a dense ground cover are two species of ferns, the
cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamonea) and netted chain fern (Woodwardia
areolatd). Both species exhibit a characteristic
called dimorphism. Instead of bearing spores (their reproductive
structures) on the undersides of previously sterile fronds, they possess
separate fertile fronds to hold spores. The fertile frond of the
cinnamon fern appears feathery or frilly and is cinnamon colored, hence
its name. Fertile fronds of the netted chain fern are linear in shape.
Fertile fronds are visible in the summer.
3. DECOMPOSERS
As you walk along the trail, you may notice occasional dead trees,
stumps and logs. A host of organisms known as decomposers live in
and on these trees, performing the very important role of recycling
nutrients back into the soil. All the organic materials that make up the
trees are eaten and broken down by termites, carpenter ants, bacteria
and fungi. In turn, there are other animals, such as birds, raccoons,
and
squirrels, who depend on the termites, ants and fungi for food. Even
though the trees are dead, they are still an important part of the
ecosystem.
For these reasons, dead trees and logs are not removed from the swamp.
5. RESURRECTION FERN
Resurrection fern gets its common name from its ability to "resurrect"
itself. During wet or humid conditions, this fern appears bright green
with all its fronds fully expanded. In dry weather, to prevent
desiccation, the individual fronds curl up, exposing the undersides that
are covered with rusty scales. The fern will appear dead. Upon the
return of moisture, the fronds unfold, green appears and the fern is
seemingly resurrected. This adaptation appears to be a critical factor
to the survival of the fern in times of limited moisture.
Prominent throughout the under story is a tree called pop ash (Fraxinus
caroliniand). An inhabitant of wet sites, its opposite, compound leaves
make pop ash easy to identify. At ground level, royal ferns (Osmunda
regalis) atop a mass of black matter. This black, fibrous material is
actually the root system of the fern that serves to elevate the plant
above the level of the water in the swamp. Commercial processing of the
roots yields orchid boards and small cubes widely used by orchid
enthusiasts as potting materials.
6. BALD CYPRESS
The (all, stately trees with tiny needle-like leaves in the swampy areas
are bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). These deciduous conifers shed
their leaves in winter. Their name derives from their "bald" wintertime
appearance. The largest bald cypress specimen in the park is
approximately 250 years old. Its age was determined by removing a core
sample from the tree and counting the core's growth rings. This process
does not harm the tree. Characteristic of bald cypress trees are the
fluted or buttressed bases, which provide additional support for the
large trees when they are growing in soft, wet soil. Projections of the
root system above the ground, commonly called cypress knees, are also
characteristic. The function of these knees has long been debated.
One theory states that the knees contribute to the physical support of
the
tree. Another theory maintains that the knees provide oxygen to the
root system and enhance gas exchange in the oxygen-poor soil of the
swamp. The fact that cypress trees do not develop knees when growing
on dry sites may be seen as supportive evidence for both theories.
Regardless of their true function, cypress knees are unique and
interesting to view. Their removal is not advised, as it injures the
trees.
BALD CYPRESS
7. FALLEN LOGS
Moss-covered fallen logs provide a valuable service in the swamp. In
addition to their participation in nutrient recycling, they make
available
new space for plants to grow. Notice the moss and the many seedlings
on the logs in this area. They are taking advantage of the elevation
above water and the nutrients supplied by the decaying logs.
ZEBRA LONGWING FLORIDA STATE INSECT
A butterfly lays an egg on a leaf. Some days later the egg hatches into
a larva, the second stage of an insect's life. In the case of the
butterfly,
we call this larva a caterpillar. The little caterpillar is likely to
take its
first meal by eating the empty egg shell. Its next meal is likely to be
plant material. (As larvae, butterflies do some damage to plants. As
adults, however, they carry on an enormous amount of the
cross-pollination
essential for the survival of many plants.) The larva continues to
grow and will molt about four times. At this point, the caterpillar will
have reached its full growth and is ready to enter the third stage of
development called the chrysalis or pupa. In the chrysalis, all of the
caterpillar organs will be transformed into the very different organs of
the final adult stage, the butterfly. Thereafter, it neither grows nor
molts; little butterflies do not grow up into larger ones. The function
of
{ the adult is reproduction; that of the lava, nutrition; and that of
the
pupa, structural reorganization.
8. CABBAGE PALM
The official state tree of Florida is the cabbage palm. Easily
recognized
by its large fan-shaped leaves, mature specimens have smooth trunks.
Younger cabbage palm are often studded with bootjacks, which are the
remnant bases of old leaf stalks. Bootjacks collect rainwater and
provide
moist, shaded homes for a variety of small animals.
CABBAGE PALM FROND
Cabbage palms have been a significant source of food and raw materials
for humans and many wildlife species. Indians harvested the trees for
the terminal bud, or "cabbage," which was regarded as a delicacy. They
used the trunks for dwelling supports and the palm fronds for roofing
materials and fibrous products. They ate the berry-like fruits and made
a kind of course meal for bread out of the dried and ground
fruit. Early European settlers used the trees for the same purposes. As
Florida became developed, the sturdy and rot-resistant cabbage palm
trunks were used for the construction of buildings and docks. The fruits
are an attractive food source for a variety of wildlife.
YELLOW BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Along the trail, you may see trees riddled with small holes. These
orderly rows of holes were made by a winter resident, the yellow-bellied
sapsucker. This variety of woodpecker drills holes into the tree and
then laps up the flowing sap with a brush-like tongue tip. Insects
attracted by the sap are also eaten.
9. LAKE EDGE
At a lake edge where land and water meet, the careful observer may
discover the presence of a variety of animals. Often sunning them-
selves at the lake edge are peninsula coolers, soft-shell and red-eared
turtles. Pig frogs and bullfrogs can be spotted hiding in low aquatic
weeds. Even when not visible, their loud grunting, often mistaken for
that of an alligator, signals their presence. Several species of water
snakes are attracted here by the assortment of frogs, small fish,
salamanders and crayfish on which they feed. Animals coming to the lake
edge to drink often
leave tracks in the soft mud.
PENINSULA COOTER
10. SWAMP PLANTS
Giant leather fern (Acrostichum danaeifolium) is the largest native fern
in North America and is commonly seen along the trail. Frequenting
swamps and brackish waters, giant leather ferns may exceed 12 feet in
height. The name comes from the brown masses of spores on the undersides
of the fronds, which bear a resemblance to leather. Also, the
fronds themselves feel thick and leathery. Giant leather fern
populations are diminishing in Florida, and the plant is considered
commercially exploited.
RED MAPLE LEAF
The environment that you are walking through undergoes changes in water
levels that exclude some plants from growing here. The shaded areas in
the swamp support different plants from those found along the sunny
edges. Areas with even a slightly different elevation can support
different species of plants. Epiphytic plants take advantage of the
support of many of the trees here. This patchwork of microhabitats
enhances the diversity and beauty of this natural community. This
diverse plant community is also home to a unique animal community that
has also adapted to the changes that occur in a swamp environment. Short
term changes include flooding and drought. Long term changes include the
eventual transition of this area, as soil levels slowly buildup, to more
of an upland area like pine Flatwoods or oak hammock.
11. LAKE TARPON
Lake Tarpon is the largest lake in Pinellas County. It is five miles
long
and one mile wide, covering an area of 2,534 acres. Large numbers of
fish, turtles, frogs, alligators and wading birds can be found in the
lake
and its associated waters and wetlands.
LARGE MOUTHED BASS
Along the lake's perimeter are dense thickets of tall grass-like
cattails
(Typha lafifolia). Their fuzzy brown spikes are a familiar sight in
summer and fall. Although cattails are not widely used by wildlife for
food,
they do provide excellent cover for a wide variety of animals. Redwinged
blackbirds are among the many species that use cattail cover to
their advantage at nesting time. Hidden on the cattail bases are masses
of white eggs laid by apple snails. The cattail habitat is a nursery for
innumerable fish and frogs that spawn and seek cover amongst the cattail
stalks. Largemouth bass, bluegills and warmouth can be found hiding in
the dense vegetation adjacent to deeper water. Anhingas are drawn by an
abundance of small fish, as are herons and egrets, which wade amongst
the dense vegetation in search of food. The presence of fish and birds
in the cattail thickets often attracts alligators which are
opportunistic predators. Not particular in their diet, alligators will
eat anything they can catch, including fish, frogs, turtles, birds and
small mammals. Alligators build nests along the shoreline and are very
protective of their nests as well as their offspring for several months
after they have hatched.
12. SPANISH MOSS
Hanging on many of the trees throughout the swamp is a light gray plant
called Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides). Despite its common name,
Spanish moss is not a true moss but a flowering plant. The inconspicuous
flowers are greenish and appear in the spring. Like the resurrection
fern, Spanish moss is an epiphyte. This rootless plant commonly grows on
older cypress and live oak trees and derives all its nutrients from air
and water. It is not a parasite nor does it harm the tree on which it
grows. Stripping away the outer gray material yields a strong black
fiber that was once widely used in the upholstery industry.
13. ECOTONE (TRANSITION)
You are now passing an ecotone or area of transition between two
habitats. As you leave the cypress swamp behind and re-enter a pine/oak
area, notice the gradual merging of the plants. Swamp plants are less
frequent and plants from the new habitat begin to appear. Because of the
overlapping of these two habitats, the ecotone contains a greater
diversity of plants. This is evident from the increased number of tree
species here. In the swamp, bald cypress was dominant. Soon pines and
oaks from the new habitat will begin to dominate but here five tree
species prevail. Pop ash, bald cypress, red maple, live oak and cabbage
palm are all found in this region of high diversity. Below them, marsh
fern from the swamp and blechnum fern from the drier habitat mingle.
This increased variety of plants attracts animals from both neighboring
habitats into the ecotone. As a result, the animal variety is also high
in the ecotone.
FLATWOODS
The wood of oak trees, in general, and live oaks in particular,
possesses attributes which have proven valuable in construction,
furniture making and shipbuilding.
The strength and durability of native live oak wood was proven in the
USS Constitution, America's most famous frigate. Built in 1794, using
mostly live oak and red cedar, this famous ship is still afloat in
Boston Harbor. Constitution's strength earned her
the nickname "Old Ironsides" because British cannonballs were said to
bounce off the sides of her oak hull. Even today, live oaks continue to
be of tremendous importance for wildlife as well as for the aesthetic
and economic interests of humanity.
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