Big Cypress Swamp drains south and west through sloughs, strands, and culverts under the Tamiami Trail. The formation of cypress domes, strands, and dwarf cypress savannas is driven primarily by hydrology.
Cypress domes develop in depressions within large watersheds.
Cypress strands form where high water level and sufficient flow generate a depression channel. Soils in Big Cypress Swamp are mostly derived from Tamiami limestone and quartz sands. Many authors do not attempt to discriminate between the two taxa, partly because of controversy over their taxonomic status and partly because of the difficulty of distinguishing them in the field. Throughout this writeup, where baldcypress and pondcypress have not been differentiated by the authors or where the information is applicable to both taxa, the term cypress will be used. Other species of Tillandsia are more common in central and southern Florida.