However, their leaves are a bit more rounded than the leaves of the red or black mangrove. Early settlers to South Florida regarded mangrove forests as being useless, mosquito-infested, uninhabitable lands. Today, ecologists realize their important role in coastal ecosystems. Mangrove leaves, trunks and branches fall into the water and are transformed into detritus, which is the basis of an elaborate food chain. Mangroves provide protected habitat, breeding grounds and nursery areas to many terrestrial and marine animals.
Mangroves also provide shoreline protection from wind, waves and floods.
Pinelands Pinelands in Everglades National Park. Pinelands occur on nearly level land composed of coarse, poorly drained soil. Longleaf pine and slash pines are the dominant trees in pinelands. Understory plants commonly include saw palmettos, wildflowers and ferns. Plants that grow in the pinelands must be resistant to fire as areas such as these are maintained by fire.