Each of Florida's plant communities has its own life history. Its existence and species composition cycles through changes over time. In Florida the most important factors influencing plant communities are hydrology and fire. Due to the flat lay of the land and sandy soils, within just a few inches of relief, Florida plant communities can change from wet to dry. Wetland habitats such as wet meadows, marshes, swamps, and ponds, can be found as islands within dry uplands.
Uplands exist as islands within extensive wetlands, as well.
Thus, the Florida landscape is a mosaic of interspersed and ecologically interrelated plant associations. Only a few inches of topographical relief can lead to a great difference in the nature of the soil and vegetation. The climate of Florida is subtropical, except for the extreme southern Florida, which is considered tropical. Look at a world map or globe, and you will find that nearly every land mass between the Tropic of Cancer and the 30 degrees north latitude line has a subhumid or arid climate. On my globe this band includes the Sahara Desert, the Great Nefud, Thar Desert, Baja California, the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the Southwest and Mexico, and the desert lands of Algeria, Libya, Egypt and Iran.