Land use: About 65 percent of this area is in forest, consisting mainly of spaced pine of low quality. The forests are grazed extensively. About 15 percent of the area is improved pasture, and the same proportion is native range grazed by cattle. Only about 3 percent is cropped, principally to many kinds of winter vegetables. Some citrus fruits are grown, and other subtropical fruits are grown in the south.
Elevation and topography: Elevation ranges from sea level to 25 m, increasing gradually from the coast inland. The nearly level coastal plain is mantled by sand of varying thickness over limestone. The many swamps, marshes, lakes, and streams are prominent landscape features. Most of the area is flat, but some hummocks rise a meter above the general level.
Climate: Average annual precipitation-1,300 to 1,525 mm. Maximum precipitation is in summer, and the minimum is late in autumn and in winter. Average annual temperature-21 to 23 C. Average freeze-free period-290 to 365 days.
Water: Rainfall, surface water, and ground water provide an abundance of water. On much of the cropland, ground-water levels are controlled by canals and ditches. Excess water is pumped out during the rainy season, and irrigation water is applied during the growing season. Domestic and municipal water supplies are obtained mainly from wells in the underlying limestone. Water from this source is highly mineralized.
Soils: The dominant soils are Aquods, Aquents, and Aquepts. They have a hyperthermic temperature regime and an aquic moisture regime. Poorly drained, sandy Haplaquods (Myakka and Immokalee, and Wabasso, Wauchula, Pomona, EauGallie, and Oldsmar series) have a weakly cemented layer at a depth of about 2 to 4 ft. Poorly drained Psammaquents (Basinger and Pompano series) and very poorly drained Humaquepts (Placid series) are sandy throughout. Locally, narrow to broad bands of Sulfaquents, Sulfihemists, and Hydraquents occur along and near the coast. Moderately well drained, sandy Haplohumods (Pomello series), which have weakly cemented layers, and excessively drained, sandy Quartzipsamments (St. Lucie and Paola series) are on low old beach ridges and dunes. They are of small extent but are important for urban expansion.
Potential natural vegetation: This area supports "flatwood" forest vegetation. Slash pine, longleaf pine, cabbage palm, and live oak are the principal species. Sawpalmetto and gallberry and such grasses as bluestems and wiregrasses characterize the understory.
(From "Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United
States". United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service
Handbook 296. Dec. 1981. page 114 - 115.)