. The ecology of the Apalachicola Bay system : an estuarine profile. Estuarine ecology -- Florida Apalachicola Bay; Estuarine area conservation -- Florida. stream channels and estuarine meanders. The pH values ranqe from 4.^ to f^.6. Studies of the marshes above East Bay (Coultas 1^80; Coultas and Gross 197^^) indicate that the deltaic soils are slightly acidic and become alkaline with depth. The dense mats of roots and rhizomes from the predominant sawgrass (Cladium .iamai cense) and needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) along the eastern portions of the estuary tend to hold the soils in place. The
. The ecology of the Apalachicola Bay system : an estuarine profile. Estuarine ecology -- Florida Apalachicola Bay; Estuarine area conservation -- Florida. stream channels and estuarine meanders. The pH values ranqe from 4.^ to f^.6. Studies of the marshes above East Bay (Coultas 1^80; Coultas and Gross 197^^) indicate that the deltaic soils are slightly acidic and become alkaline with depth. The dense mats of roots and rhizomes from the predominant sawgrass (Cladium .iamai cense) and needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) along the eastern portions of the estuary tend to hold the soils in place. The soils are composed of thin organic deposits mixed with clay and overlie loamy sands of fine-textured materials. Considerable amounts of silt occur in some soils, and most have poor load-bearing capacity because of the high organic content and high field moisture levels. Vegetation differences are attributed to soil salt content. Sawgrass is dominant in areas most affected by river flow (, with low salinity), and needlerush is predominant in tidal areas (, those with higher salinity) (Coultas 1P80). Sediments in the estuary are characterized bv mixtures of sand, silt, and shell components (Livingston 1^78). Present sediments are accumulating over tertiary limestones and marls that outcrop in the scoured central channels of West Pass and Indian Pass. St. Vincent Sound and northern portions of Apalachicola Bay are silty areas that grade into sand/silt and shell gravel toward St. George Island. The thickness of these sediments (10-^0 m) (Gorsline 1^63) may be the result of erosion of older deltaic deposits during periods of higher sea level. East Ray is composed of silty sand and sandy shell. Areas near the river mouth have varying quantities of woody debris and leaf matter, especially during winter and spring months of heavy river flooding (Livingston et al. 1976a). The floor of the bay is thus formed largely of quartz sand with a thin (but varying) cover of silt, clay, a
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