Clumps of Life

Clumps of Life is an interpretive site or ecological feature in the Everglades highlighting the way biological diversity clusters in small patches within the broader marsh. Even in the most apparently uniform stretches of sawgrass prairie, small variations in elevation, soil chemistry, or water depth create microhabitats that support concentrations of life. This kind of interpretive stop helps visitors see beyond the surface monotony of the sawgrass and appreciate the fine-grained ecological complexity that makes the Everglades extraordinary. A cluster of periphyton, a small bromeliad-bearing tree, or a floating mat of vegetation can represent a world of biological activity in miniature.