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11 In the citrus groves of the proposed restoration area , a network of mounds , furrows , and drainage ditches were excavated at one time to control the water table elevations within the groves . Rows of mounds and furrows run north -south . Runoff flows north and south to 3 east-west drainage ditches which flow west into a freshwater ditch on the western boundary of the proposed restoration area . This western ditch is connected to ' the Indian River Lagoon via a 24- inch diameter culvert with a tidal flap gate . There is also a north -south freshwater drainage ditch just west of Jungle Trail which connects to the Indian River Lagoon on the south . On the southern portion of the proposed restoration area , there exists about 10 acres of marsh . Historically the tidal marsh area would have been larger, but ditching and draining of the area for citrus grove operations exposed the land . 3 . 2 Biological Environment Considered the most productive estuary in the United States , the Indian River Lagoon and its associated wetlands provide cover, foraging areas , and key life history habitat in ' support of hundreds of species of wildlife and plants in habitats that cover the gradient of aquatic, transitional , and upland . Pelican Island NWR lies within the zone of overlap between the temperate Carolinian and the tropical Caribbean , and thus supports plants ' and animals from both zones . r3 . 2 . 1 Vegetation The Indian River Lagoon area includes a variety of habitat types and over 1 , 350 plant tspecies . Aquatic communities of the lagoon include exposed bottoms , drift algae , and sea grasses , as well as freshwater, riverine , estuarine , and subtidal areas . Transitional communities of the lagoon include high salt marshes , mangrove swamps , and impoundments . Coastal hammocks , coastal strand , lagoonal islands , spoil islands , hardwood hammocks , and pine flatwoods form the upland communities of the area ' around the lagoon . The sea grass beds of the Indian River Lagoon and the Refuge are important to a variety of wildlife (e . g . , West Indian manatees and juvenile green sea turtles) and are indicators of the health of the lagoon system . Key habitats in the lagoon region , including beach dune , coastal strand , maritime hammock , swamps , mangroves , sea grasses , and pine flatwoods support the high native diversity of the area , which includes a variety of threatened and endangered species . • Beach Dune - generally consists of the upper beach and foredune and is primarily a herbaceous community of wide ranging coastal specialists . • Coastal Strand - is the most common community located behind the dune zone and is generally a dense , flat-topped , evergreen shrub community with a mix of tropical species in the more southern areas of the State of Florida . • Maritime Hammock - consists of shorter forests with a monotonous canopy of sabal