A cypress dome in the background. These domes are really a bit of an illusion. They give the impression of a rising landscape but they're really sinkholes where water collects and cypress trees grow. The best growing conditions are found near the center, so trees growing there will be taller than those surrounding them; farther removed from the center there is less water and fewer nutrients and trees will grow progressively less vigorously. Trees on the outer edge might be a fraction of the height of trees near the center even if they're the same age. One more illusion: the actual center of the dome is often devoid of trees completely, making the dome look like a donut when seen from above. Why? the water is too deep for cypress to grow. However, these places are teeming with life, from aquatic plants to fish and turtles and snakes to that ultimate predator, the alligator — Photo by David Sedore
