patrickbdevaney/mia9 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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appear to be highly susceptible, including certain natives, e.g., wax-myrtle, strangler-fig,
myrsine, swamp bay, and wild-coffee. Control can be accomplished in part by following regular
subcanopy management recommendations – cutting and burning. In some cases, especially for
rare plants, an insecticidal solution may be applied for several weeks to kill the scales. Treatment
of lobate lac scale is particularly important in areas with rare bushes, especially Florida
prairieclover and crenulate leadplant, which have been observed with infestations.
Management Policy
Control measures must be developed and implemented at pine rockland EEL
preserves to halt and reverse the spread of invasive naturalized exotic animal species
and to prevent the establishment of new exotic animal species populations
EEL Program, Management Plan, Part II – Pine Rockland (DRAFT) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 37
4.6 Fire Management
Since pine rocklands are fire climax communities, fire management, along with exotic plant
control, is one of the most critical techniques required to restore and manage pine rocklands.
Site-specific recommendations and objectives for prescribed fires will be presented in Part III of
this management plan. General recommendations for fire management are discussed here,
including hardwood control, fire breaks, prescribed burning, and alternatives to prescribed
burning.
4.6.1 Hardwood Control
Manual, mechanical, or chemical hardwood
control will be required at many pine
rockland sites to prepare for prescribed
fires. The amount of woody material to be
removed should be coordinated with the
burn team. Hardwood and palm densities
should be reduced prior to burning to
reduce burn temperatures. An added benefit
is the reduction of smoke levels during and
post-fire, and less need for mop up.
4.6.2 Fire Breaks
Fire breaks should be maintained or installed around all pine rocklands. Construction of these
fire breaks is necessary to permit access for fire fighting equipment and staff. Fire breaks are also
essential to protection of structures and surrounding properties if and when wildfires occur.
Only general considerations about fire breaks are made here in Part II. Their specific location on
each site is discussed in Part III of this management plan.
Though utilizing existing rights-of-way as fire breaks is preferred, fire break construction may
require destruction of some pine rockland habitat. Nevertheless, fire breaks, and the consequent
habitat destruction, are necessary to properly control a burn, and if fires cannot be set then the
entire site will degrade, making the cost of limited habitat destruction worthwhile. Fire breaks
should be cleared to bare rock or soil, which will not only prevent ground fires from crossing
them, but will create habitat for pine rockland plant species and limit invasion of exotic and
ruderal plant species (see Section 4.5.1 above).
Management Policy
Fire management on all pine rockland EEL sites shall concentrate on a prescribed
burning program, along with hardwood control and installation and maintenance of
fire breaks. The prescribed burning program must account for seasonality of burns,
personnel necessary, the risk of wildfires, and actual application, including safety
measures and effectiveness. Alternatives to prescribed burning will only be utilized as
a last resort.
Pineland with hardwood invasion
Photo by Keith Bradley, IRC
EEL Program, Management Plan, Part II – Pine Rockland (DRAFT) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 38
4.6.3 Prescribed Burning
As discussed in Section 2.6.1 above, large wind-driven fires historically swept across the South
Florida landscape every three (3) to seven (7) years, especially in the spring and summer. More
recently, as discussed in Section 3.6.1, fire frequency has been drastically reduced or eliminated
on most sites, resulting in changed vegetation structure, decreased plant diversity, and increased
fuel loads. To compensate for the lack of natural fires, prescribed burns should be applied to pine
rocklands every three (3) to seven (7) years.
4.6.3.1 Seasonality
Historically, while fires were probably the most frequent in spring and summer, they probably
also occurred at other times of the year (see Section 2.6.1). Prescribed fires should be set
whenever it is possible to do so, regardless of season. Different burn seasons may have different
impacts on vegetation, but a lack of fire is much more problematic than a burn outside of
preferred season. Dry season (i.e. the spring months up until May or June, depending on weather
conditions), backing fires are preferred on fire-suppressed sites because they are more effective
in reducing hardwood densities than wet season burns, especially when applied at short intervals.
The first burn may result in temporarily increased hardwood stem density due to coppicing from
plant bases, but subsequent burns begin to kill these hardwoods after their food reserves are
exhausted.
4.6.3.2 Application
Prescribed burns should be applied in any way that burn teams designate as controllable, whether
they are head fires, backing fires, or flanking fires, as long as fire intensity is limited. The
application of fire is more critical than the type of fire, as long as fires do not become so intense
as to become uncontrollable, create a crown fire, or overheat understory palms and herbs. As
described above, dry season backing fires are preferred on fire-suppressed sites.
4.6.3.3 Wildfires
In addition to providing a critical ecosystem function, the application of prescribed fires to pine
rockland fragments serves as protection to structures and people who live or work near the
fragments. Many fragments have dangerously high fuel loads. Wildfires started by arson or by
accident can create dangerous conditions and can result in destruction of property, including
homes, and even loss of life. Wildfires are much more difficult for firefighters to manage than
prescribed fires. Wildfires may not even be reached by emergency personnel quickly enough to
prevent loss of property or life.
In addition to collateral, off-site damage, wildfires can cause unexpected damage on county
owned pine rockland fragments. Emergency personnel regularly install fire lines with bulldozers
or bombardiers to fight wildfires, or even clear areas of habitat, resulting in loss of habitat and
opportunities for invasion of exotic pest plants. Regular use of prescribed fire is a feasible way to
reduce the threat of dangerous wildfires. Restrictions on the use of prescribed fire could result in
loss of property or life.
EEL Program, Management Plan, Part II – Pine Rockland (DRAFT) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 39
4.6.3.4 Personnel
As discussed in Part I of this management plan, finding personnel to conduct prescribed fires in
Miami-Dade County has been a major obstacle in the proper management of pine rocklands. The
Florida Division of Forestry (FDOF) has been used on all prescribed burns, often with assistance
from the few county staff with appropriate training. Unfortunately, FDOF’s presence in MiamiDade County is very limited, and even when time allows they are usually reluctant to set fires for
liability reasons, even though they have legal protection (Brenner and Wade 2003). Attempts to

appear to be highly susceptible, including certain natives, e.g., wax-myrtle, strangler-fig,

myrsine, swamp bay, and wild-coffee. Control can be accomplished in part by following regular

subcanopy management recommendations – cutting and burning. In some cases, especially for

rare plants, an insecticidal solution may be applied for several weeks to kill the scales. Treatment

of lobate lac scale is particularly important in areas with rare bushes, especially Florida

prairieclover and crenulate leadplant, which have been observed with infestations.

Management Policy

Control measures must be developed and implemented at pine rockland EEL

preserves to halt and reverse the spread of invasive naturalized exotic animal species

and to prevent the establishment of new exotic animal species populations

EEL Program, Management Plan, Part II – Pine Rockland (DRAFT) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Page 37

4.6 Fire Management

Since pine rocklands are fire climax communities, fire management, along with exotic plant

control, is one of the most critical techniques required to restore and manage pine rocklands.

Site-specific recommendations and objectives for prescribed fires will be presented in Part III of

this management plan. General recommendations for fire management are discussed here,

including hardwood control, fire breaks, prescribed burning, and alternatives to prescribed

burning.

4.6.1 Hardwood Control

Manual, mechanical, or chemical hardwood

control will be required at many pine

rockland sites to prepare for prescribed

fires. The amount of woody material to be

removed should be coordinated with the

burn team. Hardwood and palm densities

should be reduced prior to burning to

reduce burn temperatures. An added benefit

is the reduction of smoke levels during and

post-fire, and less need for mop up.

4.6.2 Fire Breaks

Fire breaks should be maintained or installed around all pine rocklands. Construction of these

fire breaks is necessary to permit access for fire fighting equipment and staff. Fire breaks are also

essential to protection of structures and surrounding properties if and when wildfires occur.

Only general considerations about fire breaks are made here in Part II. Their specific location on

each site is discussed in Part III of this management plan.

Though utilizing existing rights-of-way as fire breaks is preferred, fire break construction may

require destruction of some pine rockland habitat. Nevertheless, fire breaks, and the consequent

habitat destruction, are necessary to properly control a burn, and if fires cannot be set then the

entire site will degrade, making the cost of limited habitat destruction worthwhile. Fire breaks

should be cleared to bare rock or soil, which will not only prevent ground fires from crossing

them, but will create habitat for pine rockland plant species and limit invasion of exotic and

ruderal plant species (see Section 4.5.1 above).

Management Policy

Fire management on all pine rockland EEL sites shall concentrate on a prescribed

burning program, along with hardwood control and installation and maintenance of

fire breaks. The prescribed burning program must account for seasonality of burns,

personnel necessary, the risk of wildfires, and actual application, including safety

measures and effectiveness. Alternatives to prescribed burning will only be utilized as

a last resort.

Pineland with hardwood invasion

Photo by Keith Bradley, IRC

EEL Program, Management Plan, Part II – Pine Rockland (DRAFT) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Page 38

4.6.3 Prescribed Burning

As discussed in Section 2.6.1 above, large wind-driven fires historically swept across the South

Florida landscape every three (3) to seven (7) years, especially in the spring and summer. More

recently, as discussed in Section 3.6.1, fire frequency has been drastically reduced or eliminated

on most sites, resulting in changed vegetation structure, decreased plant diversity, and increased

fuel loads. To compensate for the lack of natural fires, prescribed burns should be applied to pine

rocklands every three (3) to seven (7) years.

4.6.3.1 Seasonality

Historically, while fires were probably the most frequent in spring and summer, they probably

also occurred at other times of the year (see Section 2.6.1). Prescribed fires should be set

whenever it is possible to do so, regardless of season. Different burn seasons may have different

impacts on vegetation, but a lack of fire is much more problematic than a burn outside of

preferred season. Dry season (i.e. the spring months up until May or June, depending on weather

conditions), backing fires are preferred on fire-suppressed sites because they are more effective

in reducing hardwood densities than wet season burns, especially when applied at short intervals.

The first burn may result in temporarily increased hardwood stem density due to coppicing from

plant bases, but subsequent burns begin to kill these hardwoods after their food reserves are

exhausted.

4.6.3.2 Application

Prescribed burns should be applied in any way that burn teams designate as controllable, whether

they are head fires, backing fires, or flanking fires, as long as fire intensity is limited. The

application of fire is more critical than the type of fire, as long as fires do not become so intense

as to become uncontrollable, create a crown fire, or overheat understory palms and herbs. As

described above, dry season backing fires are preferred on fire-suppressed sites.

4.6.3.3 Wildfires

In addition to providing a critical ecosystem function, the application of prescribed fires to pine

rockland fragments serves as protection to structures and people who live or work near the

fragments. Many fragments have dangerously high fuel loads. Wildfires started by arson or by

accident can create dangerous conditions and can result in destruction of property, including

homes, and even loss of life. Wildfires are much more difficult for firefighters to manage than

prescribed fires. Wildfires may not even be reached by emergency personnel quickly enough to

prevent loss of property or life.

In addition to collateral, off-site damage, wildfires can cause unexpected damage on county

owned pine rockland fragments. Emergency personnel regularly install fire lines with bulldozers

or bombardiers to fight wildfires, or even clear areas of habitat, resulting in loss of habitat and

opportunities for invasion of exotic pest plants. Regular use of prescribed fire is a feasible way to

reduce the threat of dangerous wildfires. Restrictions on the use of prescribed fire could result in

loss of property or life.

EEL Program, Management Plan, Part II – Pine Rockland (DRAFT) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Page 39

4.6.3.4 Personnel

As discussed in Part I of this management plan, finding personnel to conduct prescribed fires in

Miami-Dade County has been a major obstacle in the proper management of pine rocklands. The

Florida Division of Forestry (FDOF) has been used on all prescribed burns, often with assistance

from the few county staff with appropriate training. Unfortunately, FDOF’s presence in MiamiDade County is very limited, and even when time allows they are usually reluctant to set fires for

liability reasons, even though they have legal protection (Brenner and Wade 2003). Attempts to