patrickbdevaney/mia9 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Fire suppression has had considerable negative impacts on pine rockland
communities. Most pine rockland fragments of the Miami Rock Ridge have
undergone some degree of fire suppression. Fire-suppressed sites often take on a
characteristic appearance. They have a dense edge dominated by Brazilian-pepper
and exotic vines (e.g. Jasminum spp.). In the center Brazilian-pepper is also
common, the saw palmetto understory becomes very dense and tall, and several
other hardwoods may also reach heights of several meters (e.g. West Indian-lilac
[Tetrazygia bicolor], willow bustic). Athick duff layer accumulates and eventually
results in the appearance of humic soils rather than mineral soils. The herbaceous
layer is reduced to sporadic occurrences of a few shade-tolerant species with
patchy distributions (e.g. bestraw [Galium hispidulum], yellowroot [Morinda
royoc]). Diversity is considerably reduced in these fragments (Loope and
Dunevitz 1981). In addition, winter burning may have had adverse impacts on
pine rocklands.
A variety of contaminants could affect pine rocklands and their constituent
fauna. Mosquito spraying is a problem to many species of invertebrates, including
the atala and Florida leafwing butterflies, and numerous other invertebrates. This
in turn, reduces food availability for land birds.
Recently, another type of threat to this vegetative community became
apparent. In August of 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit southern Miami-Dade County.
This hurricane had sustained winds in excess of 233 km/h (145 mph) with vortices
up to 322 km/h (200 mph). Ninety-nine percent of the pine rocklands located in
Miami-Dade County were impacted by this storm event. Within one year of the
event, many adult trees were dead, outbreaks of Ips beetles (including I.
calligraphis, I. avulsus, and I. grandicollis) had been reported, and two species of
weevil (Hylobius pales, Pachylobius picivorus) had attacked juvenile trees
(DERM 1995). The outbeak has been attributed to the combination of wind
damage and drought following a very dry spring, making the trees more
susceptible to infestation. In a fall 1993 follow-up survey of Miami-Dade County
pine rocklands, only two of 18 sites had living mature pines (DERM 1995). The
loss of the pines has affected the fire fuel production, and could allow invasive
species to further impact pine rocklands in this area (DERM 1993). The hurricane
also flooded some interior non-tidal wetlands on Big Pine Key in Monroe County,
subjecting some low-lying pines to salt stress and mortality.
Management
Most pine rocklands outside of the Florida Keys are now protected from
development. On the Miami Rock Ridge in Miami-Dade County, many pine
rockland parcels are still privately owned. Development of many of these pine
rocklands, however, regulated under the Natural Forest Community ordinance.
Prior to development a permit is required from the Miami-Dade County
Department of Environmental Resources Management. Many parcels, however,
are not covered by this ordinance, including the federally owned properties in the
Page 3-177
PINE ROCKLANDS Multi-Species Recovery Plan for South Florida
Richmond Pineland complex (DERM 1994). In the Keys, pine rocklands continue
to be developed (C.R. Kruer, personal communication 1998).
Acquisition of the remaining pine rocklands outside of the Florida Keys is
nearing completion, although the Miami-Dade County Environmentally
Endangered Lands Program still has a number of significant ongoing projects.
The need for protection of pine rocklands on the Miami Rock Ridge has been
well illustrated by Loope et al. (1979) and Loope and Dunevitz (1981). MiamiDade County should be encouraged to complete these acquisitions as soon as
possible. In the Florida Keys, land acquisition is still ongoing through CARL,
and the Monroe County Land Authority (C.R. Kruer, personal communication
1998). The CARL program has several active programs in the Florida Keys,
and should be stimulated to complete its purchases there as soon as possible.
SOR also has some significant projects in the lower Keys. Pine rockland
habitat on Big Pine Key and Cudjoe Key is at risk from various factors
including hydrologic alteration due to residential withdrawls of the water table
and canal dredging.
In both Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys, cooperation with
landowners of pine rocklands is essential to the long-term protection of this
natural community. In 1979, Miami-Dade County enacted the Environmentally
Endangered Lands Covenant Program which reduces taxes for owners of pine
rocklands and tropical hardwood hammocks who agree not to develop these
systems and to manage them for a period of 10 years. This program is still
ongoing and protects many pine rockland sites. Unfortunately, no similar
system exists in Monroe County, where a significant amount of pine rockland
is still in private ownership. Monroe County should be encouraged to adopt a
program similar to the Environmentally Endangered Lands Covenant Program
to help prevent the destruction and/or deterioration of privately held pinelands.
In particular, these remaining pine rocklands are critical habitat for Key deer
(FWS 1998b). In addition to the Environmentally Endangered Lands Covenant
program, Miami-Dade County also has the Forest Resources Program within
DERM which provides private and public owners of pine rocklands and
tropical hardwood hammocks with technical assistance, including the
preparation of management plans, herbicide training, prescribed fire
coordination, plant identification workshops, and site-specific consultations (J.
Klein, DERM, personal communication 1998). The Forest Resources Program
is also collaborating with the Boy Scouts of America to link private sites with
Eagle Scout projects, and is exploring several mechanisms to provide monetary
support for management on private lands. This kind of program should also be
encouraged in the Florida Keys. The USDA Farm Service Agency also has an
Environmental Quality Incentive Program, a cost sharing program for
restoration and management of natural communities taken out of agricultural
production.
The DERM Forest Resources Program also has regulatory authority over pine
rocklands and tropical hardwood hammocks, and is charged with enforcing
regulations which provide partial protection for pine rocklands on the Miami
Rock Ridge. This includes authority over all natural forest communities in MiamiDade County, including county, and city-owned parcels. In the Florida Keys, most
regulatory authority is found in the local comprehensive plan, which is enforced
by the Department of Community Affairs (C.R. Kruer, personal communication
Page 3-178
PINE ROCKLANDS Multi-Species Recovery Plan for South Florida
1998). Property owners now compete for 255 permits per year through the Rate
of Growth Ordinance that assigns good and bad points for presence of natural
areas and endangered species (C.R. Kruer, personal communication 1998).
Neither regulatory program totally precludes development.
Until recently, management of pine rockland preserves outside of Everglades
NP has been minimal, and many pine rockland preserves have become degraded
due to invasions by exotic plants, invasions by exotic, feral, and domestic animals,

Fire suppression has had considerable negative impacts on pine rockland

communities. Most pine rockland fragments of the Miami Rock Ridge have

undergone some degree of fire suppression. Fire-suppressed sites often take on a

characteristic appearance. They have a dense edge dominated by Brazilian-pepper

and exotic vines (e.g. Jasminum spp.). In the center Brazilian-pepper is also

common, the saw palmetto understory becomes very dense and tall, and several

other hardwoods may also reach heights of several meters (e.g. West Indian-lilac

[Tetrazygia bicolor], willow bustic). Athick duff layer accumulates and eventually

results in the appearance of humic soils rather than mineral soils. The herbaceous

layer is reduced to sporadic occurrences of a few shade-tolerant species with

patchy distributions (e.g. bestraw [Galium hispidulum], yellowroot [Morinda

royoc]). Diversity is considerably reduced in these fragments (Loope and

Dunevitz 1981). In addition, winter burning may have had adverse impacts on

pine rocklands.

A variety of contaminants could affect pine rocklands and their constituent

fauna. Mosquito spraying is a problem to many species of invertebrates, including

the atala and Florida leafwing butterflies, and numerous other invertebrates. This

in turn, reduces food availability for land birds.

Recently, another type of threat to this vegetative community became

apparent. In August of 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit southern Miami-Dade County.

This hurricane had sustained winds in excess of 233 km/h (145 mph) with vortices

up to 322 km/h (200 mph). Ninety-nine percent of the pine rocklands located in

Miami-Dade County were impacted by this storm event. Within one year of the

event, many adult trees were dead, outbreaks of Ips beetles (including I.

calligraphis, I. avulsus, and I. grandicollis) had been reported, and two species of

weevil (Hylobius pales, Pachylobius picivorus) had attacked juvenile trees

(DERM 1995). The outbeak has been attributed to the combination of wind

damage and drought following a very dry spring, making the trees more

susceptible to infestation. In a fall 1993 follow-up survey of Miami-Dade County

pine rocklands, only two of 18 sites had living mature pines (DERM 1995). The

loss of the pines has affected the fire fuel production, and could allow invasive

species to further impact pine rocklands in this area (DERM 1993). The hurricane

also flooded some interior non-tidal wetlands on Big Pine Key in Monroe County,

subjecting some low-lying pines to salt stress and mortality.

Management

Most pine rocklands outside of the Florida Keys are now protected from

development. On the Miami Rock Ridge in Miami-Dade County, many pine

rockland parcels are still privately owned. Development of many of these pine

rocklands, however, regulated under the Natural Forest Community ordinance.

Prior to development a permit is required from the Miami-Dade County

Department of Environmental Resources Management. Many parcels, however,

are not covered by this ordinance, including the federally owned properties in the

Page 3-177

PINE ROCKLANDS Multi-Species Recovery Plan for South Florida

Richmond Pineland complex (DERM 1994). In the Keys, pine rocklands continue

to be developed (C.R. Kruer, personal communication 1998).

Acquisition of the remaining pine rocklands outside of the Florida Keys is

nearing completion, although the Miami-Dade County Environmentally

Endangered Lands Program still has a number of significant ongoing projects.

The need for protection of pine rocklands on the Miami Rock Ridge has been

well illustrated by Loope et al. (1979) and Loope and Dunevitz (1981). MiamiDade County should be encouraged to complete these acquisitions as soon as

possible. In the Florida Keys, land acquisition is still ongoing through CARL,

and the Monroe County Land Authority (C.R. Kruer, personal communication

1998). The CARL program has several active programs in the Florida Keys,

and should be stimulated to complete its purchases there as soon as possible.

SOR also has some significant projects in the lower Keys. Pine rockland

habitat on Big Pine Key and Cudjoe Key is at risk from various factors

including hydrologic alteration due to residential withdrawls of the water table

and canal dredging.

In both Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys, cooperation with

landowners of pine rocklands is essential to the long-term protection of this

natural community. In 1979, Miami-Dade County enacted the Environmentally

Endangered Lands Covenant Program which reduces taxes for owners of pine

rocklands and tropical hardwood hammocks who agree not to develop these

systems and to manage them for a period of 10 years. This program is still

ongoing and protects many pine rockland sites. Unfortunately, no similar

system exists in Monroe County, where a significant amount of pine rockland

is still in private ownership. Monroe County should be encouraged to adopt a

program similar to the Environmentally Endangered Lands Covenant Program

to help prevent the destruction and/or deterioration of privately held pinelands.

In particular, these remaining pine rocklands are critical habitat for Key deer

(FWS 1998b). In addition to the Environmentally Endangered Lands Covenant

program, Miami-Dade County also has the Forest Resources Program within

DERM which provides private and public owners of pine rocklands and

tropical hardwood hammocks with technical assistance, including the

preparation of management plans, herbicide training, prescribed fire

coordination, plant identification workshops, and site-specific consultations (J.

Klein, DERM, personal communication 1998). The Forest Resources Program

is also collaborating with the Boy Scouts of America to link private sites with

Eagle Scout projects, and is exploring several mechanisms to provide monetary

support for management on private lands. This kind of program should also be

encouraged in the Florida Keys. The USDA Farm Service Agency also has an

Environmental Quality Incentive Program, a cost sharing program for

restoration and management of natural communities taken out of agricultural

production.

The DERM Forest Resources Program also has regulatory authority over pine

rocklands and tropical hardwood hammocks, and is charged with enforcing

regulations which provide partial protection for pine rocklands on the Miami

Rock Ridge. This includes authority over all natural forest communities in MiamiDade County, including county, and city-owned parcels. In the Florida Keys, most

regulatory authority is found in the local comprehensive plan, which is enforced

by the Department of Community Affairs (C.R. Kruer, personal communication

Page 3-178

PINE ROCKLANDS Multi-Species Recovery Plan for South Florida

1998). Property owners now compete for 255 permits per year through the Rate

of Growth Ordinance that assigns good and bad points for presence of natural

areas and endangered species (C.R. Kruer, personal communication 1998).

Neither regulatory program totally precludes development.

Until recently, management of pine rockland preserves outside of Everglades

NP has been minimal, and many pine rockland preserves have become degraded

due to invasions by exotic plants, invasions by exotic, feral, and domestic animals,