patrickbdevaney/mia9 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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fragment at the Complex.
EEL Program, Management Plan, Part II – Pine Rockland (DRAFT) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 24
The U.S. Department of Agriculture owns 8.3 acres of pine rockland at the Subtropical
Horticulture Research Station (Chapman Field) at Old Cutler Road and Southwest 136th Street.
Pine rockland fragments on this site are poorly managed and could be developed.
Two municipal governments own pine rockland fragments. The City of South Miami owns the
0.4 acre Girl Scout Little House. The Village of Palmetto Bay owns a 4.7 acre pine rockland at
Coral Reef Park.
The Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) owns
and maintains a small preserve, exclusive of the EEL program – the 2.8 acre Andrew Dodge
Pineland. In addition, the Miami-Dade County Department of Enterprise Technology Services
also owns 9.2 acres of pine rockland at a communication facility on Southwest 264th Street
adjacent to the Camp Owaissa Bauer Addition EEL site. The EEL program has successfully
negotiated with the Department of Enterprise Technology Services to restore and manage the
property.
The pine rockland referred to as the Navy Wells Pineland Preserve at Southwest 192nd Avenue
and 360th Street contains almost 300 acres of pine rockland. The entire pine rockland area has
been traditionally managed in its entirety by the Parks and Recreation Department. This pine
rockland fragment does however have several owners. The Miami-Dade County Parks and
Recreation Department owns 198.4 acres of pine rockland here. The Florida Keys Aqueduct
Authority, an entity created by legislation by the State of Florida in 1937 to provide drinking
water to the Florida Keys, owns 77.3 acres of the pine rockland. The U.S. Government owns an
additional 20.7 acres. The County Property Appraiser database indicates the address of the
Miami Federal Courthouse for the four (4) individual parcels that they own.
3.8.5 Private Preserves
Few privately owned pine rockland preserves exist. Exceptions include the 13-acre Pine Ridge
Sanctuary owned by Terry and Barbara Glancy, a 1.5-acre preserve and another 0.75 acre
preserve owned by The Institute for Regional Conservation (IRC), and the 7.8-acre Porter
Russell Pineland Preserve owned by the Tropical Audubon Society.
3.8.6 Natural Forest Community System
The Natural Forest Community System (NFC) consists of 127 pine rockland fragments and 46
rockland hammock fragments that are protected in part from development by the Miami-Dade
County Tree and Forest Resources Protection ordinance. Since the 1990s, NFC acreage had
dropped greatly, a continuing trend, even though they are legally protected. Much habitat
clearing is done illegally. Some of these NFC fragments are cherished by their owners and will
not be developed, at least in the near term, but they are typically poorly managed.
3.8.7 Other
The largest private landowner of Pine Rocklands is the University of Miami, who owns about
132 acres at the Richmond Pineland Complex. The University owns two distinct parcels. One 65-
acre parcel is the University South Campus off of Southwest 152nd Avenue, just west of Miami
Metrozoo. The University currently has plans to develop this property for private homes,
EEL Program, Management Plan, Part II – Pine Rockland (DRAFT) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 25
destroying the pine rockland. The second parcel, recently transferred from the U.S. Government,
is 67 acres at Southwest 168th Street and 117th Avenue. The University has not announced its
plans for the property, but full preservation is unlikely.
3.9 Future Preservation Estimates
There are currently about 1,092 acres of pine rocklands that are protected by government
agencies or private organizations and citizens. The EEL program has almost exhausted all
opportunities for new pine rockland acquisitions because remaining pine rocklands are owned by
unwilling sellers or are too small. The largest remaining areas of pine rockland that are not
preserved are within the Richmond Pineland Complex and are owned by the Department of
Defense, Federal Board of Prisons, University of Miami, and Miami-Metrozoo. These areas total
to about 585 acres. Even if half of this acreage is acquired by EEL or other wise preserved, and
the EEL makes two more planned acquisitions in other parts of the county, there is likely to be
no more than about 1,400 to 1,500 acres of pine rockland preserved in perpetuity in Miami-Dade
County.
3.10 Exotic Organisms
Several non-indigenous plant and animal
species have become, or could potentially
become, pest species affecting the quality
of the pine rockland remnants in EEL sites.
Some of the plant and animal species are
briefly discussed below.
3.10.1 Plants
Exotic plant species occur in every pine
rockland fragment in Miami-Dade County.
In botanical surveys of 99 pine rockland
fragments in 2004 and 2005, 173 exotic
plant taxa were recorded. The most
frequently recorded exotic plants, in
decreasing order of frequency, were Brazilian pepper, Burma reed, woman’s tongue, natal grass,
shrubverbena, Australian umbrellatree, gold coast jasmine, shrubby false buttonweed, wild bean,
and China brake. Of these 173 exotics, 57 are listed as Category I or II invasive species by the
Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) (Appendix C).
The most problematic invasive plant species in pine rocklands include Brazilian pepper, Burma
reed, and natal grass. These species are aggressive invaders and once established can spread very
quickly throughout a site if they are not managed.
3.10.2 Animals
Since virtually all exotic animal introductions have been human-mediated, a population boom in
Miami-Dade County over the last 30-40 years has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number
of established exotic species in this area. As a result, populations of exotic animals have invaded
Miami-Dade County pineland with invading Burma reed
Photo by Keith Bradley, IRC
EEL Program, Management Plan, Part II – Pine Rockland (DRAFT) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 26
all available habitats within urbanized MiamiDade County, including pine rocklands, and many
species are expanding their range into the
neighboring wilderness areas. The most frequently
observed animal species in Miami-Dade pine
rocklands is often the introduced brown anole.
While the full biological and ecological
implications of this invasion are poorly
understood, there are certain species that are
clearly more problematic than others. Feral
domestic cats also commonly have negative
impacts on pine rockland EEL sites. For a
discussion on F. catus, please refer to Section
5.2.2.2 of Part I of this document. Other species

fragment at the Complex.

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

Page 24

The U.S. Department of Agriculture owns 8.3 acres of pine rockland at the Subtropical

Horticulture Research Station (Chapman Field) at Old Cutler Road and Southwest 136th Street.

Pine rockland fragments on this site are poorly managed and could be developed.

Two municipal governments own pine rockland fragments. The City of South Miami owns the

0.4 acre Girl Scout Little House. The Village of Palmetto Bay owns a 4.7 acre pine rockland at

Coral Reef Park.

The Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) owns

and maintains a small preserve, exclusive of the EEL program – the 2.8 acre Andrew Dodge

Pineland. In addition, the Miami-Dade County Department of Enterprise Technology Services

also owns 9.2 acres of pine rockland at a communication facility on Southwest 264th Street

adjacent to the Camp Owaissa Bauer Addition EEL site. The EEL program has successfully

negotiated with the Department of Enterprise Technology Services to restore and manage the

property.

The pine rockland referred to as the Navy Wells Pineland Preserve at Southwest 192nd Avenue

and 360th Street contains almost 300 acres of pine rockland. The entire pine rockland area has

been traditionally managed in its entirety by the Parks and Recreation Department. This pine

rockland fragment does however have several owners. The Miami-Dade County Parks and

Recreation Department owns 198.4 acres of pine rockland here. The Florida Keys Aqueduct

Authority, an entity created by legislation by the State of Florida in 1937 to provide drinking

water to the Florida Keys, owns 77.3 acres of the pine rockland. The U.S. Government owns an

additional 20.7 acres. The County Property Appraiser database indicates the address of the

Miami Federal Courthouse for the four (4) individual parcels that they own.

3.8.5 Private Preserves

Few privately owned pine rockland preserves exist. Exceptions include the 13-acre Pine Ridge

Sanctuary owned by Terry and Barbara Glancy, a 1.5-acre preserve and another 0.75 acre

preserve owned by The Institute for Regional Conservation (IRC), and the 7.8-acre Porter

Russell Pineland Preserve owned by the Tropical Audubon Society.

3.8.6 Natural Forest Community System

The Natural Forest Community System (NFC) consists of 127 pine rockland fragments and 46

rockland hammock fragments that are protected in part from development by the Miami-Dade

County Tree and Forest Resources Protection ordinance. Since the 1990s, NFC acreage had

dropped greatly, a continuing trend, even though they are legally protected. Much habitat

clearing is done illegally. Some of these NFC fragments are cherished by their owners and will

not be developed, at least in the near term, but they are typically poorly managed.

3.8.7 Other

The largest private landowner of Pine Rocklands is the University of Miami, who owns about

132 acres at the Richmond Pineland Complex. The University owns two distinct parcels. One 65-

acre parcel is the University South Campus off of Southwest 152nd Avenue, just west of Miami

Metrozoo. The University currently has plans to develop this property for private homes,

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

Page 25

destroying the pine rockland. The second parcel, recently transferred from the U.S. Government,

is 67 acres at Southwest 168th Street and 117th Avenue. The University has not announced its

plans for the property, but full preservation is unlikely.

3.9 Future Preservation Estimates

There are currently about 1,092 acres of pine rocklands that are protected by government

agencies or private organizations and citizens. The EEL program has almost exhausted all

opportunities for new pine rockland acquisitions because remaining pine rocklands are owned by

unwilling sellers or are too small. The largest remaining areas of pine rockland that are not

preserved are within the Richmond Pineland Complex and are owned by the Department of

Defense, Federal Board of Prisons, University of Miami, and Miami-Metrozoo. These areas total

to about 585 acres. Even if half of this acreage is acquired by EEL or other wise preserved, and

the EEL makes two more planned acquisitions in other parts of the county, there is likely to be

no more than about 1,400 to 1,500 acres of pine rockland preserved in perpetuity in Miami-Dade

County.

3.10 Exotic Organisms

Several non-indigenous plant and animal

species have become, or could potentially

become, pest species affecting the quality

of the pine rockland remnants in EEL sites.

Some of the plant and animal species are

briefly discussed below.

3.10.1 Plants

Exotic plant species occur in every pine

rockland fragment in Miami-Dade County.

In botanical surveys of 99 pine rockland

fragments in 2004 and 2005, 173 exotic

plant taxa were recorded. The most

frequently recorded exotic plants, in

decreasing order of frequency, were Brazilian pepper, Burma reed, woman’s tongue, natal grass,

shrubverbena, Australian umbrellatree, gold coast jasmine, shrubby false buttonweed, wild bean,

and China brake. Of these 173 exotics, 57 are listed as Category I or II invasive species by the

Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) (Appendix C).

The most problematic invasive plant species in pine rocklands include Brazilian pepper, Burma

reed, and natal grass. These species are aggressive invaders and once established can spread very

quickly throughout a site if they are not managed.

3.10.2 Animals

Since virtually all exotic animal introductions have been human-mediated, a population boom in

Miami-Dade County over the last 30-40 years has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number

of established exotic species in this area. As a result, populations of exotic animals have invaded

Miami-Dade County pineland with invading Burma reed

Photo by Keith Bradley, IRC

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

Page 26

all available habitats within urbanized MiamiDade County, including pine rocklands, and many

species are expanding their range into the

neighboring wilderness areas. The most frequently

observed animal species in Miami-Dade pine

rocklands is often the introduced brown anole.

While the full biological and ecological

implications of this invasion are poorly

understood, there are certain species that are

clearly more problematic than others. Feral

domestic cats also commonly have negative

impacts on pine rockland EEL sites. For a

discussion on F. catus, please refer to Section

5.2.2.2 of Part I of this document. Other species