scholarly journals Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Social and Environmental Changes Affecting Everglades National Park in South Florida, U.S.A

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Schuett ◽  
Yunseon Choe ◽  
David Matarrita-Cascante
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Everglades National Park ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
The U.S

Over the last few decades, urban expansion and population shifts have modified the existing landscape throughout the U.S. Protected areas and development are compatible lenses, yet stakeholders’ involvement in decision-making is often missing from environmental governance. We examine how stakeholders living and working in proximity to Everglades National Park (EVER) perceive environmental and social changes to the park and community park relations. EVER was selected as a study site for several reasons: proximity to urban areas, rich biological diversity, largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S., International Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site, and prominence as a tourist destination for the region. Forty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with neighborhood groups, representatives from gateway communities, and conservation organizations. An analysis of the interview data generated six research themes: loss of native species, urban development, a shortage and contamination of water, hurricanes, climate change, and increased recreation use. The results of this study add to the literature by providing a better understanding of the relationships stakeholders have with national parks. The results will provide useable knowledge that may help stakeholders and public land managers design strategies related for sustainable plans for the park and its surrounding communities.

scholarly journals Herpetofaunal inventories of the National Parks of South Florida and the Caribbean: Volume I. Everglades National Park

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth G. Rice ◽  
J. Hardin Waddle ◽  
Marquette E. Crockett ◽  
Brian M. Jeffery ◽  
H. Frankin Percival
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Everglades National Park ◽  
The Caribbean

scholarly journals Impacts of Hurricane Irma on Florida Bay Islands, Everglades National Park, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1070-1089 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Lynn Wingard ◽  
S. E. Bergstresser ◽  
B. L. Stackhouse ◽  
M. C. Jones ◽  
M. E. Marot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Florida Bay ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Everglades National Park ◽  
Elevation Changes ◽  
Geographic Information System Analysis ◽  
Bay Islands ◽  
Hurricane Irma

AbstractHurricane Irma made landfall in south Florida, USA, on September 10, 2017 as a category 4 storm. In January 2018, fieldwork was conducted on four previously (2014) sampled islands in Florida Bay, Everglades National Park to examine changes between 2014 and 2018. The objectives were to determine if the net impact of the storm was gain or loss of island landmass and/or elevation; observe and quantify impacts to mangroves; and identify distinctive sedimentary, biochemical, and/or geochemical signatures of the storm. Storm overwash deposits were measured in the field and, in general, interior island mudflats appeared to experience deposition ranging from ~ 0.5 to ~ 6.5 cm. Elevation changes were measured using real-time kinematic positioning and satellite receivers. Comparison of 2014 to 2018 elevation measurements indicates mangrove berms and transitional areas between mudflats and berms experienced erosion and loss of elevation, whereas interior mudflats gained elevation, possibly due to Hurricane Irma. Geographic information system analysis of pre- and post-storm satellite imagery indicates the western-most island, closest to the eye of the storm, lost 32 to 42% (~ 11 to 13 m) of the width of the eastern berm, and vegetated coverage was reduced 9.3% or ~ 9700 m2. Vegetated coverage on the eastern-most island was reduced by 1.9% or ~ 9200 m2. These results are compared to previous accounts of hurricane impacts and provide a baseline for examining long-term constructive and destructive aspects of hurricanes on the islands and the role of storms in resiliency of Florida Bay islands.

Habitat use by the jacky lizard Amphibolurus muricatus in a highly degraded urban area

2011 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelley Burgin ◽  
Danny Wotherspoon ◽  
Dennis John Hitchen ◽  
Peter Ridgeway
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Invasive Weeds ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Ecological Community ◽  
Amphibolurus Muricatus ◽  
Exotic Vegetation

AbstractOver time native vegetation remnants in urban areas are typically eroded in size and number due to pressures from urban expansion and consolidation. Such remnants, frequently neglected and invaded by weeds, may constitute the last remaining habitat for some species' populations in urban areas. In the restoration of remnants for biodiversity, weed removal is often a high priority but there is a dearth of information on the role that exotic vegetation plays as habitat for fauna such as small reptiles. We investigated the vegetation type preference of urban remnants at the edge of a Sydney golf course by Amphibolurus muricatus, the native jacky lizard. The three vegetation types present were Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (an Endangered Ecological Community) with sparse groundcover, dense stands of the introduced Eragrostis curvula African love grass, and open fairways of lawn: three structurally different habitats. Captured jacky lizards were spooled and their movements traced by following the thread left as they moved through their home range. Jacky lizards preferred areas that afford them most cover. While they foraged throughout the stands of love grass, they tended to avoid the edge of native vegetation remnants. They also basked on the lawn close to the vegetation where they had recently foraged, or traversed it to enter natural vegetation or grass. We concluded that introduced love grass offered additional habitat because of the relatively dense vegetation cover, and that areas should not be managed with the assumption that invasive weeds are detrimental to native species without appropriate assessment.

scholarly journals Floristic diversity, origins and properties of city trees in Burkina Faso

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1967-1987
Author(s):  
Souleymane Ganaba
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Partial Information ◽  
Mangifera Indica ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Floristic Diversity ◽  
Phenological Stages ◽  
The City

In Burkina Faso, insufficient or partial information exists on the forest potential of urban areas, marked mainly by the introduction of many exotic species. The objective of this study was to assess the floristic diversity of city trees, to reveal the benefits and risks associated with their properties in a context of climate change, increasing demography and accelerated urbanization. Surveys on 49 urban municipalities were conducted from 2015 to 2020 to identify and describe species at different phenological stages to enable photographic image recognition. Confirmations are made with floras, previous works and documentary compilations. The analyses relate to the biological diversity of species, their origins and uses. The floristic diversity of Burkina Faso's city trees consists of 251 species belonging to 174 genera and 58 families. It is comprised of 178 introduced species and 73 native species. The most represented families are Arecaceae with 7.97% of species, Euphhorbiaceae (7.57%), Moraceae (6.37%), Fabaceae - Mimosoideae (5.98%), Apocynaceae (5.98%) and the Fabaceae - Caesalpinioideae (5.58%). The most common species are Khaya senegalensis, Mangifera indica and Azadirachta indica. This work has helped to characterize the city trees of Burkina Faso. It will update the flora of the country, which is enriched with 36 new exotic species.Keywords: Urban tree, characterization, biological diversity, communes.

scholarly journals Rare plant restoration on Long Pine Key

Lankesteriana ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Holst ◽  
Stig Daltröm
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
The State ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Everglades National Park ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Critical Habitat ◽  
Rare Plant Species ◽  
Plant Restoration

The Long Pine Key area of Everglades National Park (Florida) is critical habitat for a large number of rare plant species including two candidates for federal listing and several dozen listed as endangered or threatened by the state of Florida. In addition, there are nineteen species present in the Long Pine Key area that are critically imperiled in South Florida and six species historically documented from the area that may be extinct in the continental United States (Gann et al., 2002). 

scholarly journals A floristic survey of the Boulder Mountain Park: with notes on its conservation and management (Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.)

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-314
Author(s):  
Tim Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Public Land Management ◽  
Montane Vegetation ◽  
The City

The City of Boulder Mountain Park sits in the eastern foothills of the northern Front Range of Colorado. Approximately 7000 acres (2800 ha) in extent, the study area is characterized by a foothills and montane vegetation and flora, predominantly of western North American distribution. Situated at the interface of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, the flora of the Mountain Park is distinguished by a wealth of species with eastern woodland affinities, as well as a number of southern Rocky Mountain species endemic to the Front Range. Six hundred and ninety-eight (698) species of vascular plants in 426 genera and 100 families are documented in this survey. Twenty (20) of the plants are listed as Species of Special Concern by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, with an additional 26 listed as sensitive by the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Department (OSMP). Introduced non-native species constitute 21% of the flora (147 species), a figure that exaggerates their ecological role in the Park; less than a dozen introduced species are of serious concern in their impact upon native diversity. The Mountain Park is viewed by many as the crown jewel of the City’s OSMP system, and serves as a model for public land management across other open spaces in urban areas nationwide. These forested foothills, with their prominent relief and associated diversity of habitats, serve as one of the last low-elevation nature refuges along the Colorado Front Range. With the increasing urbanization of the region and the loss of biological diversity worldwide, the wisdom of the Boulder community in protecting this landscape is becoming ever more apparent. This report presents a thoroughly revised checklist of the flora of the Boulder Mountain Parks since the area was last inventoried in 1993.

The Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve vegetation mapping project: Interim report—Northwest Coastal Everglades (Region 4), Everglades National Park (revised with costs)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Ruiz ◽  
Craig Perry ◽  
Alejando Garcia ◽  
Magali Guichardot ◽  
Michael Foguer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mangrove Forest ◽  
National Park ◽  
Grid Cell ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vegetation Mapping ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Everglades National Park ◽  
The South ◽  
Vegetation Map ◽  
National Preserve

The Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve vegetation mapping project is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). It is a cooperative effort between the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the National Park Service’s (NPS) Vegetation Mapping Inventory Program (VMI). The goal of this project is to produce a spatially and thematically accurate vegetation map of Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve prior to the completion of restoration efforts associated with CERP. This spatial product will serve as a record of baseline vegetation conditions for the purpose of: (1) documenting changes to the spatial extent, pattern, and proportion of plant communities within these two federally-managed units as they respond to hydrologic modifications resulting from the implementation of the CERP; and (2) providing vegetation and land-cover information to NPS park managers and scientists for use in park management, resource management, research, and monitoring. This mapping project covers an area of approximately 7,400 square kilometers (1.84 million acres [ac]) and consists of seven mapping regions: four regions in Everglades National Park, Regions 1–4, and three in Big Cypress National Preserve, Regions 5–7. The report focuses on the mapping effort associated with the Northwest Coastal Everglades (NWCE), Region 4 , in Everglades National Park. The NWCE encompasses a total area of 1,278 square kilometers (493.7 square miles [sq mi], or 315,955 ac) and is geographically located to the south of Big Cypress National Preserve, west of Shark River Slough (Region 1), and north of the Southwest Coastal Everglades (Region 3). Photo-interpretation was performed by superimposing a 50 × 50-meter (164 × 164-feet [ft] or 0.25 hectare [0.61 ac]) grid cell vector matrix over stereoscopic, 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) spatial resolution, color-infrared aerial imagery on a digital photogrammetric workstation. Photo-interpreters identified the dominant community in each cell by applying majority-rule algorithms, recognizing community-specific spectral signatures, and referencing an extensive ground-truth database. The dominant vegetation community within each grid cell was classified using a hierarchical classification system developed specifically for this project. Additionally, photo-interpreters categorized the absolute cover of cattail (Typha sp.) and any invasive species detected as either: Sparse (10–49%), Dominant (50–89%), or Monotypic (90–100%). A total of 178 thematic classes were used to map the NWCE. The most common vegetation classes are Mixed Mangrove Forest-Mixed and Transitional Bayhead Shrubland. These two communities accounted for about 10%, each, of the mapping area. Other notable classes include Short Sawgrass Marsh-Dense (8.1% of the map area), Mixed Graminoid Freshwater Marsh (4.7% of the map area), and Black Mangrove Forest (4.5% of the map area). The NWCE vegetation map has a thematic class accuracy of 88.4% with a lower 90th Percentile Confidence Interval of 84.5%.

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