Growth and Survival of South Florida Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) on Restored Farmlands in Everglades National Park

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.

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Rare plant restoration on Long Pine Key

Lankesteriana ◽

10.15517/lank.v7i1-2.18390 ◽

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).

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Using historical information and data to strengthen planning for environmental protection and management at Everglades National Park, South Florida

Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences ◽

10.1007/s13412-020-00599-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 124-136

Author(s):

George Atisa

Keyword(s):

Environmental Protection ◽

National Park ◽

South Florida ◽

Everglades National Park ◽

Historical Information

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Pinus elliottii (slash pine).

10.1079/fc.41600.20210115051 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Praciak

Keyword(s):

Pinus Elliottii ◽

Site Index ◽

Solid Wood ◽

Slash Pine ◽

South Florida ◽

Wood Products ◽

Dendroctonus Frontalis ◽

Small Range ◽

Timber Species ◽

Tree Form

Abstract P. elliottii var. elliottii is an important timber species native to the lower coastal plain within the southeastern USA. Because of its rapid early growth and its production of highly valuable wood products, it has been widely introduced into other countries. As an exotic, it is used in Africa, especially in southern Africa, and in Australia and South America for various products ranging from lumber to pulpwood. In Brazil, it makes an important contribution to the resin production industry. The preferred method of regenerating P. elliottii is by clearcutting followed by chemical or mechanical site preparation, then direct seeding or planting of nursery stock. Although natural regeneration by seedtree, shelterwood, or group selection is an option, availability of genetically superior stock usually makes planting the favoured method of regeneration. Rotation lengths vary according to product objective. The optimum pulpwood rotation is about 25 years. In unthinned plantations, this age increases to 30 from 23 years as density increases and site index declines. South Florida slash pine (P. elliottii var. densa) is characterized by a grasslike, almost stemless stage, that lasts for 2 to 6 years. Variety densa has a small range, a less desirable tree form than var. elliottii, and is more difficult to regenerate. P. elliottii is particularly susceptible to fusiform rust (caused by Cronartium fusiforme) and is frequently attacked by the southern pine bark beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis). The best protection against insect attack is to maintain vigorous, healthy stands through good forest management. The wood is used for a wide variety of products. Markets and size and quality of the material determine whether it is used for sawlogs, veneer logs, poles, pilings, posts, pulpwood, particle board, or chip-n-saw logs. The straightness of the bole makes P. elliottii particularly suited for poles, pilings, and solid-wood products. Although it may often grow more slowly than P. patula and P. taeda, it can produce higher pulpwood yields due to its higher wood density. P. elliottii yields the best quality and highest quantity of commercial turpentine of all American pitch pines (Streets, 1962). However, this use has declined significantly as other sources of resins have become more readily available.

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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)

10.36967/nrr-2279586 ◽

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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Stakeholders’ perceptions of social and environmental changes affecting Everglades National Park in South Florida

Environmental Development ◽

10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100524 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 ◽

pp. 100524 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yunseon Choe ◽

Michael A. Schuett

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

South Florida ◽

Everglades National Park

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Third Year Survival, Growth, and Water Relations of West Gulf Coastal Plain Pines in East Texas

Forest Science ◽

10.1093/forsci/fxab005 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jamie M Hooker ◽

Brian P Oswald ◽

Jeremy P Stovall ◽

Yuhui Weng ◽

Hans M Williams ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Coastal Plain ◽

Longleaf Pine ◽

Pinus Elliottii ◽

Slash Pine ◽

East Texas ◽

Gulf Coastal Plain ◽

Growth And Survival ◽

Water Potentials ◽

Leaf Level

Abstract West Gulf Coastal Plain provenance loblolly (Pinus taeda L.), longleaf (Pinus palustris Mill.), shortleaf (Pinus echinata Mill.), and slash pines (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) were planted in December 2015 on three east Texas sites to compare initial growth and survival. Three years after planting, survival ranged from 26.4% to 76.4%. Damage by Texas leafcutter ants (Atta texana) caused significant mortality on one site, and feral hog (Sus scrofa) herbivory and uprooting greatly affected survival at two other sites. Tree heights were greater in loblolly and slash pine than in shortleaf and longleaf pine, whereas diameters were greater in loblolly than in slash, shortleaf, and longleaf. Height and survival rates were greater in Shelby County and were lowest in Cherokee County. Midday leaf-level water potentials were most negative for shortleaf and loblolly pines and varied across the three sites. Tree heights were significantly but weakly (R = −0.23) correlated to leaf-level water potentials. Study Implications Based on these results, loblolly pine is recommended for planting on sites where soil moisture is adequate, if early growth and survival are a concern. Slash pine can outcompete other pines on sites where soils are poorly drained. On soils that are excessively drained with low moisture, shortleaf may be considered. Given longleaf pine’s ability to retain needle moisture and surface area during periods of low soil moisture, longleaf pine is suggested for planting on the same sites. Longleaf pine will require more active management on any soil type in order to decrease herbaceous plant competition. Continued measurements are required to determine whether these growth and survival trends will continue over a full rotation.

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

10.20944/preprints201807.0192.v1 ◽

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.

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