James R. Snyder 2006 reports http://sofia.usgs.gov/projects/fire/ The project objective is to determine the importance that season of burning has on the response of vegetation to fire. We have addressed this through the use of experimental prescribed fires at different times of the year. In Big Cypress National Preserve we have established a long-term study of season and frequency of burning in the unlogged hydric pinelands of the Raccoon Point area. This study includes three seasonal treatments: winter (dry season), spring (early wet season) and summer (mid wet season). A shorter study comparing the response to winter and summer burns was carried out in the pine rocklands on Big Pine Key. We are also studying the effect of season of burning on muhly grass (Muhlenbergia filipes), a component of hydric pinelands and often a dominant in short-hydroperiod wetlands known as muhly or marl prairies. We are conducting field and nursery studies to determine how the season of burning effects the rate of recovery of muhly and its ability to tolerate flooding. Prescribed fire constitutes one of the most pervasive management actions influencing the restoration and maintenance of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. It is generally assumed that lightning-ignited fires were common at the beginning of the rainy season, but there have probably been human-caused fires at other times for the last several thousand years. Since lighting-ignited fire cannot be allowed to operate naturally in South Florida, prescribed (or management-ignited) fire must be used to maintain these habitats. The seasonal occurrence of fire can have an important influence on ecological responses. We have conducted a set of experimental studies to determine the response of vegetation to different seasons of burning. The results of this work will influence the fire management of the publicly owned lands in the Greater Everglades ecosystem. 1996 20040930 ground condition Complete None planned South Florida wetlands -81.5 -80.75 26.48 24.65 none biology ecology vegetation marl prairies fire management prescribed fire program wildland fire pine rocklands pinelands ISO 19115 Topic Category biota environment inlandWaters 002 007 012 Department of Commerce, 1995, Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions, Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 10-4, Washington, D.C., National Institute of Standards and Technology United States US U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the outlying areas of the United States, and associated areas (Federal Information Processing Standard 5-2): Washington, D. C., NIST Florida FL Department of Commerce, 1990, Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas, FIPS 6-3, Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology Monroe County USGS Geographic Names Information System Everglades National Park Big Cypress National Preserve Big Pine Key none SW Big Cypress Raccoon Point none early wet season mid wet season dry season winter spring summer none plants single species U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (ARS) U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Department of the Interior - U.S. Geological Survey Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Smithsonian Institution - National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) 2000 Database Retrieved from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System on-line database, http://www.itis.gov. http://www.itis.gov visual observation in the field not available Muhly grass is identified to species-variety Kingdom Plantae plants Subkingdom Tracheobionta vascular plants Division Magnoliophyta angiosperms flowering plants Class Liliopsida monocotyledons Subclass Commelinidae Order Cyperales Family Poaseae grasses Genus Muhlenbergia muhly Species Muhlenbergia capillaris hairawn muhly Variety muhlenbergia capillaris var. Filipes Gulf muhly gulfhairawn muhly none These data are subject to change and are not citeable until reviewed and approved for official publication. James R. Snyder U.S. Geological Survey mailing address

Big Cypress National Preserve Field Station 33100 Tamiami Trail E.

Ochopee FL 34141-1000 USA 239 695-1180 239 695-3007 jim_snyder@usgs.gov http://sofia.usgs.gov/geer/2000/posters/fire/images/locationmapx.gif location map GIF Project personnel include Curt Scheaffer Avery, G. N. Loope, L. L. 1980 report South Florida Research Center Report T-558 Homestead, FL National Park Service Robertson, W. B. 1953 report Homestead, FL National Park Service Snyder, J. R. Herndon, A., Robertson, W. B. 1990 Book chapter Orlando, FL University of Florida Press in Ecosystems of Florida Ronald L. Myers and John J. Ewel, editors Wade. D. Ewel, J., Hofstetter, R. 1980 report General Technical Report SE -17 Ashville, NC United States Forest Service Southeastern Forest Experiment Station Snyder, James B. Ross, Michael S., Koptur, Suzanne, Sah, Jay P. 2005 report USGS Open-File Reort 2006-1062 Tallahassee, FL U.S. Geological Survey http://fl.water.usgs.gov/Miami/pineland/ofr2006_1062_snyder.html not applicable not available The experimental study has been set up in eastern Big Cypress National Preserve, where the most extensive unlogged stands of south Florida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) remain. The pinelands exist as a mosaic of slightly elevated "islands" within a matrix of cypress domes and dwarf cypress prairies. The substrate is a shallow layer of sand over limestone bedrock, making these pinelands transitional between the true rockland pine forests of the Miami Rock Ridge and the widespread pine flatwoods to the north. The study site of 2573 ha surrounds the Raccoon Point oil field and is divided into 18 experimental burn units. Each burn unit includes at least 50 ha of pine forest. Within each unit, three permanent 1.0 ha tree plots were established. In each plot, trees with diameter at breast height (dbh) > 5.0 cm are tagged and mapped. Smaller 0.1 ha vegetation plots are located in the center of each tree plot and at two additional locations in order to sample herbaceous and shrubby vegetation. There are a total of 54 tree plots and 90 vegetation plots. The tree plots (containing a total of 16,370 trees) show the Raccoon Point pinelands to have average stand densities (trees/ha) of 227 pines, 53 cabbage palms and 24 cypress. 2000 Work for FY 2004: Season of burning in South Florida pinelands The fieldwork has been completed and the work will consist of data analysis and reporting. The experimental burns for the long-term study of season and frequency will continue to be carried out by the Big Cypress NPS fire management staff. If a source of subsidized labor is available (perhaps NPS fire crew or SCA interns), all 54 permanent tree plots will be revisited and tree diameters remeasured. The trees were last measured in 1995. Seasonal fire effects on muhly grass Experimental studies have been established at 3 sites in Big Cypress. A large number of marked muhly individuals were burned over a 6-month period beginning January 2003 and the height of regrowth is measured periodically. Measurements will continue monthly until May 2004. Flowering culms will be counted in October. A companion study utilizing potted plants and large tubs was also set up. Some plants were burned periodically over a five month period. During June 2003 the plants were placed in large tubs in which water levels are maintained either at the ground surface, 10 cm above the ground surface, or 20 cm above the ground surface. Water levels will be dropped beginning in September. The height of the regrowth is measured periodically and the aboveground biomass will be harvested in May 2004. 2004 James R. Snyder U.S. Geological Survey mailing address

Big Cypress National Preserve Field Station 33100 Tamiami Trail E.

Ochopee FL 34141-1000 USA 239 695-1180 239 695-3007 jim_snyder@usgs.gov James R. Snyder U.S. Geological Survey mailing address

Big Cypress National Preserve Field Station 33100 Tamiami Trail E.

Ochopee FL 34141-1000 USA 239 695-1180 239 695-3007 jim_snyder@usgs.gov vegetation response to fire The data have no implied or explicit guarantees unknown none Contact James Snyder for data from this project. 20070123 Heather Henkel U.S. Geological Survey mailing and physical address

600 Fourth Street South

St. Petersburg FL 33701 USA 727 803-8747 ext 3028 727 803-2030 sofia-metadata@usgs.gov Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata Part 1: Biological Data Profile FGDC-STD-001.1-1999