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Last updated: October 11, 2002
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Pinelands, Fire and Biodiversity
Pinelands and other uplands occupy less than 10 % of the Everglades
region yet contain the majority of rare and endemic plant species as
well as rare animal species. Proportionately more uplands have been
lost to development than wetlands. Consequently, uplands species and
community diversity has drastically declined, suggesting that these
irreplaceable resources will be lost without the active intervention
of effective ecosystem management.
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Despite occupying less than
10% of the Everglades region, upland ecosystems harbor most of the rare
and threatened plant species and rare animals like tree snails, indigo
snakes and panthers. These uplands are critical to regional biodiversity.
Yet, rockland pinelands are globally imperiled, occupying less than 5%
their original area |
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What science tells us:
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- Fire is essential to maintaining
these disappearing communities but how frequently, under what conditions
and times of year should they be burned?
- Remaining upland communities
are fragments of original ecosystems. What are the effects of this insularity
on diversity, habitat and productivity?
- A large number of rare,
threatened and endemic (found only in south Florida) species occur. No
data exists on the status of most species- are populations stable? Has
there been local extinction? What factors control population change?
- Artificial lowering of water levels has increased fire susceptibility, dried out solution
holes ( humid microclimates where rare orchids & ferns live) &
increased drought stress
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What management needs to do:
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- The multiple stress of
severe fires, drainage, poaching(e.g., orchids, ferns, tree snails) and
hurricanes have damaged all remaining upland ecosystems. Thus these uplands
may be deteriorating independently of wetlands.
- Are special efforts needed
to sustain upland ecosystems? For example:
- Reintroduction of extirpated
pineland endemics or rare orchids
- Provide special fire
protection for unique sites such as exceptional tropical hammocks
- Strengthen education
and increase public awareness of this threatened resource
- Uplands have hydrological
requirements that must be recognized as efforts are made to increase water
levels on secondary wetlands.
- A coordinated program among
local, state and federal agencies managing remaining upland ecosystems
might strengthen options for sustaining a regional upland ecosystem
- Identification of threatened
communities or populations most likely to disappear or decline without
specific management efforts.
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