Monthly Archives: February 2024

The term “wildland fire” is a more general term for wildfires that are intentionally set as part of a prescribed burn. A prescribed or controlled burn is a fire purposely set to help manage and control certain areas of land. The term prescribed burn comes from the fact that land managers require a “prescription” to be fulfilled before a fire can be started. This includes the right conditions such as temperature, wind, weather, and the designation of a specific area. These requirements need to be met to ensure the effectiveness of the burn while making sure these man-made fires can be properly contained and managed while burning. The management of the land through prescribed fires supports the needs of the land and the organisms living there by removing invasive plants and ensuring room for the growth of smaller and younger plants that provide food for animals and a reduced understory.

While the term wildfire often comes with a negative connotation, wildfires in some ecosystems are necessary to maintain the health of the ecosystem. This may seem counterintuitive since wildfires cause destruction.  Organisms in certain ecosystems will rely on fire to help them grow and develop and even continue their lifecycle. Without prescribed or natural burns, there could be a buildup of natural materials (dead or decaying organisms) which could prevent organisms in the soil from accessing these necessary nutrients or block plants and animals from accessing the soil underneath. Fires help to remove and even prevent build-up from occurring when they occur regularly in an ecosystem. The removal of undergrowth can also prevent out-of-control wildfires that can cause a major disaster.

Fire has always been a natural occurrence in the Everglades. These naturally occurring fires from lightning strikes also helped to shape the landscape here in South Florida. These wildfires helped to stimulate plant growth and flowering of the native landscape after a burn occurred. The native Americans and pioneers in these areas used fires for centuries and understood the benefits they had on the vegetation and wildlife. Today, a fire management plan is put in place for the Everglades National Park to help ensure the management and survival of this national park. This plan includes the use of prescribed fires to “help reduce the risk of wildfire impacts on cultural resources, park infrastructure, and the surrounding communities” while also “allow[ing] [Everglades National Park Division of Fire and Aviation staff] to manage smoke impacts outside the boundaries of the Park’s fire-dependent ecosystem” according to the National Park Service’s page on fire operations in Everglades National Park.

The Ecological Benefits of Fire (nationalgeographic.org)

Why We Work With Fire | The Nature Conservancy

Wildland Fire: What is a Prescribed Fire? (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Wildland Fire – Everglades National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

The red-cockaded woodpecker used to be very abundant in the southeastern United States. Their range used to extend north to New Jersey and inland towards Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee, however, due to habitat loss and fire suppression their range has declined. Today, their range runs north to parts of Virginia, all the way south to Florida, and out west towards Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. These woodpeckers are found in open pineland habitats (ideally mature pinelands) with an open understory. Populations of this bird have become scattered throughout their range due to habitat loss because of land clearing, logging, and conversion of forest into agricultural uses. This habitat loss has contributed to a decline in the population, where they are now deemed as near threatened on the IUCN red list. To help improve the populations of these woodpeckers, scientists and conservationists have come together to help count and manage the population through the translocation of individual birds or breeding pairs into more populated areas which provide mates and habitats that support breeding pairs and increase genetic diversity. 

Prescribed Burns  

Wildfires often have a negative connotation due to the impact they have, however, these are naturally occurring events. These fires occur from natural events such as lightning strikes, high winds and temperatures, and natural sparks which create friction and heat. Many ecosystems have come to rely on the role of these fires that help with the maintenance of the ecosystem overall. Decreased natural fires in a natural setting increase the likelihood of non-native and even invasive species in an area. Natural burns also help to maintain the life cycles of natural plants and animals in that ecosystem. Overgrowth of taller and mature trees prevents new growth underneath them from developing fully due to a lack of natural resources such as sunlight. Since these woodpeckers rely on open understories for hunting and foraging, the maintenance of the understory through frequent fires is important for their survival. These birds are insectivores (animals that eat insects), feeding mainly on ants, beetles, cockroaches, and spiders among other insects that dwell in the bark of trees. They will also supplement their diet with seeds and berries as well. 

Keystone Species 

The red-cockaded woodpecker is known as a keystone species due to the tree cavities and nests they build in live pine trees. Keystone species are defined as a species whose role is necessary for the ecosystem and cannot be replaced. If these species are removed, it will affect the entire ecosystem because many other organisms rely on their services. These woodpeckers are unique as they are some of the only species that will build nest cavities into live pine trees. These tree cavities that these woodpeckers build help provide shelter and protection from fire for around 30 other species including birds, lizards, squirrels, frogs, and snakes. With this species’ population declining and being deemed as near-threatened, scientists are becoming more concerned with increasing population sizes through proper management and protection of their habitats. This is being done by helping relocate breeding pairs to pre-determined locations that can fully support these pairs.  

Keystone species are defined as species that other species depend on, and that if removed, would drastically change the ecosystem where they live. The species play such a fundamental role that they cannot be easily lost or replaced. This includes animals like beavers whose dams help protect and provide habitat for many other organisms and grey wolves who provide population control. Here in Florida, we have local examples that live across the state, including both animals and plants. Below are some of Florida’s major keystone species and how they help maintain the ecosystem around them.  

American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis 

The American alligator is a well-known species here in Florida, especially around the Everglades. This species has been around for millions of years and has been hunted by humans and used for various things like food and fashion. Overhunting of alligators in the mid-20th century led to a rapid population decline. This decline resulted in a massive shift in the environment with other species being impacted. Scientists and researchers started studying this shift and found that alligators provide a vital ecological service to the ecosystem- alligator holes. These holes are dug by alligators and used by many different species including turtles, birds, fish, and insects. These holes are filled up during the wet season by rainwater and then hold water to provide habitat and water for other species during the dry season. Upon recognition of this service’s importance to the ecosystem, conservation plans were put in place to help improve the declining population of alligators and led to the recovery of the alligator population from the brink of extinction.  

Gopher Tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus 

The gopher tortoise is a tortoise species that spans the southeast US. This tortoise species is one of only 5 in North America and the only one found east of the Mississippi River. Like many other tortoise species, these animals are known for their burrows and will spend a lot of their time in them. These burrows are the reason these animals are keystone species. Their burrows are sheltered for themselves as well as over 350 other species. These include the eastern indigo snake and the burrowing owl among many others. This species, however, is regionally threatened due to its declining population. This is largely due to habitat loss and destruction due to urban development, but improper land management and increased car collisions play a role as well. Since the reclassification of these tortoises in 2007, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has put together a Gopher Tortoise management plan that is meant to “restore and maintain secure, viable populations of gopher tortoises throughout Florida so the species no longer warrants listing.”  

Oaks, Quercus sp.  

As mentioned above, keystone species includes both animals and plants. Native plants help to support different native species like insects and birds by providing shelter and food. While some may only be valuable to a limited number of species, tree species like oaks are valuable and essential for many different species. Animals like squirrels, woodpeckers, raccoons, hummingbirds, and white-tailed deer depend on oak trees. Oak species here in Florida are host to more than 350 caterpillar species. This includes different types of Duskywing (Horace’s Duskywing, Juvenal’s Duskywing) and Hairstreak caterpillars (red-banded hairstreak, white-banded hairstreak, oak hairstreak). Here in Florida, there are many different types of oaks including the Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia), the Live Oak (Quercus virginiana), the Chapman’s Oak (Quercus chapmanii), the Water Oak (Quercus nigra) and the Running Oak (Quercus pumila).  

February 2^nd marks World Wetlands Day, dedicated to recognizing the importance of wetland ecosystems worldwide. Wetland ecosystems have been declining worldwide mainly due to urban development and agricultural expansion. Wetlands are defined as an area of land saturated by water either permanently or seasonally. These ecosystems exist worldwide and play fundamental roles in the overall health of local environments. These areas, as you will see, support various organisms and perform a specific role needed to support them. There is a wide variety of wetlands across the globe that abide in different areas and habitats. Florida has saltwater and freshwater wetlands that span coastal and inland areas throughout the state.  

Saltwater (Coastal) Wetlands 

Coastal wetlands cover about 40 million acres and makeup 38 percent of the total wetland acreage within the boundaries of the United States. The northeast Gulf of Mexico shoreline alone contains about 60 percent of the coastal and freshwater marshes in the United States, including 400,000 to 500,000 acres of salt marsh in northern Florida alone. These saltwater wetland ecosystems like saltwater marshes and mangroves occur in coastal intertidal zones and can be found all along the coasts of Florida. These wetlands and the species that inhabit them have adapted to the saltwater covering them for extended periods of time and support organisms that tolerate salinity changes. Coastal wetlands support organisms that are adapted to live in these dynamic communities and provide protection and stability for coastal areas. They are also the nurseries of the ocean providing a protective haven for many important economic and ecological ocean species to reproduce and grow.  

Freshwater Wetlands 

Everglades National Park is a federally protected area in south Florida that provides habitat for many different species like the American alligator, manatee, and Florida panther. Everglades National Park, founded in 1947, was the first national park designated to protect an ecological system. Since then, the Everglades National Park and the Everglades have also been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, and a Wetland of International Importance. The Everglades National Park contains several examples of saltwater and freshwater wetlands. The Everglades ecosystem includes wetland areas that span from the center of the state to the east, west and southward to Florida Bay. Conservation of these freshwater wetlands is critical to the survival of many species of plants and animals that are found nowhere else in the world. In addition, the Everglades are an essential part of recharging the aquifers in Florida which provide drinking water for millions of people. 

Florida Wetlands: Gulf Coast Salt Marshes (ufl.edu) 

Florida: Everglades National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) 

Salt Marshes | FWC (myfwc.com)