Sandy Pine Flatwoods and Hammocks
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Fire Suppression
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Transition T1B
Acute / Rapid Mortality of Pines
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Transition T1C
Increase in Fire Frequency / Selective Removal of Pines
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Transition T1D
Introduction of Non-Native / Exotic Species
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Transition T1E
Modified for Desired Land Use
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Transition T1F
Human Alteration / Transportation of Materials
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Transition T2A
Selective Removal of Oaks/ Reestablish Fire Return Interval
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Transition T2B
Overstory Removal / Fire Return Interval Established
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Transition T2C
Increase in Fire Frequency
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Transition T2D
Introduction of Non-Native / Exotic Species
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Transition T2E
Modify for Desired Land Use
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Transition T2F
Human Alteration / Transportation of Materials
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Transition T3A
Pine Regeneration/ Fire
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Transition T3B
Increase in Fire Frequency
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Transition T3C
Introduction of Non-Native / Exotic Species
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Transition T3D
Modify for Desired Land Use
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Transition T3E
Human Alteration / Transportation of Materials
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Transition T4A
Decrease in Fire Frequency/ Pine Regeneration
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Transition T4B
Removal of Undesirable Species
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Transition T4C
Introduction of Non-Native / Exotic Species
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Transition T4D
Modify for Desired Land Use
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Transition T4E
Human Alteration / Transportation of Materials
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Restoration pathway R5A
Removal of Undesirable Species
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Restoration pathway R5B
Removal of Undesirable Species
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Restoration pathway R5C
Removal of Undesirable Species
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Restoration pathway R5D
Removal of Undesirable Species
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Transition T5A
Modify for Desired Land Use
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Transition T5B
Human Alteration / Transportation of Materials
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Restoration pathway R6A
Landscape and Habitat Restoration
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Restoration pathway R6B
Landscape and Habitat Restoration
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Restoration pathway R6C
Landscape and Habitat Restoration
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Restoration pathway R6D
Landscape and Habitat Restoration
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Transition T6A
Human Alteration / Transportation of Materials
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Transition T7A
Modified Land Restoration
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
Flatwoods are mesic or wet pine woodlands or mesic shrubland on flat sandy limestone substrates consisting of ecological communities dependent on landscape position, hydrology, and fire regime. These communities consist of similar overstory vegetation with varying understory vegetation depending on hydrology and fire regimes.
Submodel
Description
This state describes the transition of a natural pine flatwoods community that has had fire excluded from its system long enough to develop a closed canopy of oaks and other shrubby indicator species. This forest type will often have a relict pine canopy and the understory will reflect the type of flatwoods community it established from.
Characteristics and indicators
These differ from natural hardwood hammock communities by their establishment on flatwoods soil as well as key indicator species.
Submodel
Description
Palmetto Prairies consist of low shrubs and grasses occupying vast, level expanses on generally treeless landscapes. Common shrubs are saw palmetto, which is often stunted, dwarf live oak, gallberry, fetterbush, shiny blueberry, netted pawpaw, Atlantic St. John's wort, dwarf wax myrtle, and dwarf huckleberry. These are mixed with about an equal proportion of herbs, predominantly wiregrass, along with bottlebrush threeawn, hemlock witchgrass, broomsedge bluestem, lopsided indiangrass, and cypress witchgrass, plus numerous forbs including narrowleaf silkgrass, milkworts, meadowbeauties, yellow-eyed grasses, and wild pennyroyal. Drier sites tend to have fetterbush and coastalplain staggerbush; wetter sites lack these and have Elliott’s yellow-eyed grass.
Characteristics and indicators
This state is similar to mesic pine flatwoods but lacks the overhead pine component. They share similar soils of poorly to very poorly drained spodosols with an organic hardpan, but is believed lack of drainage dissection of the landscape results in more frequent flooding than in mesic pine flatwoods.
Resilience management
This state is maintained by stressors at the beginning of the rainy season, where natural fire return intervals of every 1 to 2 years as well as flooding immediately afterwards prevent the growth of pine species.
Submodel
Description
Cabbage Palm Flatwoods are flatwoods similar to wet pine flatwoods characterized by an open overstory of pines, a midstory of cabbage palms, and a dense understory of grasses. They occur on neutral to alkaline sands, and are similar to other flatwoods with the presence of a hardpan that reduces percolation above and below its surface. Fire return intervals of every 1 to 2 years help maintain this community.
Characteristics and indicators
This state is characterized by cabbage palm species in the sub canopy or shrub layer, under an open layer of pine species. Natural fire return intervals are similar to wet flatwoods, along a shorter interval of every 1 to 2 years. Cabbage palms have a very slow growth cycle and can spend 10 to 15 years or more in a grass-like state before the trunk will grow. The grass-like state is dependent on and tolerant of fire for growth and after the trunk becomes visible grows at slow rates up to 6 inches per year.
Resilience management
This state can be maintained by regular fire intervals of every 1 to 2 years that prevents the establishment of shrubby species. Roller chopping or removal of the cabbage palm may shift the community back towards a wet pine flatwood community, with an increased chance of encroachment of invasive species.
Submodel
Description
This state consists of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Non-Native Category 1 Species list . More information on these species list can be found:
https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/63140/file/Florida%E2%80%99s_Pest_Plants.pdf
or by contacting the UF / IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/), the UF / IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas (https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/), or the FWC Invasive Plant Management Section (http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/invasive-plants/).
These species are common in areas where natural processes are interrupted via hydrology or fire regimes. The introduction of these species pose serious threats to endangered and threatened habitats and plants within Florida as they become outcompeted for habitats and nutrients.
Characteristics and indicators
Non-native species include species that exist outside of Florida's natural range and introduced to the state by people, weather, or any other means.
Resilience management
This state can be found as a part of any other state and can completely destroy the native habitat if not properly managed. Restoration to natural communities after exotic invasion include practices such as mechanical, biological, and chemical removals.
Description
The following communities comprise the major land uses in the United States and the land uses receiving the majority of the conservation treatment that address soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources within the USDA.
Characteristics and indicators
These land uses consist of areas that are not completely naturalized (i.e. native habitat) and have been anthropogenically altered for commodity production.
Submodel
States 2 and 5 (additional transitions)
6.2. Open Transitional Managed Communities
6.5. Silviculture
Description
These areas include soils that were intentionally and substantially modified by humans for an intended purpose, commonly for terraced agriculture, building support, mining, transportation, and commerce. The alteration is of sufficient magnitude to result in the introduction of a new parent material (human-transported material) or a profound change in the previously existing parent material (human-altered material). They do not include soils modified through standard agricultural practices or formed soils with unintended wind and water erosion. When a soil is on or above an anthropogenic landform or microfeature, it can be definitely be associated with human activity and is assigned to a unique taxa, usually found as an "Urban land complex" within that communities natural soil properties (e.g., Immokalee sand-Urban land complex, 0 to 2 percent slopes).
Characteristics and indicators
Evidence of these areas include soils with manufactured items (e.g. artifacts) present in the profile, human altered-materials (e.g., deeply excavated soil) or human-transported material (e.g., fill), and position on or above anthropogenic landforms (e.g., flood-control levees) and microfeatures (e.g., drainage ditches). Detailed criteria regarding the identification of anthropogenic (artificial) landforms, human-altered materials, and human-transported material are in the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy" (Soil Survey Staff, 2014).
Submodel
Mechanism
This transition is from the absence of fire from the reference state for a long enough time that the canopy is closed off and has a secondary hardwood canopy with a relict canopy of pine. Very infrequent non-catastrophic fires may also occur that burn the grasses but not the shrubs or other hardwood trees that are crowding the canopy.
Mechanism
Pine Flatwoods may transition to palmetto prairies under specific conditions, which once a transition occurs must be maintained to prevent the shift back to pine flatwoods. This transition can be driven primarily by the acute / rapid mortality of overstory pine species, shifting the community from an widely spaced canopy to no canopy. This may happen in various ways including logging of overstory pine, disease from pests such as bark beetles, or from intense canopy fires. Unmaintained pine flatwoods may build high fuel loads that regular fire return intervals would normally prevent from establishing, which can allow the next fire to climb ladder fuels such as vines into the canopy. Canopy fires spread from tree to tree independent of the ground fire, which after consuming the live needles as its fuel, may kill the tree, leaving either the snag behind or burning down to the stump hole. Reestablishment of the natural fire return interval after this canopy fire may prevent native pines from becoming established, giving the appearance of palmetto prairies.
Constraints to recovery
Reestablished fire return intervals into the system (every 1 to 2 years) may prevent this new palmetto prairie habitat from shifting back into the pine flatwoods state by killing seedlings before they can become established.
Context dependence
Normal fire return intervals for pine flatwoods vary on the type of vegetation and hydrology of the system, but range from 3 to 15 years, with longer intervals allowing more shrubs and shorter intervals allowing more grasses. Catastrophic canopy fires may occur at any point, but usually happen when there is a high fuel load after multiple years of no burning. Palmetto prairies have normal fire return intervals every 1 to 2 years, which prevents the establishment of pine species.
Mechanism
This mechanism which drives the transition from pine flatwoods to cabbage palm flatwoods depends on a change in fire frequency. Increased fire frequency to every 1 to 2 years may prevent pine seedlings from germinating while allowing fire loving cabbage palm to thrive. Whereas decreased fire frequency may allow for the encroachment of species such as cabbage palm and other hardwood species to become established. Logging of overstory pines may also cause this shift if a seedbank of cabbage palms are present, allowing them to become established.
Context dependence
Cabbage palms are very slow growing trees and spend the first 10 to 15 years or more within a grass-like state, making this transition towards a fully established state a long process (decadal scale).
Mechanism
The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as hydrology or changes in fire regimes. Typically once a change in one of the two factors mentioned above occurs, non-native or exotic invasive species become established and begin to compete with native species for habitat and nutrients.
Constraints to recovery
Recovery from non-native or exotic invasive species may be difficult due to many adaptations which allow them to outcompete and survive in intolerable conditions. Localized knowledge for each species must be known for best removal of it without harming the native environment, and often different treatments must be applied over one given area.
Context dependence
Growth of non-native and exotic invasive species can be rapid following a change in a natural stressor such as fire or hydrology which might have once kept the invasive specie at bay.
Mechanism
Modify the land for the desired land use. This may include the establishment of grazing species or the modification of land for the cultivation of crops of other desired products.
Mechanism
This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.
Mechanism
An altered hardwood hammock may be restored to its native pine flatwoods community under specific conditions, which once a transition occurs must be maintained to prevent the shift back to the altered hardwood hammock state. Unmaintained pine flatwoods may build high fuel loads that regular fire return intervals would normally prevent from establishing, which can allow the next fire to climb ladder fuels such as vines into the canopy. Canopy fires spread from tree to tree independent of the ground fire, which after consuming the live needles as its fuel, may kill the tree, leaving either the snag behind or burning down to the stump hole. From this state pine can regenerate quicker than oak species, and with regular fire return intervals which match that of the native pine community, may return to the reference state. Selective logging may also be utilized to remove unwanted hardwood species in the canopy, sub canopy, and shrub layer to meet desired conditions of the reference community. Periodic fires must then be reestablished to maintain the restored pine flatwoods community.
Context dependence
Reestablished fire return intervals into the system may prevent this newly restored pine flatwoods habitat from hardwood growth by killing the sprouts when they begin to grow into the canopy.
Mechanism
An altered hardwood hammock may transition to a palmetto praire community under specific conditions, which once a transition occurs must be maintained to prevent the shift back to the altered hardwood hammock state. Unmaintained pine flatwoods may build high fuel loads that regular fire return intervals would normally prevent from establishing, which can allow the next fire to climb ladder fuels such as vines into the canopy. Canopy fires spread from tree to tree independent of the ground fire, which after consuming the live needles as its fuel, may kill the tree, leaving either the snag behind or burning down to the stump hole. Selective logging may also be utilized to remove unwanted hardwood species in the canopy, sub canopy, and shrub layer to meet desired conditions of the reference community. Periodic fires must then be reestablished to maintain the prairie community.
Constraints to recovery
Reestablished fire return intervals into the system (every 1 to 2 years) may prevent this new palmetto prairie habitat from shifting back into the pine flatwoods state by killing seedlings before they can become established.
Mechanism
This mechanism which drives the transition from hardwood hammock to cabbage palm flatwoods depends on a change in fire frequency. Increased fire frequency to every 1 to 2 years may prevent pine seedlings from germinating while allowing fire loving cabbage palm to thrive. Whereas decreased fire frequency may allow for the encroachment of species such as cabbage palm and other hardwood species to become established. Logging of overstory pines may also cause this shift if a seedbank of cabbage palms are present, allowing them to become established.
Mechanism
The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as hydrology or changes in fire regimes. Typically once a change in one of the two factors mentioned above occurs, non-native or exotic invasive species become established and begin to compete with native species for habitat and nutrients.
Constraints to recovery
Recovery from non-native or exotic invasive species may be difficult due to many adaptations which allow them to outcompete and survive in intolerable conditions. Localized knowledge for each species must be known for best removal of it without harming the native environment, and often different treatments must be applied over one given area.
Context dependence
Growth of non-native and exotic invasive species can be rapid following a change in a natural stressor such as fire or hydrology which might have once kept the invasive specie at bay.
Mechanism
Modify the land for the desired land use. This may include the establishment of grazing species or the modification of land for the cultivation of crops of other desired products.
Mechanism
This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.
Mechanism
Increasing the time between fire return intervals from 1 to 2 years towards every 3 to 5 years, as seen in mesic pine flatwoods, can assist in the reestablishment of pine species. Similar understory species will be present in both palmetto prairies and mesic pine flatwoods. Decreasing the hydrology of the surrounding area through ditching or drainage might also allow the reestablishment of pine species in palmetto prairies, but makes the area more vulnerable to invasive species encroachment.
Context dependence
Palmetto prairies exclude pine species by high fire return intervals of every 1 to 2 years in at that start of the growing season as well as a relatively high seasonal high water table. The combination of both stress from water and fire exclude pine species, but allow for the establishment of understory species similar to a mesic pine flatwoods. Because these communities occur in similar landscapes and often form as intermixed communities, decreases in hydrology can allow for the encroachment of pine species from the surrounding habitats into the palmetto prairie. Increases in the time between fires may also allow for establishment of pine species into the area, shifting the community from a palmetto prairie to a mesic pine flatwood.
Mechanism
This mechanism which drives the transition from palmetto prairie to cabbage palm flatwoods depends on a change in fire frequency. Increased fire frequency to every 1 to 2 years may prevent pine seedlings from germinating while allowing fire loving cabbage palm to thrive. Whereas decreased fire frequency may allow for the encroachment of species such as cabbage palm and other hardwood species to become established. Logging of overstory pines may also cause this shift if a seedbank of cabbage palms are present, allowing them to become established.
Context dependence
Cabbage palms are very slow growing trees and spend the first 10 to 15 years or more within a grass-like state, making this transition towards a fully established state a long process (decadal scale).
Mechanism
The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as hydrology or changes in fire regimes. Typically once a change in one of the two factors mentioned above occurs, non-native or exotic invasive species become established and begin to compete with native species for habitat and nutrients.
Constraints to recovery
Recovery from non-native or exotic invasive species may be difficult due to many adaptations which allow them to outcompete and survive in intolerable conditions. Localized knowledge for each species must be known for best removal of it without harming the native environment, and often different treatments must be applied over one given area.
Context dependence
Growth of non-native and exotic invasive species can be rapid following a change in a natural stressor such as fire or hydrology which might have once kept the invasive specie at bay.
Mechanism
Modify the land for the desired land use. This may include the establishment of grazing species or the modification of land for the cultivation of crops of other desired products.
Mechanism
This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.
Mechanism
Increasing the time between fire return intervals from 1 to 2 years towards every 3 to 5 years, as seen in mesic pine flatwoods, can assist in the reestablishment of pine species. Similar understory species will be present in both palmetto prairies and mesic pine flatwoods. Decreasing the hydrology of the surrounding area through ditching or drainage might also allow the reestablishment of pine species in palmetto prairies, but makes the area more vulnerable to invasive species encroachment.
Context dependence
Cabbage palm trees spend a long time in a grass-like state which can be difficult to effectively remove from the system unless dug out completely. This is a costly process, whereas waiting for the trunk to become present is also very time consuming.
Mechanism
This is driven by either the mechanical/ biological/ chemical removal of species and / or the reintroduction of fire into the system. As time passes and the area is left unburned, hardwood species may begin to grow and create a build-up of leaf litter which if ignited can cause canopy fires killing the hardwood tree species. This would drive the vegetative community back to a palmetto prairie state.
Context dependence
Cabbage palm trees spend a long time in a grass-like state which can be difficult to effectively remove from the system unless dug out completely. This is a costly process, whereas waiting for the trunk to become present is also very time consuming.
Mechanism
The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as hydrology or changes in fire regimes. Typically once a change in one of the two factors mentioned above occurs, non-native or exotic invasive species become established and begin to compete with native species for habitat and nutrients.
Constraints to recovery
Recovery from non-native or exotic invasive species may be difficult due to many adaptations which allow them to outcompete and survive in intolerable conditions. Localized knowledge for each species must be known for best removal of it without harming the native environment, and often different treatments must be applied over one given area.
Context dependence
Growth of non-native and exotic invasive species can be rapid following a change in a natural stressor such as fire or hydrology which might have once kept the invasive specie at bay.
Mechanism
Modify the land for the desired land use. This may include the establishment of grazing species or the modification of land for the cultivation of crops of other desired products.
Mechanism
This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.
Mechanism
Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the unwanted species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for community species composition is needed for specific management. Mechanical removal might include roller chopping, harvesting, or cutting and removal of invasive species. Chemical removal might include aerial dispersal from planes, or basal bark injection treatments.
Context dependence
Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal of unwanted species is a time dependent process, with removal types taking long times to be considered effective.
Mechanism
Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the unwanted species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for community species composition is needed for specific management. Mechanical removal might include roller chopping, harvesting, or cutting and removal of invasive species. Chemical removal might include aerial dispersal from planes, or basal bark injection treatments.
Context dependence
Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal of unwanted species is a time dependent process, with removal types taking long times to be considered effective.
Mechanism
Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the unwanted species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for community species composition is needed for specific management. Mechanical removal might include roller chopping, harvesting, or cutting and removal of invasive species. Chemical removal might include aerial dispersal from planes, or basal bark injection treatments.
Context dependence
Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal of unwanted species is a time dependent process, with removal types taking long times to be considered effective.
Mechanism
Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the unwanted species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for community species composition is needed for specific management. Mechanical removal might include roller chopping, harvesting, or cutting and removal of invasive species. Chemical removal might include aerial dispersal from planes, or basal bark injection treatments.
Context dependence
Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal of unwanted species is a time dependent process, with removal types taking long times to be considered effective.
Mechanism
Modify the land for the desired land use. This may include the establishment of grazing species or the modification of land for the cultivation of crops of other desired products.
Mechanism
This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.
Mechanism
These practices include the restoration of both the hydrology and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).
Mechanism
These practices include the restoration of both the hydrology and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).
Mechanism
These practices include the restoration of both the hydrology and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).
Mechanism
These practices include the restoration of both the hydrology and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).
Mechanism
This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.
Model keys
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The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.