State 1
Intact Frequently Flooded Grassland

This state is characterized by a hydroperiod of four to eight months and is typically dominated by hydrophytic grasses and sedges along vast open expanses. Communities closer to the flooding waterbody will have slightly longer hydroperiods than sites found furthest from the flooded waterbody. Shorter hydroperiods are found furthest from the waterbody and are less frequently flooded. They are continuously wet but rarely inundated soils on slightly higher elevations. Relatively longer hydroperiods support more homogenous grassland communities. The main drivers in this community consist of hydrology and fire regimes, relying on short fire return intervals of 1 to 2 years to maintain its grass and shrub community.

Characteristics and indicators. This state is characterized by large expanses of grasslands and shrublands found on histisols adjacent to a waterbody that floods.

Community 1.1
Floodplain Marsh

Floodplain marshes occur along river floodplains and are dominated by herbaceous vegetation and/or shrubs. Species composition usually shifts the further away from the open water, allowing for shrubs to begin to grow. The highest part of the marsh is often a drier, wet prairie-like zone with a large diversity of graminoid and forbs. Floodplain marshes are found along rivers and streams from just below the headwaters to the freshwater portions of tidally influenced river mouths. This marsh type also occurs in river overflow channels and lakes with both input and output of river flow. This community is found along the floodplains of rivers such as the St. Johns and other smaller inclusions throughout this MLRA. This marsh is similar in vegetation to other freshwater marshes such as depression marshes or basin marshes (found as provisional ecological sites in MLRA 156B: Histisol Isolated Marshes and Swamps and Mineral Isolated Marshes and Swamps) but is primarily distinguished by its landscape position within a floodplain influenced by river flow, even if only during high flood stages. While basin marshes are found along headwaters, they do not receive any water from the river, whereas floodplain marshes lie directly in the rivers course and are influenced by the rivers flow.

Resilience management. Directly influenced by flat topography, slow drainage, and periodic river flooding, these marshes are inundated for roughly 120 to 350 days per year, with most of the marsh inundated over 250 days. Hydrologic alterations to the river system can sometimes drastically alter the system. This system depends on river flooding to provide oxygenated water for aquatic species to utilize large portions of the marsh. Fires are infrequent within this community as it is inundated for the majority of the year and is often found adjacent to a river, in this case the St. Johns River or its tributaries, but any fire that does burn the marsh helps limit shrub invasion. Maintenance or restoration of hydrology is important for floodplain marsh management, with channelization leading to a loss of plant diversity and more homogeneous plant species as water levels are stabilized. Prescribed fires may help with prevention of shrubby species. While not common, cattle grazing has been used along floodplain marshes due to the high diversity of plant species that cattle can forage. While during periods of extreme drought peat fires may transition other marsh communities to sloughs, a peat fire will open this community, creating a wider portion of river or open floodplain lake.

Community 1.2
Shrub Thicket

Shrub thickets consists of dense stands of broadleaf evergreen shrubs, vines, and short trees, one to five meters tall depending on time since fire, with or without an overstory of scattered pine or bay trees, growing in mucky soil where water is usually less than a foot deep. They are often found along the border of upland communities and lower wetland communities in poorly drained areas. The larger the shrub species have grown the longer fire has been kept from this community.

Resilience management. Shrub thickets develop when fire is excluded from the reference community, allowing for the growth of shrubby species to thrive. Regular fires tend to extinguish themselves in shrub bogs, protecting the lower wetland community. Fire intervals are estimated to occur only during drought periods, along the order of every 10 to 20 years, in which the shrubs respond by either resprouting from the rhizome if the root is not killed, or shifting to an open water community if the roots are killed. This community can expand with the assistance of physical disturbances such as logging and ditching to surrounding communities.

Pathway 1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2

This transition is driven by the absence of fire from the reference community along with the alteration of natural hydrology. Exclusion of fire from the reference system has to be long enough for the establishment of woody species (estimated 12 to 15 yrs) which shades out the herbaceous layer. This in part with the alteration of hydrology from impacts to this community or surrounding communities can cause the growth of woody species. This is not a homogeneous process due to changes in microtopography which can create a mosaic of unevenly aged shrubs and prairie habitat.

Pathway 1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.1

This transition is driven by the removal of shrubby species and maintenance of the restored community through natural hydrology and fire regime. Removal of the shrubs would be required to remove the shading canopy which would help reestablish grassy/ herbaceous growth. Reintroduction of natural fire cycles may help diversity of the area and prevent regrowth of shrubby species.

State 2
Intact Frequently Flooded Forest

The natural (native) vegetation of this state is mainly dominated by Bald Cypress and Pond Cypress (Taxodium distichum and T. ascendens, respectfully). Occasional fire contributes to the maintenance of a cypress dominated community; without fire, hardwood invasion and peat accumulation create a mixed hardwood and cypress swamp, and under certain conditions the stand may convert to a hardwood forest. Along the floodplain of a river or creek, an even-aged stand of cypress trees may be present throughout. These organic soils create a unique environment that increases species diversity and structural development in forested wetland communities.

Characteristics and indicators. This state is characterized by nearly pure stands of cypress trees (Taxodium spp.) that are distinguished by buttressed trunks. They have smaller, younger trees along the periphery of the swamps furthest from the waterbody contributing to its flooding conditions. These will often form an even-aged stand of cypress trees of relative width and height.

Resilience management. This state is maintained by both stressors from water and fire. Inundation ranges from 100 to 300 days per year which only allow hydrophytic tolerant species to survive. Drainage of this site can allow for the invasion of non-native and exotic species and transition the site to a more mesic hardwood community. Fire may be rare in this community, naturally extinguishing itself along the fringes of swamps found adjacent to pyrogenic communities. Interior swamps are very rarely subject to fire due to extreme soil saturation, but is possible during periods of extreme drought, causing peat fires and transitioning the area to a nonforested community.

Community 2.1
Floodplain Swamp

Floodplain swamps are cypress dominated swamps located within floodplains of any permanently moving river or stream, ranging from narrow strips to expansive stands. This swamp often immediately borders the stream or river channel, but can be restricted to oxbows, overflow channels, old stream beds, and back swamps. The knees to the cypress trees are most commonly present and characteristic of this site, with an open ground surface or sparsely covered in leaf litter. Floodplain swamps can show historic river flows of meanders and oxbows that have long since filled in. While similar to the other cypress communities in this state by hydrology, natural processes, and vegetation, they differ by landscape position. These other cypress communities include two provisional ecological sites within MLRA 156B, Histisol Isolated Marshes and Swamps and Mineral Isolated Marshes and Swamps. These ecosites will consist of three major cypress communities: Basin Swamps, Strand Swamps, and Dome Swamps. Basin swamps differ from floodplain swamps by occurring in large landscape depressions. Strand swamps differ by being found along limestone troughs east and south of Lake Okeechobee. Dome swamps are typically isolated depression swamps within a surrounding pyrogenic landscape or within a larger swamp community.

Resilience management. This site also lacks fire as a driving factor, due to the wetness and proximity of the river. Extreme drought in the dry season can allow the peat layer to burn, causing mass mortality of the cypress trees. This system is mainly influenced by water, with anaerobic conditions inhibiting breakdown of organic matter allowing for the accumulation of peat. Seasonal flooding of the floodplain redistributes nutrients throughout the system, providing nutrients for downstream systems such as estuaries.

Community 2.2
Mixed Hardwood Swamps

Hardwood swamps are dominated by a mix of hydrophytic hardwood trees including bays and cabbage palms. This state occurs on low, wet sites and has short hydroperiods that are inundated seldom over 60 days per year, but are maintained on a consistently saturated peat substrate. These communities form when fire is excluded from cypress swamps for an extended period, allowing organic matter accumulation to create shallower depressions in the landscape, shortening the hydroperiod. With greater accumulation of organic matter and a shortened hydroperiod, hardwood vegetation can become established and, over time, shade out the existing vegetation. Shading from the newly established hardwood species will perpetuate organic matter accumulation and moist soil conditions, favoring this state, continuing the expansion of these communities.

Resilience management. The main influencing factors in this state consist of fire regimes and hydrology. Human alterations to surrounding communities can inadvertently drain these sites, making them susceptible to catastrophic fires, in which the organic matter accumulation will be lost, reverting the community back to cypress swamp vegetation or to shrub thickets, depending on the root damage from the fire. Increases in hydrology will shift the community back towards a cypress swamp as the hardwood species can tolerate some flooding but not the same amount as cypress. Drainage will allow for invasive species to become established that can outcompete the native vegetation.

Community 2.3
Baygall

Baygall, also referred to as bay swamps or bay heads, are evergreen forested wetlands of bay species in a floodplain with deep peat soils that are acidic within a well developed forest. They typically develop on wet soils in depressions and in stagnant drainages that maintain a saturated peat substrate via seepage, rainfall, or capillary action. This community varies in size and can range from small tree islands within marsh or prairie communities to many acres within a mature forest. They develop when fire has been excluded from cypress swamps, allowing organic matter to accumulate and creating a positive feedback that allows the establishment of bays. Cypress swamps are very similar to baygalls, with many instances of intermediate stages between these communities primarily caused by fire and logging history. However, cypress swamps experience greater water fluctuation and greater water depths than baygalls

Resilience management. As the bay species grow, the shade intolerant cypress species are inhibited which shifts vegetation and soil conditions to favor shade tolerant species to germinate and grow in low light conditions.

Pathway 2.1A
Community 2.1 to 2.2

The overarching driver which may allow for a community transition is the decrease of the long term hydroperiod. This is a wide variety of alterations which may shift species composition to allow for the growth of hardwood species. This may include abiotic factors such as drought, absence of fire, or any other events that can alter the water table, or species composition to allow for the introduction of unwanted species. This can also include biotic factors such as hog rooting or human introduction that can bring in these native but undesirable species to the reference community.

Pathway 2.2A
Community 2.2 to 2.1

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.

Pathway 2.2B
Community 2.2 to 2.3

The overarching driver which may allow for a community transition is the decrease of the long term hydroperiod. This is a wide variety of alterations which may shift species composition to allow for the growth of hardwood species. This may include abiotic factors such as drought, absence of fire, or any other events that can alter the water table, or species composition to allow for the introduction of unwanted species. This can also include biotic factors such as hog rooting or human introduction that can bring these native but undesirable to the reference community species in.

Pathway 2.3A
Community 2.3 to 2.2

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.

State 3
Invasive Non-Native Community

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 removal.

State 4
Managed Resource Areas

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.

Community 4.1
Rangeland

Rangelands are described as lands on which the indigenous vegetation is predominately grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, and possibly shrubs or dispersed trees. Existing plant communities can include both native and introduced plants. Primary export from Florida ranges are cattle and have been present in the state since their first introduction by Spanish explorers in 1521. This is the reference community for this state because it requires very little alterations to the landscape for grazing species. Rangelands provide a diversity of ecosystems and also provide a diverse and significant production of economic benefits and ecosystem goods and services. Livestock production along with sustainable wildlife populations provide for the major direct economic benefits, but also tourism, recreational uses, minerals/energy production, renewable energy, and other natural resource uses can be very significant. Vital ecosystem contributions include clean water, clean air, fish/wildlife habitat, as well as intangible considerations such as historical, cultural, aesthetic and spiritual values. The dominant range community correlates with the 1994 FOTG Range Site Description 156BY010FL- 156B Freshwater Marsh and Pond. Plant Community Composition List is derived from 156BY010FL.

Resilience management. Grazing, by both domestic livestock and wildlife, is the most common ecological management process, with fire and weather extremes also being significant ecological factors. For information regarding specific cattle grazing techniques please contact your local NRCS office.

Community 4.2
Open Transitional Managed Communities

This is an area that is managed to maintain open land before shifting to another community. These communities are often used as transitional periods from one practice to another and could lead to an abandoned / fallow field.

Community 4.3
Pasture

Pasture is a land use type having vegetation cover comprised primarily of introduced or enhanced native forage species that is used for livestock grazing. Pasture vegetation can consist of grasses, legumes, other forbs, shrubs or a mixture. The majority of these forages are introduced, having originally come from areas in other states or continents. Most are now naturalized and are vital components of pasture based grazing systems. Pasture lands provide many benefits other than forage for livestock. Wildlife use pasture as shelter and for food sources. Well managed pasture captures rainwater that is slowly infiltrated into the soil which helps recharge groundwater. Many small pasture livestock operations are near urban areas providing vistas for everyone to enjoy. It is especially important as livestock grazers continue to experience extraordinarily high fuel and other input costs. This community correlates with the 2013 Florida Forage Suitability Group G156BC645FL (Organic Soils in Depressions and on Flood Plains). All values and growth curves are captured directly from G156BC645FL.

Resilience management. Pastures receive periodic renovation and cultural treatments such as tillage, fertilization, mowing, weed control, and may be irrigated or drained. For more information regarding specific pasture management please contact your local NRCS office.

Community 4.4
Agriculture

The agriculture industry includes cultivated crops, aquaculture, and apiculture. Cultivated cropland includes areas used for the production of adapted crops for harvest. These areas comprises land in row crops or close-grown crops that are in a rotation with row or close-grown crops. Primary exports from Florida consist of fruits, greenhouse and nursery products, sugar cane, and the signature export of citrus. Aquaculture includes the cultivation and maintenance of aquatic plants, aquatic reptiles, crustaceans, food/ ornamental fish, shellfish, and other miscellaneous species for harvesting. Apiculture includes the maintenance of honeybees and hives to provide beeswax, honey/ other edible bee products, crop pollination services, and sales of bees to other beekeepers. These areas have been modified with land use conversion practices and hydrologic management to fit the growers needs.

Resilience management. Major natural resource concerns facing cropland include: (1) erosion by wind and water, (2) maintaining and enhancing soil quality, (3) water quality from nutrient and pesticides runoff and leaching, and (4) managing the quantity of water available for irrigation. For more specific information regarding cropland please contact your local NRCS office.

Community 4.5
Silviculture

Silviculture is land used in controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society such as wildlife habitat, timber, water resources, restoration, and recreation on a sustainable basis. These are forestry practices that include thinning, harvesting, planting, pruning, prescribed burning and site preparation, for managed goals such as wildlife habitat creation or harvesting. Many managed silvicultural lands in Florida include tree plantations for growth of tropical ornamental species such as palms; and lumber, pulp, and paper species such as slash pine, longleaf pine, cypress, and eucalyptus. This community also include management practices of agroforestry, the intentional mixing of trees and shrubs into crop and/or animal production systems to create environmental, economic and social benefits. This is included in this community and not any other state because the primary management is for tree species. This may include practices such as riparian forest buffers, windbreaks, forest farming, silvopasture, and alley cropping.

Resilience management. Management of silvicultural lands require specific prescriptions based on the management goals for the stand, and may include thinning, harvesting, planting, pruning, prescribed burning and site preparation. For more information regarding specific management for silviculture practices please contact your local NRCS office.

Pathway 4.1A
Community 4.1 to 4.2

This pathway is driven by land use conversion practices that prepare for modified land use. In some circumstances, conversion might include removing the existing vegetation and habitat.

Pathway 4.2A
Community 4.2 to 4.1

This pathway is driven by the restoration of the native habitat for the use of rangeland. This includes restoration of both the hydrology and landscape in advance of re-vegetating native species. This is a time-consuming process and often results in slightly altered community structure and composition more susceptible to invasive or undesirable plant establishment. Once restored to a natural capacity the introduction of grazing species to the system creates a managed rangeland.

Pathway 4.2B
Community 4.2 to 4.3

This pathway is driven by preparing the land for pasture. This includes the planting of vegetation consisting of grasses, legumes, other forbs, shrubs or a mixture that will provide preferred forage for managed grazing species.

Pathway 4.2C
Community 4.2 to 4.4

This pathway is driven by the preparation of land for agricultural uses. This change is dependent on the type of agricultural community being created, but often depends on the growing, maintenance, and cultivation of an agricultural product for consumers. This community may require modification to the land to fit the hydrologic requirement of the growing crop.

Pathway 4.2D
Community 4.2 to 4.5

This pathway is driven by the preparation of the land for silvicultural purposes. This change is dependent on the type of silvicultural product being cultivated, as many different practices require different growth requirements.

Pathway 4.3A
Community 4.3 to 4.2

This pathway is driven by land use conversion practices that prepare for modified land use. In some circumstances, conversion might include removing the existing vegetation and habitat.

Pathway 4.4A
Community 4.4 to 4.2

This pathway is driven by land use conversion practices that prepare for modified land use. In some circumstances, conversion might include removing the existing vegetation and habitat.

Pathway 4.5A
Community 4.5 to 4.2

This pathway is driven by land use conversion practices that prepare for modified land use. In some circumstances, conversion might include removing the existing vegetation and habitat.

State 5
Human Altered and Human Transported Areas

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 soils) 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).

Community 5.1
Reclaimed Areas

Reclaimed areas are areas that have been modified through anthropogenic means that are restored to a natural community. Areas that can be reclaimed are any intensity urban areas, and may be required to be reclaimed after urban use (e.g., active mines must be reclaimed). These practices include the identification, removal, and stockpiling soil materials before altering the land, and revegetation and replacement of soil materials after altering the land. This also applies to nearby urban areas that have been adversely affected by the anthropogenic activities.

Community 5.2
Urban

This urban community consists of development for human use. Urban areas include a variety of land uses, e.g., inner city or urban core, industrial and residential areas, cemeteries, parks, and other open spaces; the overall function which may benefit the quality of human life. These often form an urban soil mosaic, where the natural landscape has been fragmented into parcels with distinctive disturbance and management regimes and, as a result, distinctive characteristic soil properties.

Resilience management. Within this community there are three different levels of urbanization, based off population dynamics, residential density, and intensity of development. These are labeled as low-intensity, medium-intensity, and high-intensity urban areas, which can eventually be split apart into its own separate state. Low-intensity urban areas may consist of single dwelling homes with little impact on the surrounding community which still somewhat represents the natural community (e.g., represents natural landscape, hydrology, and vegetation) , other examples of this are urban parks, cemeteries, or campgrounds with little urban development. Medium-intensity urban areas consist of larger urban dwellings with some natural features, but have been modified to meet urban needs (e.g., towns). High-intensity urban areas are areas of heavily modified areas with complete alterations of the natural landscape, hydrology, and vegetation to support a very large population, which once constructed is permanently altered (e.g., metropolis areas/ active mines).

Community 5.3
Non-Reclaimed Areas

Non-reclaimed areas are areas that have been modified through anthropogenic means that are unable to be restored to a natural or second-hand natural community. Areas that cannot be reclaimed are areas under active mining status or mined areas before the Phosphate Land Reclamation Act in 1975, which leaves shut down operations alone. These areas also include fallow mines that have been flooded and are now permanent bodies of water.

Pathway 5.1A
Community 5.1 to 5.2

Driven by clearing and developing the land for the desired community.

Pathway 5.2A
Community 5.2 to 5.1

Driven by the revegetation, reestablished hydrology, and replacement of displaced soil materials after altering the land.

Pathway 5.2B
Community 5.2 to 5.3

Driven from heavy industrial or urban development which causes the land to become non-reclaimable. This transition is rare due to the many environmental laws and regulations that must be followed when developing land.

Pathway 5.3A
Community 5.3 to 5.1

Driven by the revegetation, reestablished hydrology, and replacement of displaced soil material after altering the land.

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

This transition is driven by the establishment of woody species. This may be driven naturally or anthropogenically. Natural drivers may be drought, which can lower the water table for an expanded period of time, allowing for hydrophytic species to root and become established. These will often have buttressed trunks as a result of long hydroperiods. Anthropogenic alterations include the drawdown of the water table for commodity products. As the species grow they may shade out the understory and convert the area to a swamp. The absence of fire can also lead to woody species development by failing to maintain community structure and composition.

Transition T1B
State 1 to 3

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 survive and outcompete 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 species at bay.

Transition T1C
State 1 to 4

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. Due to the extreme wetness of this site, drawdown of the water table may be needed to meet the desirable community.

Transition T1D
State 1 to 5

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.

Restoration pathway R2A
State 2 to 1

This restoration to a grassland from a forest consists of removing the woody species, allowing for light to penetrate the ground surface and grasses in the existing seedbank to grow. This removal may consist of mechanical, biological, or chemical methods to clear an area.

Transition T2A
State 2 to 3

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 survive and outcompete 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 species at bay.

Transition T2B
State 2 to 4

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.

Transition T2C
State 2 to 5

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.

Restoration pathway R3A
State 3 to 1

Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the non-native and exotic invasive species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for individual non-native or exotic invasive species is needed for specific management. Sometimes introduction of fire regimes may prevent or stop the growth of non-native or exotic invasive species, but many species are fire tolerant. 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.

Restoration pathway R3B
State 3 to 2

Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the non-native and exotic invasive species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for individual non-native or exotic invasive species is needed for specific management. Sometimes introduction of fire regimes may prevent or stop the growth of non-native or exotic invasive species, but many species are fire tolerant. 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.

Transition T3A
State 3 to 4

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.

Transition T3B
State 3 to 5

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.

Restoration pathway R4A
State 4 to 1

These practices include the restoration of both the hydrology and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).

Restoration pathway R4B
State 4 to 2

These practices include the restoration of both the hydrology and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).

Transition T4A
State 4 to 5

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.

Transition T5A
State 5 to 4

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.