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Fire in Florida
And Community Succession
© Harold E. Malde
So,, What’s The Problem??
We Live in a Naturally Flammable State
Fire in Florida
Climate, Geography
andCulture
Combined, to create a landscape that has
been exposed to frequent fire
Fire in Florida
Kormorek 1964 Fire Data
•Lightening frequency•Moisture•# of Fires
•Size of Fires
Remove Fire - - - - - Plant Community Changes
© The Nature Conservancy
Terms - Ecologial Succession
Ecological Succession (Ecosystem Development):•An orderly process of community development that involves changes in species structure and ecosystem processes through time.•Results from modifications in the ecosystem physical environment•It culminates in a stabilized ecosystem until a disturbance event occurs
Sere:•A sequence of communities that replace on another in a given region with specific abiotic factors
Seral Stage:•A transitory stage of a Sere
Clements Linear Succession Model
Terms - Ecologial Succession
SUCCESSION
Pioneer Stage:•First community stage of a sere
Climax Stage:•Final community stage of a sere
Mono-Climax:•Succession sere with one “Climax Community”
Poly- Climax:•Succession sere with several potential “Climax Communities”
Succession after Fire
Common Fire-Prone/Dependent Community Types
Habitat Type Burn Interval
• Pine savannah 1 – 4 years• Sandhill or longleaf pine/turkey oak 1 – 4 years• Dry prairie 1 – 3 years• Scrubby flatwoods 8 – 12 years• Sand pine scrub 15 – 30 years• FW marsh and wet prairies 1 – 5 years
Threats to Rare Species
Florida scrub-jay
© Donna Bollenbach
© Florida Park Service
© R. Roberts
© T. Engstrom
red-cockaded woodpecker
grasshopper sparrow
gopher tortoise
pitcher plant
© T
om
Arr
ing
ton
Florida’s Fire Regime
Our native landscape is fire-prone and fire-dependent and characterized by having:
1) a high frequency of fires (the majority of which requires a 2- to 4-year interval);
2) a low to moderate fire intensity;
3) a predominance of terrestrial upland habitats adapted and dependent on fire for ecological health; and
4) a predominance of imperiled upland species that require frequent fire for optimum habitat condition.
Three Principal Environmental ElementsAffecting Wildland Fire Behavior
WeatherFuels
Topography
Questions?
In National Forests, government policy has been to suppress forest fires whenever possible for the last century. Now some regions are starting to allow fires to burn. Based on what you know about succession, what impact do you think this might have in the area?