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ECOLOGICAL REPORT 1/5/1988 · ~rra (}v.Pr fI1 W' '~ MEMORANDUM rn~~o\Yl~ JUN I 9 1998 PLANNING AND ZONING DEPT. ill TO MIKE RUMPF ACTING DIRECTOR OF PLANNING ~TD ZONING FROM. SUE KRUSE, CITY CLERK DATE JUNE 17, 1997 RE RESOLUTION #R97-110 Attached please find a copy of the above mentioned resolutIOn wluch was approved at the City CommissIOn meetmg held on June 16, 1998 0~~~.a-L--" j .\shrdata\cc\wp\memos\rumpf.doc RESOLUTION NO R98-//p Ii I I A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AN ESCROW AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH AND QUANTUM ASSOCIATES, TO SECURE PERFORMANCE OF A SCOPE OF WORK TO BRING PROPERTY INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE ECOLOGICAL REPORT, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. i I I I ; i DRI Development Order originally approved by the City on December 18, 1984, as I I I II I I I I I i WHEREAS, Quantum Park has been developed pursuant and subject to a thereafter amended, and WHEREAS, pursuant to the Development Order, an ecological report was prepared and approved for Quantum Park, originally dated August 4, 1996, as thereafter amended, and WHEREAS, the parties have agreed that portions of Quantum Park owned by the Quantum Community Development District have not been maintained in accordance with the requirements of the Ecological Report; and WHEREAS, an itemization of the scope of work required to bring Quantum Park into compliance with the Ecological Report has been prepared by the City and is attached hereto, and WHEREAS, to secure the performance of the Scope of Work, Quantum Associates has agreed to place a cash deposit in escrow with the City pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF ...~ THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, TH;-\ T Section 1. The City Commission of the City of Boynton Beach, Florida does hereby authorize and direct the Mayor and City Clerk t'J execute an Escrow Agreement between the City of Boynton Beach and Quantum Associates, to ser::ure performance of a Scope of Work to bring property into compliance with the Ecological Report, said Agreement being attached hereto as Exhibit "A" Section 2. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon t! i i passage. ! PASSED AND ADOPTED this /~ day of June, 1998. I .1 , \ ( / r-, I LJ-<iZ..k......~ Ii ! ~c ayor Pro T em d~-<[i L ~issioner Vluw. ~ Commissioner :1tf'~A'/'C/;(:; ~~"0' / Ci Clerk \\\\ i \ \ 1111" 11II1 ,\\\ Y ~ II~ {~o;~e....~}~ ~ 0 ...o~oFi;... ~ ~ ~.).l~ ~...~~ = I- :~ <::)\ .,. ::: --. -0- Eoi Ix: - \ .- "% \..1920 J j ~~.'/~ S. e Mt ~ .~/~ ~ ~\'~ :lIIIIIIU"'\\\\\\\: I 'I I i I MEEnNG MINUTES REGULAR CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 16, 1998 Motion Vice Mayor Jaskiewicz moved to approve Ordinance No. 098-19 on second reading. Mayor Pro Tem Tillman seconded the motion City Clerk Sue Kruse polled the vote. The vote was unanimous. 3 Proposed Ordinance No. 098-20 Re: Regarding 3025 North Federal Highway (Barrera Property) Amending Ordinance 89-38 by amending the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan of the City by adopting the proper land use of certain property from Commerdal High Intensity (County) to Local Retail Commercial (Oty) Attorney Cherof read Proposed Ordinance No. 098-20 by title only Motion Commissioner litcomb moved to approve Ordinance No. 098-20. Mayor Pro Tem Tillman seconded the motion Oty Clerk Sue Kruse polled the vote. The vote was unanimous. 4 Proposed Ordinance No. 098-21 Re. The application of Vincent Barrera (a 0.41 acre parcel located at 3025 North Federal Highway, opposite the northeast comer of the Gulfstream Mall) amending Ordinance 91-70 of said Cty by rezoning a certain tract of land more particularly described herein from CG (General Commercial in Palm Beach County) to C-3 (Community Commercial) Attorney Cherof read Proposed Ordinance No. 098-21 by title only Motion Mayor Pro Tem lillman moved to approve Ordinance No. 098-21. Commissioner Denahan seconded the motion. Oty Clerk Sue Kruse polled the vote. The vote was unanimous. C. Resolutions: 1. Proposed Resolution No. R98-110 Re: Authorizing and directing the Mayor and Cty Oerk to execute an escrow agreement between the Cty of Boynton Beach and Quantum Associates to secure perfonnance of a scope of work to bring property into compliance with the ecological report Attorney Cherof reported that this property was sold. In conjunction with the sale of the property, there was outstanding environmental mitigating repairs and corrections to be made that will take place over the next year To ensure perfonnance of those repairs, this escrow agreement requires the value of that work plus 10% to be placed into escrow and released when the work is completed, or to be paid over to the Oty 29 MEmNG MINUTES REGULAR CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 16, 1998 Attorney Cherot read Proposed Resolution No R98-110 by title only Motion Mayor Pro Tern Tillman moved to approve. Commissioner Titcomb seconded the motion that carried unanimously None o Other' None m. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: A. Commission Action ot Code Compliance Board Matters: None XDI. OTHER: XIV. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Oty Commission, the meeting properly adjourned at 11 25 p.m. Cl1Y OF BO~N~"" . /i-h/ Jr~ '"f.1ayor ... , ,-~- ~ '-'--.... 'Vice 'l - ) ~/- - ATTEST ~~-'~.;>,/ a erk . ~)k.~ puty City derk (Six Tapes) a or Pro Tern d~!Lt, 7Iili.u, ~~ Commissioner 30 ECOLOGICAL PLAN FOR z . QUANTUM CORPORATE PARK BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA I I JANUARY, 1988* Section II, Section II, and survey Section III, Section III, Section III, acres Appendix 7 Appendix 8 Bibl iography ECOLOGICAL REPORT FOR QUANTUM CORPORATE PARK, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 4, 1986 Prepared by Ecological Consultants 7301 Suummerbridge Drive Tampa, Florida 33614 and Quantum Associates 2455 E Sunrise Blvd Suite 1106 Ft Lauderdale, Fl. 33304 Amended March 16, 1987 as follows added page 7 1: Wetland monitoring and survival language revised page 13, Figure #3 3 8 acre wetland legal description added page 73 1 added Appendix 8 Sand Pine Preserve Contingency language Sand Pine Preserve Contingency Plan Amended January 5, 1988 as follows page 73 Sand Pine Preserve Contingency Area increased to 12 Boundary of the Sand Pine Preserve Areas Additional preserve and Micrositing Plan (complete replacement) Moved to end of document Submitted for approval of revisions by ASSOCIATES evelopment .rF:, ~ ~ - QUANTUM CORPORATE PARK AN AFFILIATE OF DEUTSCHIIRELAND PROPERTIES . . January 21, 1988 Mr Carmen Annunziato, City Planner City of Boynton Beach 211 S Federal Highway Boynton Beach, Florida 33435 Re Quantum Park Ecological Plan Dear Mr Annunziato We are pleased to submit Quantum Park This plan second preserve area south micrositing acreage this update of the Ecological Plan for reflects changes necessary to create a of N W 22nd Avenue and additional We hope you will find this document satisfactory and will forward it to City Council for approval We have developed this plan to take advantage of existing areas of sand pine in its natural state for preservation For your convenience, the cover page lists those sections where changes were made Should you have questions or require additional information, please feel free to call , Development GWZ aem ~i CC Mr Thomas K Ireland Mr Edward B Deutsch Mr Melvin Simon James Barkley, Esq Mr Peter Flotz Mr Steven W Deutsch Mr Peter Cheney Mr Michael Busha Mr Ney Landrum, Dept of Natural Resources Mr Robert Brantly, Florida Game & Freshwater Fish Comm David S Pressly, Esq Jon C Moyle, Esq 2455 EAST SUNRISE BOULEVARD SUITE 1106 FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA 33304 BROWARD (305) 564-5114 . PALM BEACH (305) 734-3555 TITLE PAGE ECOLOGICAL REPORT FOR QUANTUM PARK AT BOYNTON BEACH Part I - Introduction, Financial Responsibility prepared by - Quantum Associates 2455 E. Sunrise Blvd ~ Suite 1106 Ft Lauderdale, Florida 33304 (305) 564-5114 Part II - Hardwood Swamp, Wetland, and Freshwater Marsh Mitigation and Management Plan prepared by - Ecological Consultants 7301 Summerbridge Drive Tampa, Florida 33614 (813) 886-4288 Part III - Sand Pine Scrub Preserve Management Plan prepared by - Ecological Consultants 7301 Summerbridge Drive Tampa, Florida 33614 (813) 886-4288 DEUTSCH IRELAND PROPERTIES .E~...,. TO "O"T U",D[_DA..IE: orrlC[ - Part I - Introduction/Statement of Financial Responsibility - Quantum Associates, acting in accordance with the Development Order for Quantum Park at Boynton Beach (City of Boynton Beach Ordinance No. 84-51 passesd 18, December, 1984) hereby submits the Ecological Report to evidence compliance with Development Order conditions No 6 and No. 9 dealing with the preservation of sand Pine scrub and wetland habitat. - Furthermore, Quantum Associates, acting in accordance with the Development Order Amendment (City of Boynton Beach Ordinance No 86-11 passed 3, June, 1986) hereby submits amendments to the previously reviewed Sand Pine Scrub Preserve Management Plan in compliance with condition No. 2 Section 4. Such amendments are contained within the lan appendices labeled "Boardwalks" and "Methodology for the Formation of Sand Pine Scrub Using the Mulching Technique" and immediately following herein. Management & Financial Responsibility - The Developer, at its cost - and expense, shall be responsible for performing the following obligations 1) All development and construction activities required under the Hardwood Swamp, Wetland and Freshwater Marsh Mitigation and Management Plan. 2) Relocating the topsoil from other selected scrub areas within the Project to a portion of the 40 acre scrub preserve, as discussed in Part III, Page 6 of this report. 3) Establishing two additional line transets in the soil test plot to assess changes in species diversity, height, and density, as discussed in Part III, Page 7 of this report. 4. ) Burning or hand clearing brush piles left over from the clearing operation in Area 2 for purposes of eliminating potential weed species, as discusse~ in Part III, ~age 9 of this report 5) Planting scrub species in certain areas within the preserve, such as brush piles, roads, and trails in order to hasten re- establishment, as discussed in Part III, Page 16 of this report. 6. } Relocating the gopher tortoises, the Florida scrub lizard, and the Florida mice into Area 2, as discussed in this report. SUITE 1106-INTERNATIONAL BUILDING-2455 E. SUNRISE BOULEVARD-FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA 33304 . (305) 564-5114 THE BUILDING. 1125 NORTHEAST 125~TREET NORTH MIAMI, FLORIDA 33161 . (305) 891-6806 AFFILIATES. 011 REALTY & MANAGEMENT CORP MITA CONSTRUCTION CORP Introduction, Continued July 31, 1986 Page 2 7.) Fencing the 40 acre preserve for purposes of reducing emigration. 8.) Using radio telemetry to monitor tortoise survival and movements, as discussed in this report. 9.) Monitoring the relocation of the Florida mice in accordance with this report 10.) Removing and/or treating with accepted herbicides exotics, as set forth in Part III, Page 70 of this report. _ 11.) Construction of the boardwalks within the Sand Pine Scrub Preserve as outlined in the boardwalks appendix. Maintenance of the boardwalk, after construction, shall be the responsibility of the property owner's association. Except for the obligations of the Developer specifically set forth above, the property owner's association established for the purposes of operating and maintaining the project shall be responsible, at its cost and expense, for the management of wetland habitats and the sand pine scrub in accordance with this report Quantum Associates hereby requests final approval of the Management Plan outlined herein in order to permit immediate development of the Sand Pine Scrub Preserve -- Submitted for final approval by ASSOCIATES @; (1;. Part II - HARDWOOD SWAMP, WETLAND, AND FRESHWATER MARSH MITIGATION (0 1 AND MANAGEMENT PLAN, QUANTUM PARK AT BOYNTON BEACH As stated in the DRI report prepared by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and as contained in condition, the developer shall establish a veletated littoral sone o~~"rdwood Swamp/Freshwater Manh cOIDprising a tot..l of no more thanll:...;..s part of the _:...~...;"<. ~""""'-~ surface water management system No less than ~.5 acres of the 11 acre littoral zone requirement shall be maintained and comprised of species that are representative of Hardwood Swamp habitat found on-site including but not limited to swamp bay (Persea palustris), dahoon holly (~cassine), and pond apple (Annona glabra) in association, with a typical herbaceous layer of ferns and other native indigenous hydrophytic vegetation The littoral zone habitat shall be \ fully vegetated with native plant species and occur from lake control 1 elevation to a depth of 3 feet below control elevation In addition, the developer shall preserve on-site 6 acres of seasonally flooded wetland habitat designed to be of value to fish and wildlife species and consisting of native vegetation typical of such habitats The Development Order states that prior to commencement of construction for any phase of the project, the developer shall prepare a design and management plan for all wetlands or littoral zones that will be part of that phase The plans shall 1) locl ude a topographic map of the wetland or littoral zone, or include typical cross-sections, 2) specify how vegetation is to be established, 2 including the extent, type, method and timing of any planting to be provided, and 3) provide a description of any management procedures to be followed in order to assure the continued viability, health and function of the littoral zone or wetland The plan for each phase shall be subject to approval by the City of Boynton Beach in consultation with the Treasl're Coast Regional Planning Council In accordance with the Development Order, we offer this design, construction and management plan It accounts for the development of the entire Park in a single phase LITTORAL ZONE As per the amended Master Site Development Plan submitted for the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce Development, wetland areas in the . "freshwater lake system will be planted with freshwater hydrophytes in <- , accordance with Figures lA-D As stated above, 5.5 acres of the total 11 acres will be incorporated into the littoral zone planting scheme as depicted in the generalized lake section (Figure 2) Each littoral shelf will be covered with a minimum of 3 inches of organic top soil The addition of topso~l to these sterile sandy planting areas will provide 1) a suitable medium for long-term survival of all planted hydrophytes, 2) a soil medium that will retain needed nutrients and 3) a substrate that will reduce the threat of cattail (Typha domingensis) invasion onto these newly disturbed wetland areas 3 As per the design constraints (Figure 2), the littoral shelf will be constructed at a 5 to 1 slope. This will allow a minimum of about 8-10 feet of planting habitat for the mitigated areas It is important to note that the majority of species used for revegatation of freshwater wetlands will grow to a maximum depth of about 18-24 inches No speci~s, except water lily (Nymphaea odorata), will be planted at water depths exceeding 24 inches in order to maximize long-term survival Based on previous planting experience and other mitigation projects, a mixture of the following species will be utilized Arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia) Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) Soft rush (Juncus effusus) White waterlily (Nymphaea odorata) Smartweed (Polygonum punctatum) Lizard's tail (Saururus cernuus) Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense) Based on the initial littoral zone acreage estimates, a total of approximately 25,000 herbaceous wetland hydrophytes would be required to plant the mitigation areas Bare root plant material will be used in the planting areas because potted materials in these quantities are not available Each plant will be a minimum of 12 inches in he ight and will be planted on staggered 3-foot centers or in clusters along the lake edge Two or three rows of hydrophytes, depending upon the amount of shelf available, w1ll be planted in the mitigation areas Cluster planting at slightly higher densities (1-2 foot centers) may /' 4 be required on a site by site basis, however, at le~st two rows of hydrophytes will be planted to bridge clustered areas All planting will commence in the spring and summer months in order to get plants established before winter fronts begin. It is suggested that, if possible, some natural zonation be utilized i. the planting scheme Soft rush and sawgrass should be planted at mean high water or just above mean high water on the littoral shelf Smartweed and lizard's tail should be planted at water depths ranging between 0 and 8 inches or within the upper 3-5 feet of shelf A mixture of arrowhead and pickerelweed will be planted from mean high water and outward from the bank to a depth of 24 inches. At depths exceeding 24 inches, water lilies will be planted on 4-5 foot centers All water lilies will be planted with leaves still intact. This has been determined to increase survival of this species 1,' \ Long-term management of the littoral zone will not be necessary, provided topsoil is added to the planting sites and quality plant material is utilized At the discretion of the developer, some management of cattails may be desired in selected planting sites for aesthetic reasons HARDWOOD SWAMP As indicated in the Master Plan, a total of 6 acres of Hardwood swamp will be preserved Two isolated wetlands (Figures 3 and 4), a 3 8 acre parcel along the northern border of the property and a smaller 2 2 acre parcel to the south, will be managed to maintain local species diversity 5 These two wetlands are dominated by a dense shrub or small tree layer that forms an impenetrable thicket The dominant shrub or tree species include swamp bay (Persea palustris), Carolina willow (Salix caroliniana), pond apple (Annona glabra), dahoon holly (~cassine), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), and salt bush (Baccharis halim1folia). The herbaceous layer is common only along the sunny margins and is represented by the following species swamp fern (Blechnum serrulatum), royal fern (Osmunda regalis), redroot (Lachnanthes caroliniana), arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense) and white waterlily (Nymphaea odorata) The southern 2 2 acre wetland has been invaded by punk tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia) Due to the density of punk tree in this wetland, a major portion of the vegetation associated with this site will be removed and replanted with nat1ve hardwood swamp specie~ Individual hardwood trees within the wetland will be flagged and located for removal and/or preservation in situ The actual number of plants and the location of planting within the 2 2 acre wetland w1ll not be determ1ned at this time A resurvey of the plant spec1.es just prior to bulldozing will determine the type and number of individuals that may be lost and would have to be replaced to make the wetland func t iona 1 Long-term management of these wetlands depends on controlling water table fluctuations during drought conditions Every effort to maintain water tables at or slightly above ground level is important 6 to prevent oxidation of the peat and to maintain a saturated soil condition that would be conducive to regeneration of all associated species For the southern 2.2 acre parcel, this should pose no serious problems since the excavated lakes will be held at a predetermined water table In accordance with Condition 9 of the Development Order, 5 5 acres of Hardwood Swamp will be created above the mean high water line (Figure 2) As per the design constraints, the hardwood swamp will be constructed at a 4 to 1 slope. This will allow approximately 8-10 feet of planting habitat along the lake shores Long-term maintenance of the swamp vegetation is dependent upon establishing and maintaining saturated to temporarily flooded soil conditions. This will ultimately be regulated by storage of ground water in the lakes Desired species for the hardwood swamp include swamp bay (Persea palustris), dahoon holly (~cassine), sweet bay (Magnolia virginiana), Carolina willow (Salix caroliniana), pond apple (Annona glabra), red maple (Acer rubrum), and wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) Nursery grown trees of various sizes (1-20 gallon) will be utilized throughout the mitigated areas Transplanted trees from on-site wetlanqs will be used where possible Trees will be planted on 10 foot centers or in clumps to simulate natural field conditions Based on a trees wetland affinity, the following zonation will be used in each hardwood swamp zone More water tolerant species such as pond apple, red maple, and sweet bay will be planted near the mean 7 high water line or at the 12 foot elevation Swamp bay, dahoon holly, and Carolina willow will be planted above the saturated zone with wax myrtle occupying the ecotone between the hardwood swamp and the upland vegetation. No specific numbers of required tree species can be provided at this time because many of these species may not be available when planting commences. It may be necessary to alter planting specificat10ns prior to planting the hardwood swamp zones , . ... "Upon completion of the wetland and littoral zone revegetation effort the developer will implement a two-year monitoring/maintenance program to determine the success and survival rates of the planted areas. During this period the program will address the eradication of pest exotic species (i.e., Brazilian Pepper, Melaleuca, and Australian PineJ which may encroach into newly planted areas, and will provide for a minimum 80 percent survival rate for planted wetland species. In the event that an 80 percent survival rate is not obtained at the end of the two-year monitoring period, additional planting will be undertaken by the developer to achieve the required survival rates. Monitoring will occur twice annually. 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H ~ : ~ i I .. . . ~1.cnl~ I · ... .1:.; I III ~ 1&.1 a: ~ N N ~1Il 00 ... zZ ....- oel _..J ~I- A. 1&.1 , ii!~ u ~ III 1&.11&. . 00 .... 1 PART III - MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PRESERVATION OF SAND PINE SCRUB (AREA 2) OF mE BOYNTON BEACH PARK OF COMMERCE DEVELOPMENT 04 August 1986 by Ecological Consultants Donald Richardson 7301 Summerbridge Drive Tampa, Florida 33614 . Index Introduction................ . ............ ............. 3 Plant and Animal Surveys Vegetation... ..................5 Gopher Tortoise ...... ......... ...27 Flor ida Scrub Lizard.. ... ....... . .39 Florida Gopher Frog ................. ........41 Eastern Indigo Snake..... ...... ...................43 Florida Mouse....... .................. ...45 Managemen t Plan Resource Description Management Procedures Threatened Animals Exot ic Plants.. Roads and Trails SU1III1ary.. . . Annual Reports Append ix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Append ix 5 Append ix 6 Append ix 7 Bibliography .......... 51 52 54 ..57 / 69 70/ ................ ... 71 . 74 Zero Trapping Methodology...... Ckecklist of Area 2. ...... Check 1 is t of Area 1 . Letter of Recommendation . Boardwalks........ ... .............. Sand Pine Mulching Technique Boundary of the Sand Pine Preserve . . 76 82 ..85 87 90 94 .98 100 2 3 INTRODUCTION Prior to any development in Area 1 (Fiaure 1) of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce Development. a planning effort addressing relocation into Area 2 of all plant and animal endangered, threatened or species of special concern is presented in the following text. A survey of Area 1 and all scrubs south of N.W. 22nd Ave. revealed the presence of the following pertinent animal species gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi), and Florida mouse (Peromyscus floridanus). In addition to these observed species, other potential scrub inhabitants known to occur or likely to occur in the sand pine scrub and pine flatwoods are as follows gopher frog (Rana areolata), Eastern Indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens coerulescens), Curtiss milkweed (Asclepias curtissii), and dancing-lady orchid (Oncidium bahamense), scrub mint (Conradina grandiflora), nodding pinweed (Lechea l' cernuua), Indian pipes (Monotropa brittonii), scrub palmetto (Sabal etonia), wild pine (Tillandsia utriculata), and sand spikemoss (Selaginella arenicola). The trapping of all listed animal species and relocation of plants from Area 1 and all other scrubs into Area 2 will be accomplished i , prior to any development of the mature sand pine scrub forest. To accomplish this goal, the relocation/management plan must address the ecological needs of each listed species to provide the necessary protection to ensure survivability. Relocation of both plant and animal species must be correlated with a management plan that will . \ 4 facilitate habitat diversity to prevent overcrowding and eventual collapse of local populations. The following discussion is intended to address 1. The relocation of plant and animal species from all scrubs into Area 2. 2. Population estimates for plant and animal species inhabiting Areas 1 and 2. and all scrub habitats south of N.W. 22nd Ave. 3. Resource management plan to maintain and preserve the scrub/prairie ecosystem in Area 2 4 An ecological analysis to assess the viability of Area 2 in relation to the mature sand pine scrub of Area 1. (1 . 5 REPORT ON AN. INVESTIGATION OF DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF RARE, ENDANGERED, OR THREATENED PLANT SPECIES ON THE BOYNTON BEACH PARK OF COMMERCE TRACT. As per the development order prepared by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the city of Boynton Beach, populations of any listed plant species were studied on Areas 1 and 2 and all scrub areas south of N.W 22nd Ave on the property In addition, quantitative and qualitative assessments of Areas 1 and 2 were made to compare the ecological condition of the proposed 40 acre preserve, Area 2, with that of the mature sand pine scrub known as Area 1 Methods A checklist of the vascular flora of the site was prepared for both Areas 1 and 2 Special attention was given to the occurrence of' obligate scrub species which may be an indication of disturbance and age of the two communities. An initial checklist of Area 2 was completed in February of 1984 Additional ground truthing was conducted along transects visually established every 5-10 meters where necessary to finish the initial c~eck1ist Two 100-meter permanent line-transects were established for both Areas 1 and 2 (Figure 2) In each area, the vegetation was sampled using a line intercept method, recording the length of the transect line intercepted by each plant shoot encountered and a series of nested quadrats Three (3) and five (5) nested quadrats were randomly ~ 6 located in Areas 1 and 2, respectively. The size of the quadrats varied with the strata of the forest to be sampled Trees were measured usina a 20 x 20 m quadrat, shrubs usina a 4 x 4 m quadrat, and herbs usina a 1 x 1 m quadrat. Each 4 x 4 and 1 x 1 m quadrat was located in the southeastern corner of each 20 x 20 m quadrat. The number of stems or individuals were determined for eacb measured species. For all trees encountered in the 20 x 20 m quadrat, dbh and basal area were measured Density, dominance (as percentaae around cover), frequency, relative density, relative dominance, relative frequency and importance values (as the sum of the relative measures) were calculated for both transects and quadrats. Plant heiaht was also noted for each transect. Flowerina and fruitina times for all plant species of Area 2 will be monitored on a quarterly time interval. Notes on additional species not located alona each transect will also be monitored durina each subsequent visit to the site for manaaement purposes . Viability of Area 2 was determined by comparina species diversity, density, heiaht and seedlina recruitment with Area 1. Line transect samplina will occur in Area 2 on a semi-annual basis to determine for manaaement purposes, chanaes in the various plant strata over time Line transect sampling of Area 1 will be done only once, initially, baring any chang~ of the site (har4 freeze, fire, e~c.). A three acre portion of the 40 acre scrub preserve will be utilized for the relocation of top soil from other selected scrub areas already slated for development within the overall project. The top 8-10 inches of soil will be scraped from other scrub areas and deposited on 7 the test plot. This management practice will be utilized to determine if species diversity is enhanced due to additional seed material and/or disturbance and will provide additional desired habitat for gopher tortoise in the prairie system. Two additional line transects will be established in the soil test plot to assess changes in species diversity, height, and density. These data will be compared with the remaining portions of Area 2. The location of all rare and endangered or threatened plant species found within Area 1 and all scrub areas south of N.W. 22nd Ave will be mapped for relocation into Area 2 Field reconnaissance of the scrub indicates that the scrub mint (Conradina grandiflora), nodding pinweed (Lechea cernuua), Indian pipes (Monotropa britonnii), scrub palmetto (Sabal etonia), sand spikemoss (Selaginella arenicola) and wild pine (Tillandsia utriculata) occur within the area. Due to the cryptic nature of the Curtiss milkweed, surveys in the 1" spring will be initiated to determine whether this species occurs in Area 1 and scrubs south of N W. 22nd Ave The life cycle of this species is such that the above-ground parts die back during the dry season and reappear only with the onset of rains. Dancing-lady orchids were formerly suspected of being in the vicinity, an ext~nsion of a small introduced popula~ion that occurred along the Palm Beach-Martin county line. During several years of field experience in the area, no plants have been found within this portion of the county The relocation success of this orchid species " 8 is good, however, studies regarding relocation of the Curtiss milkweed suggest survivability is much reduced. The wild pine (Tillandsia) may be moved from Area 1 into Area 2 with relative facility. Scrub palmetto (Sabal etonia) has been transplanted from other sites with success, but to our knowledge no one has tried moving Indian pipes Three of the remaining species (Conradina, Lechea, and Selaginella) might be moved. Little is known about the feasibility of transplantation of these three species Suitable habitat for the species requires open, young scrub, characteristic of the present conditions of Area 2. Any relocation of plant species from Area 1 or other scrubs into Area 2 must be contigent upon the management practices of Area 2. Results Floristics Disturbances to plant communities have long been viewed as an outside threat to the normal functioning of the community. In the sand pine scrub community, the resiliency of most of the indicator species has been attributed to recovery via sprouting from preexisting rootstocks, as very few species in the scrub forest recover via seed A comparisbn of the species composition of Areas ~ and 2 was determined by ground truthihg, line transects and quadrat sampling A total of 33 species (11 obligate to scrub) were observed for the mature scrub of Area 1 (Appendix 3) In contrast, Area 2, thought to 9 be depauperate following extensive land clearing, had a total of 63 species of which 20 were obligate to sand pine scrub (Appendix 2) These data clearly indicate that human disturbance can act as an external agent in reverting or setting-back succession in sand pine sc rub. Prior to this investigation of Areas 1 and 2, several species (i.e., Ceratiola ericoides, Lechea cernua) were missing from Area 2 and other cleared scrubs on the project. Our original interpretation suggested that root raking of the understory with heavy equipment coupled with grazing had destroyed the nature of the soil. However, following the removal of cattle from Area 2, several species indicative of young scrub began to appear. Most notable was rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides), a prolific seeder, that has appeared in several open, sandy bare areas throughout Area 2 and the scrub south of N.W. 22nd Ave. In contrast, rosemary has almost disappeared from Area 1 due to reduced light levels and competition from sand pine Other species that have been stimulated by tbe disturbance include silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia), camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris), Lechea cernua, jointweed (Polygonella polygama and ~. robusta) and scrub mint (Conradina grandiflora). Oak is still the dominant plant species in Areas 1 and 2. Brush piles left over from the clearing operation in Area 2 has provided a seed source for some unwanted weeds, but support a wide array of native animal species, including the gopher tortoise While these sites provide habitat for several desirable animals, each brush 10 pile should be burned or hand cleared in order to eliminate potential weed species Vegetation Area 1 The vegetation of Area 1 (approximately 37 acres) is best described as mature sand pine scrub, ran6ing in age from 15-37 years The community is characterized by 3 distinct layers and shows minimal signs of disturbance. The dominant tree is sand pine (Pinus clausa) which forms a relatively closed-canopy of mostly even-aged individuals Trees vary in size from 2.4-36.0 cm dbh, reaching heights of 40 feet. The average dbh per quadrat was variable 12.7 cm for quadrat I, 10 5 cm for quadrat 2, and 16.1 cm for quadrat 3 (Table 5). The latter quadrat had a much higher average dbh for sand pine because several trees had apparently escaped previous fires. These large trees (>20.0 cm dbh) have probably acted as a seed source since most of their cones were open. l' Tree spacing in the mature scrub shows signs of aggregated patterns possibly due to the behavior of past fires. There was considerable overlap in tree crowns and a total of 106 trees was measured for the 3 quadrats, representing an estimated density of 349 trees per ,cre Fire scars indicate that a recent fire (10-15 years ag9) burned through tpe central porti~n of the site. Reproduction of sand pine in this area was much higher than in the surrounding scrub The shrub layer of Area 1 is dominated by several scrub oaks (Quercus geminata, ~ myrtifolia, ~ chapmanii), 11 tallowwood (Ximenia americana), and saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) (Table 1). Scrub palmetto (Sabal etonia), although not recorded for the transects or quadrats due to its patchy distribution, was scattered throughout Area 1 and all scrubs to the south Stem densities for shrubs sampled in the quadrats averaged 150 stems per 4 x 4 m plot, reaching an average height of 25m In contrast, shrub densities were slightly lower for Area 2 (131 stems per 4 x 4 plot) than in Area 1 (Table 2). This is probably due to clearing which had removed a major portion of the oak cover The herbaceous layer of the mature scrub consisted largely of leaf litter with little in the way of herbs or lichens. The average number of stems per meter was 6 7, almost a 4-fold reduction from the Area 2 quadrats (Table 3) Cover estimates based on the transect data indicate that 69% of the ground surface is covered by plant material in Area 1, as opposed to 35% for Area 2 (Table 4). Area 2 The vegetation of Area 2 (known as the 40 acre preserve) is characterized as young or early successional sand pine scrub. Although clearing of the understory and thinning of the sand pine occurred prior to 1983, community recovery has been successful The overstory trees are dominated by widely spaced sana pi~e (Pinus clausa) (138 trees per acre) of several age classes Tree core data of randomly selected trees indic8tes that the majority of the sand pines are about 15 years old, but approach 30 years near the southern limits of the preserve Trees vary in size from 2 5-37 1 cm dbh, 12 reaching heights of 35-40 feet. An analysis of the average dbh per quadrat for sand pine (Table 5) in Area 2 (15.5 cm dbh) does indicate that the trees are somewhat larger but of a younger age than those in Area 1 (13.1 cm dbh). Without prior knowledge of past disturbance (i.e., fire, clearing, grazing) it is almost impossible to accurately predict differences in annual growth. Further analyses of ring width from tree cores, topography and relative ground water tables may give some clues to these growth differences The shrub layer is dominated by scrub oaks (Quercus myrtifolia, ~. geminata), jointweed (Polygonella polygama), scrub mint (Conradina grandiflora), and Palafoxia feayi Average shrub stem densities for Area 2 were 131 stems per 4 x 4 quadrat (Table 2). This was slightly less than 150 stems per quadrat for the Area 1 scrub. Average shrub height was 0.5-1 0 m due to slow growth and past clearing. In contrast to Area 1, the diversity of shrubs was much higher possibly due to soil turnover, resprouting, fn4 higher light intensities at ground level. Other characteristic shrubs showing signs of recent germination or first year growth included rosemary, rusty lyonia (Lyonia ferruginea), scrub mint, tallowwood, pawpaw (Asimina obovata), gopher plum (Licania michauxii) and several 2 or 3 year old sand pine. , In contrast to Area 1, the herbaceous layer of Are-a 2 is well represented by 41 species, including a small proportion of weed species that have colcaized the brush piles. The most common herbs include Cyperus retrorsus, wiregrass (Aristida stricta), broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), hairsedge (Bulbostylis . ..,.,..---.. .........., 13 ciliatifolia). Helianthemum corymbosum. innonence (Euphorbia polyphylla) and wild grape (Vitis munsoniana). Unlike the mature scrub of Area 1, stem densities in Area 2 showed a 4-fold increase (28 stems/m2) (Table 3). Other less conspicuous herbs common to only early scrub include sky-blue lupine (Lupinus diffusus), Lechea deckertii, jointweed (Polygonella robusta). scrub sedge (Rhynchospora megalocarpa). and sand spikemoss (Selaginella arenicola), Stipulicida setacea, and blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium solstitiale). Plant Species Diversity Species diversity, evenness. and species richness (number of species present) is presented for 2 phases of sand pine scrub, young. relatively open scrub and mature, closed canopy scrub for the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce site and Archbald Biological Station (Table 6), ,f showed the highest species diversity and was comparable to the Lake The Area 2 preser~~ . 1 I a well studied site in southern central Florida Wales Ridge scrub of Archbald. Evenness, the way individuals are distributed among species. was considerably lower for the central ridge sand pine, while both the young and mature scrubs of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce tract had intermediate levels The rosemary phase of sand pine scrub had the lowest plant spectes diversity as a result of high dominance by 1 species (Ceratiola) and relatively low species richness values These data indicate that at the floristic level, the Area 2 scrub is comparable and more diverse than the mature 14 scrub of Area 1 as well as other scrubs throughout Florida as exemplified by that of the Archbald Biological Station Future Considerations The rationale of this report is to determine 1) whether the proposed 40 acre preserve (Area 2) is a viable piece of sand pine scrub, and 2) if this parcel could be managed in such a way as to preserve, in perpetuity, this habitat for relocated plants and animals. Several indications support the view that the 40 acre preserve, even though disturbed in the past, is a viable piece of scrub in an early developmental phase. Community diversity, as expressed by the Shannon-Wiener Index, was higher for Area 2 than the mature scrub of Area 1 Thinning of the canopy and shrub layers 1n Area 2 has stimulated several scrub species which normally occur in young scrub following severe fires (Lupinus diffusus, Ceratiola ericoides, Conradina grandiflora, and Lechea cernua). As , . ! predicted by other studies in the scrub, e.g., (Johnson 1982), there seems to be a 3-4 year lag period following some disturbance (fire, mechanical) before many of the early phase scrub species begin to appear. The result of thinning and its effect on recruitment of early phase scrub species has also occurred in most of the cleared scrubs south of N W Z2nd Ave Management of sand pine scrub via use of prescribed burning and/or mechanical manipulation is a major consideration in the preservation of the scrub ecosystem Several factors favor the preservation of Area 2 instead of the mature scrub of Area 1. First, the Area 2 scrub 15 is at an early stage of development and the use of prescribed burning would be delayed for several years, whereas the mature scrub of Area 1 is approaching conditions tbat would demand the use of large scale prescribed burning. The major drawback to burning the mature scrub is the amount of acreage available for manipulation. Area 1 is divided into three separate communities 16.4 acres of Pine Flatwoods invaded by scrub species, 9.5 acres of disturbed prairie, and 11.9 acres of mature sand pine scrub The amount of mature scrub in Area 1 is about one-third the amount present and viable in Area 2. Secondly, recent prescribed burning in the Yamato scrub in Boca Raton indicates that 10 acres of scrub would be the minimum amount of scrub required to achieve 3 acres of naturally burned sand pine. The remaining acreage (about 7 acres) would be mechanically altered in order to provide a sufficient fire break and necessary fuel to simulate a natural burn. Therefore, if the intent is to preserve sand pine scrub, preservation of 11 9 acres in Area 1 would not be sufficient to maintain viable scrub over time due to development pressure and possible disturbance from roadway construction. Relocation of scrub animal species into Area 2 could be accomplirhed immediately without habitat manipulation since the northern 10-15 acres of the proposed preserve is a grassy prairie with resident tortoise populations at densities of less 'tha~ 2 per acre A similar 9.5 acre site in Area 1 is also habitat for a number of gopher tortoise, but the threat of human poaching is present. Preservation of Area 2 will partially isolate the site from development pressures since it is removed from heavily trafficed roads, and a proposed 16 county park facility would be contiguous with the preserve site Additionally, with the cooperation of county and city governments and the Florida Division of Recreation and Parks, there is envisioned the passive use of a small portion of the site, with elevated boardwalks perhaps, for environmental education in one of Florida's unique upland ecosystems The projected construction of a major 1-95 exchange at N W 22nd Ave would seriously impact the vegetation in Area 1 and further add to the problems of its preservation. For reasons already stated above, we feel that preservation of the Area 2 scrub would be more desirable for both relocation of scrub animals and plants and the continued maintenance of this type of plant community. The fact that preservation of scrub in the past has been predicated on preserving sand pine, makes it even more plausible, especially at the regional level, to preserve a viable young sand pine scrub community. Mitigation Biologically, Area 2 represents a substantial portion of sand pine scrub in southeastern Florida that is of an early developmental stage Recruitment and regeneration of scrub endemics and indicator species have been observed throughout Area 2 This indicates that disruption of the upper soil profiles was minimal and that release of soil seed banks is occurring However, several areas within the preserve (brush piles, roads and trails) would require some planting of scrub species in order to hasten reestablishment. Several shrub species e g J Conradina grandiflora and Ceratiola ericoides could be 17 relocated from other scrubs within the project into these disturbed areas Additionally, it is projected to further enhance certain portions of the Area 2 preserve with top soil removed from other scrubs within the project with the view of stimulating the establishment of des1red scrub species The creation of a series of fingerlike ridges (Appendix 6) of about 7 acres into the prairie abutting the existing scrub, with top soil from other scrubs, would increase potential gopher tortoise habitat and at the same time facilitate the use of a small portion of it for educational and research programs Successful reclamatiom through mulching with scrub top soil has been utilized in s~veral phosphate projects (Clewell and Poppleton 1983) 18 Open Prairie III 'tl o o ~ ~ \\I ~ Area 1 I t1ature Sand Pin Scrub ods t1a t u re Sand Pine Scrub N W 22nd Avenue Ql tlO ~ .~ :lG ~ .c as tlOO .~ ex: = Figure 1 Locatidn of mature sand pine scrub (Area 1) and mitigated sand pine scrub (Area 2) - Y.' _\L.. ~,,- u.. 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Cll Cll Cll Cll Cll Cll Cll Cll II) II) to to to II) to to to ::l ::l ::l ::l ::l ::l ::l ::l 4) Cll CQ Cll Cll CQ Cll Cll Cll .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... ..... u u u u u u u u u 4) ~ III Ul Ul to II) to to Ul C/) ::l ::l ::l ::l ::l ::l ::l ::l C C C C C ..... C C C .... .... .... .... .... .... CQ .... .... ..... \II p.. p.. p.. p.. ~ .j.j p.. p.. A. .j.j. 0 O' f-l f-l .j.j Cll ... ~ \II~ .... N :""l ..;t II:' .... ~ M ::l - C 25 ....... o 0 ....~ .j.j ... Cll III ...p.. ~.c Cll u ::l III C"Q) e It:l o C N 0 .j.j )( ~ o 0 N~ 4) ... .c 4) .j.j ~ .... to 0 4) 4) N ... .j.j ~ c: .... \II 0 ~ ..... u ... ... 4) Ul ~ .0 \II ~ E 41 ::l ... 0 z < U lI'\ ~ .... .0 Cll E-< N .... CQ 4) ... < Cll ~ ... < Association HI e S' s 40 Acre Preserve 2 26 o 50 23 Archbald Sand Pine 2 25 o 23 24 37 Acre Mature Scrub 2 09 0 56 13 Archbald Rosemary Scrub 1 45 0 11 16 26 Table 6 Shannon-Wiener diversity (HI), evenness and species richness tS) indices based percentage cover for plant species from different scrub stands ~-- --~ ----~--_._.- (e ), s 27 REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION OF DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF THE GOPHER TORTOISE (GOPHERUS POLYPHEMUS) ON THE BOYNTON BEACH PARK OF COMMERCE TRACT. Introduction As per the development order prepared by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the City of Boynton Beach, populations of the threatened gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) were studied on the undeveloped portions of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce property, including Areas 1 and 2. Methods The study site was div~ded on the basis of vegetation types as shown in the DR! report Since gopher tortoise are known to inhabit a wide range of habitats, each vegetation type (scrub, pine flatwoods, dry prairie) was systematically surveyed for their presence Line transects were established visually every 10 meters for reconnaissance Each burrow encountered along a transect line was recorded for location and activity. Active burrows were identified by the presence of tracks, cleared openings or recently excavated soil lnactive burrows showed no fresh signs of use and were usually laden with leaves and other rubble Abandoned burrows were often characterized by erosion of the entrance or cave-in, with no signs of ac t i v it y 28 Results All gopher tortoise burrows north and south of N W. 22nd Ave were located during February and March (see attached aerial maps) A total of 119 burrows were located on the property and were distributed as fo llows Burrow Use Area 1 Area 2 Area south of N.W. 22nd Ave Active 25 35 6 Inac t ive 10 1 1 Abandoned 10 16 11 Poached 1 4 In both Areas 1 and 2, gopher tortoise were most abundant in the grassy prairies Both areas contained a large amount of grasses and j herbs as well as wild grape (Vitis munsoniana) which may be an alternative food source during different portions of the year Most of the burrows not associated with the prairie areas were located in open sand pine scrub habitats Since gopher tortoise utilize more than one burrow, estimates of abundance are based on a multiplier of 0.6 x active and inactive burrows (Auffenberg and Franz 1982) A total of 35 active and inactive burrows were located in Area 1, while all the scrubs south of N W 22nd Ave contained only 7 burrows If we assume that Auffenberg's multiplier is correct for tortoise populations throughout Florida, 35 and 7 burrows represents an 29 estimated population size of 21 and 4, respectively This multiplier is a "rule of thumb" yardstick based on a single study ina sandhill (longleaf pine-turkey oak woodland) habitat in northcentral Florida. Other unpublished data (Osterman, personal communication) suggest that burrow occupancy may be much higher than what the Auffenberg/Franz index would predict. Discussion According to field reconnaissance of the total site, gopher tortoise are sparsely distributed throughout the sand pine scrub, but occur at relatively high densities in the prairies where food is plentiful Table 1 summarizes gopher tortoise densities in various habitat types in Florida and Georgia Mean gopher tortoise density for Florida sand pine scrub locations was 5 1 tortoise per hectare Auffenberg and Franz (1982) note that generally the highest population densities are found where light levels are high and in areas containing a diversity of grasses and herbs. In areas where oak canopy had become dense from fire exclusion, the results were a decline in the herbaceous components and a subsequent reduction in gopher tortoise populations Although gopher tortoise densities have been estimated for various habitat types, the actual carrying capacity for sand pine scrub is still relatively unknown Auffenberg and Iverson (1979) showed that tortoise densities in sand pine scrub were clearly correlated with grass cover as follows Astor Park A Astor Park, B Dania Salerno Sand Pine Sand Pine Sand Pine Sand Pine 30 Density Grass Cover ha acre % Basal Cover 6.94 2.77 63 5.44 2.17 51 3.11 1.24 49 3.55 1.42 38 Locali ty Habitat It is clear from their data that as percent basal cover of grass decreased, gopher tortoise densities also decreased. These data indicate that in undisturbed sand pine scrub communities, tortoise densities may vary from 4-7 tortoise per ha, slightly less than what is found in some sandhill communities One could expect slightly higher densities (10-12/ha) in managed scrub ecosystems where maintenance of grass is favored over shrubs. If we assume, for management purposes, that Area 2 can be successfully managed to support the average of reported densities in Florida (2 tortoise/acre including resident populations), relocation of all tortoise (46 based on Auffenbergs estimate) from the entire property would achieve a stocking rate of 1.15 tortoise per acre, well below the average number supported in sand pine scrub In support of these determinations for the relocation of gopher tortoises into Area 2, Ms. Joan Diemer of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission agreed that the area could support the estimated population of 46 animals and noted that the proposed habitat management plan would benefit the tortoises (Appendix 4) She also suggested fencing the 40 acre preserve to reduce emigration and recommended the use of radiotelemetry over a two year period to 31 monitor tortoise survival and movements Data gathered during the relocation and monitoring period would be made available to all agencies concerned with future mitigation for gopher tortoises on development sites Table 1 State Ga Ga G. Ga Ga Ga Ga FI Fl Fl FI Fl Fl FI FI FI Gopher tortoise densities for a variety of vegetation types 32 Habitat Density/Ha Reference Rayonier Snake Sanctuary- Longleaf Pine/Scrub oak Natural Stand 3 3 Landers & Speake 1980 Slash Pine Plantation 10 1 Landers & Speake 1980 Silver Lake Station- Longleaf Pine/Scrub Oak Burned every 2-4 years 15 8 Landers & Speake 19~O Silver Lake Station- Slash Pine Plantation 9 3 Landers & Speake 19~a Pitts-Longleaf Pinel Turkey Oak forest 2U 6 Auffenberg & Iverson 197Q Howard-Longleaf Pinel Turkey Oak forest 0 38 Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Abbeville-Xeric Red Oak Hammock 9 38 Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Alachua-Xeric Red Oak Hammock ~ 89 Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Archer-Longleaf Pinel Turkey Oak forest 5 45 Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Trenton-Longleaf Pinel Turkey Oak forest U 8~ Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Tampa-Longleaf Pinel Turkey Oak forest 10 41 Osterman 1985 Sandhill Islands La u \olester 1983 ~ape Sable-Coastal Dunes 11 3 Kushlan & Mazzotti 1984 St Mark's Wildlife Refuge-Scrubby Flatwood~ (Managed) 13 a Means 1985 Tampa-Longleaf Pinel Turkey Oak forest 17 1 Rask 1983 Alachua Co -Longleaf Pine forest 2 5 Auffenberg & Franz 1982 Table 1 cont State Habitat Density/Ha Reference 33 Fl Long1eaf Pine forest 3 5 Auffenberg & Franz lq82 Fl Longleaf Pine forest 2 9 Auffenberg & Franz 1982 Fl Longleaf Pine forest 1u 23 Auffenberg & Franz 1982 Fl Xerix Hammock 3 09 Auffenberg b Franz 1982 Fl Improved pasture {Roller chopping) 6 4 Tanner & Terry 19~1 Fl Ruderal 8 0 Auffenberg & Franz 1982 Fl Seaside Dune Scrub 13 76 Auffenberg & Franz 1982 Fl Astor Park (A)-Sand Pine Scrub 6 94 Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Fl Astor Park {B)-Sand Pine Scrub 5 44 Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Fl Uania-Sand Pine Scrub 3 11 Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Fl Salerno-Sand Pine Scrub 3 55 Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Fl Sand Pine/Scrub Oak 1 43 Auffenber~ & Franz 1982 Mean Gopher Tortoise dens1ty for Georgia = 3 98/acre or 9 83/Ha Mean Gopher Tortoise density for Florida excluding Sand Pine Scrub - 3 25/acre or 8 U4/Ha Mean Gopher Tortoise density for the Florida Sand Pine Scrub · 2 30/acre or 5 70/Ha Mean Gopher Tortoise density for all Georgia and Florida sites - j 23/acre or 8 OO/Ha ." l. t--...:r , ,,-. ,~." t l .<t-t. ~ : ;. .~.at ,L: · ~ \i$ ~. . ~., .,:"' , .MA; -. ~~~~. '{ - ~~ . '}'-' l'.~" . .! 'f. r \\ ?) ?\ .,'ll. ~,.~ /~"J .1 ,,~ ~_.... ~, I _l:~-i' f .....- r_ -. ,i... ... r ,. .,.,,,. .. 4 'IS ,. .... I..... \t- "1;:';': ~~\ ~. .oJ -~ !. ! . ~'f 'I,.. ; . . t. I.. r. " . ~~~ \ t 'I I "" ,'J1 ,.., -)~, .. \1~ II ~ \ , ~ Location of gopher tortoise burrows in Area 2 '- '1 j. .... t ,~.....: ':. " "... "''''''l. ~/,'h\.'" I .{.~. t".(\~:;" · .- ~ ~~ s;;:( ~.~~'W' )'" ~. ~ fI t' ..~... {j ;~ ......!\....~ ,I, "'.... t ~. ... 1:11 ~ \ ~ I - ",.. .. .. .. .4', \ t' , ,;., - ... .. . I 3b . i Locat~OO of gophe< to<tO~.e b~<taos ~o the yo~og .c<~b ~mmed~atelY .o~th of ~te' 2 ,. ~ ----------/--------~ .,- , ,,~ .~ j:!~~ ~ ;~ ~ lI' I .. r .. ..&.~ 14 .... /. ~ i' . ~, ~ J. ,. .tt~ . ," . .. in cleared . e burrows d gopher torto~S of High Ridge Roa . Location of A and west W 22nd ve of N f the property boundary 0 scrub south on t}1e southern \ Ii I. it -- ........ ~I~" f... ~. . II" '.\ -~J! _ -.t- ..t ..w. ., , ~I," ..~-" . . .. in the g~asS1 ~~ai~ie, h tO~toise bU~~o~s ~ocation of go~ e~ f ~~ea 1 101 flat.~oods 0 sc~ub and "ine .. --------- ---------- /--~---- ~ 39 REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION OF DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF THE FLORIDA SCRUB LIZARD (SCELOPORUS WOODI) ON THE BOYNTON BEACH P~~ OF COMMERCE TRACT. As per the development order proposed by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the city of Boynton Beach, populations of the Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus woodi) were studied on the undeveloped portions of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce property, including Areas 1 and 2. Methods Sceloporus woodi is largely restricted to a single plant association, the sand pine scrub (Jackson 1973a). The study site was divided for field study on the basis of vegetation types Since scrub lizards prefer open sandy areas in search of prey items, all bare zones were visually checked on several occasions for lizard activity during warmer weather. Line transects were established every 10 meters for field reconnaissance. During weather suitable for lizard activity, open bare areas along each transect were visited at least twice daily, and as many as 4-5 times daily A minimum of 10 minutes was required to determine if scrub lizards were present Small fish nets were used in capturing observed lizards Results and Discussion ~. . . 40 Initial population census for the Florida scrub lizard was made over a 13 month interval, beginning January 6, 1985. Lizard activity is low in the winter months when ambient temperatures are low. Lizard activity in the spring and summer was much higher than in the winter months The distribution of lizards collected along the transects were as follows Are a 1 Area 2 Area south of N.W. 22nd Ave Total 6 11 18 35 Observations of lizard activity in Area 2 indicate that populations as of March 1986 may be somewhat larger, especially with increased cover surrounding several of the large bare areas Estimates of densities of scrub lizards in sandhill or scrub vegetation are lacking for Florida Maximum population densities occur in rosemary or evergreen oak scrubs without sand pine and in early successional stages (less than 30 years) (Carr & Goin 1955, Christman et ale unpublished report, Campbell and Christman 1982). Only one study provided an estimate of population densities (average · 10.1 yearlings and adults per hectare; maximum · 30 per hectare), but they concluded that II true densities are certainly higher (Jackson and Telford 1914). II Its poor ability to disperse across habitat barriers reduces it capacity to colonize isolated patches of suitable habitat (Jackson 1913a, 1973b), thus requiring a contiguous preserve area of different aged stands Based on available data, sufficient area can be managed within Area 2 to accommodate relocated lizards. . 41 REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION AND ABUNDANCE OF THE FLORIDA GOPHER FROG (~ AREOLATA) ON THE BOYNTON BEACH PARK OF COMMERCE TRACT. As per the development order proposed by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the city of Boynton Beach, populations of the Florida gopher frog (Rana areolata) were studied on the undeveloped portions of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce property, including Areas 1 and 2 Methods The study site was divided for field study on the basis of vegetation types as shown in the original DRI report. Since gopher frogs commonly share the burrows of the gopher tortoise, a wide variety of vegetation types (scrub, pine flatwoods and dry prairie) were st udied The location of gopher tortoise burrows has been previously described Each active gopher tortoise burrow was checked between dusk and midnight for the gopher frog for a period of 18 trap nights Funnel traps were positioned at the entrance of each burrow at dusk Each trap was visually checked the following morning to prevent dessication or exposure of the frpgs Artificial light was also used 1 to visually check the roof Qf each burrow for the presence of the frog. Results and Discussion .... / 42 After a preliminary examination of all active and inactive gopher tortoise burrow, no gopher frogs were found on the property, even though the species has been collected as far south as Dade county Similar trapping in the Yamato scrub for gopher frogs also showed the absence of this species, which may be due to the lack of seasonal ponds. 43 REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION OF DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF THE EASTERN INDIGO SNAKE (DRYKAR.CHON CORAlS COupeRI) ON THE BOYNTONBEACH PARK OF COMMERCE TRACT. As per the development order prepared by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the city of Boynton Beach, populations of the Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais couperi) were studied on the undeveloped portions of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce property, including Areas 1 and 2. Methods Despite the frequent occurrence of the eastern Indigo snake in the sand pine scrub environment, laboratory studies indicate that it is very susceptible to dessication The shelter of the gopher tortoise burrow appears to be the critical factor necessary for the survival of this species throughout areas of critical moisture stress. Population size was determined by visual observations made along the plant and animal transects Indigo snakes are commonly seen sunning in open, sandy areas and are usually not frightened by man Results and Discussion No Indigo snakes were found during the numerous field investigations of the site, however, there have been reports of Indigo snakes by local property owners in the NW corner of the study area ..- 44 The difficulty in trapping or locating this species may reflect the lack of available population statistics in the published literature 45 REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION OF DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF SMALL MAMMALS ON THE BOYNTON BEACH PARK OF COMMERCE TRACT. As per the development order prepared by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the city of Boynton Beach, populations of the threatened Florida mouse (Peromyscus floridanus) were studied on the undeveloped portions of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce property, including Areas 1 and 2. Methods Preparation of a DR! report for the property resulted in a vegetation map that showed the exten~ of sand pine scrub. Prior knowledge of the habitat requirements of the Florida mouse indicated the mice would be limited to this community and the immediate boundaries (ecotones). Live trap lines were established within the areas of interest (Figure 1). Trap lines consisted of several Sherman live traps placed systematically along a compass course traversing suitable habitat. The number of traps per line varied depending on the habitat configuration but were placed 10 meters (32 ft.) apart on the lines. Individual trap sites were marked and all traps were returned to the same locations when trapping was done on separate occastons Traps were provided with cotton nesting material and 10-15 sunflower seeds when set to capture mice. ------- 46 Captured animals were identified to species, aged, sexed, body mass determined, and marked, in the case of Florida mice, with numbered monel ear tags. Populations of Florida mice will be evaluated as to abundance by three procedures 1) captures per trap night (1 trap set for 1 night equals 1 trap night), 2) minimum number of mice known to be alive, and 3) Lincoln index estimates The Lincoln index was calculated as (Total # of captures in) (Total # of mice marked) No. of Mice- (recapture phase ) x (in mark phase ) No. of marked mice recaptured in recapture phase Results All trap lines were trapped between December 1985 and January of 1986 A total of 286 trap nights yielded 3 captures (Table 1). P. floridanus - 3 Spotted Skunk - 1 Cotton rat - 4 Capture of Florida mice occurred in the ecotones or margins of the mature scrub on both sides of High Ridge Road along lines 3 and 5. No mice were captured within the canopied scrub areas (lines 1 and 4) or the more recently cleared scrub areas (line 2). 'The Lincoln Index was not claculated for any of the lines because of the paucity of captures Discussion L ~ 47 According to the trapping results, the Florida mouse was probably at one time much more common in the Boynton scrub prior to disturbance and developmental pressures which divide once contiguous tracts into isolated or fragmented islands A survey of other scrub areas suggest that habitat structure and composition does not support populations of this species. Disturbance of scrub areas via heavy machinery may have contributed to their demise throughout the area by eliminating gopher tortoise refugia More recent findings by (Stout and Roberts, unpublished) indicate that the Florida mouse is capable of digging its own burrow This would suggest that the presence of gopher tortoise may not be required for mouse habitat, while in fact the clearing of the understory may have eliminated its food source. The fact that Florida mice were captured only along the margins of the scrub suggests that it may be very tolerable of disturbance Relocation of 3 Florida mice into Area 2 would pose no threat to the success of this species, since Area 2 appears to be a young, viable scrub with healthy populations of gopher tortoise and Florida scrub lizards Nothing has been published in the open literature on densities of Florida mice in sand pine scrub Unpublished data by I J Stout, based on grid trapping in Orange County, Florida, indicated these densities during February-March on different sites in different years 1.6 per acre, 7.3 per acre, 3 2 per acre, 4.8 per acre, and 1 2 per acre The average of these data is 3 62 Florida mice per acre 48 Average densities over a year may be much lower and much variation in densities may be expected between years 0.) - C' ~ ~ l( - ~ - o:l 49 ~ - l( l( ~ - \1"1 c:.o - .... N l( - N 'CI.... a) c;l.4 c;l.c:.o --,.:e G)- ...c:.o ~ ~ ~ ... G) i-I- OP-i ~ \4ol (/)- ~'5 ~ <<14 <<I c=.o:l .. ~ - c::~ r- l( l( )( 0 - ~ c:: N ... 0 - <<I ... ... c:: 4 a)~ CO ell 0 - ~C'l ..0 )( )( l( > - a) N ...,s::. - (/) ... a) ~.s III III ~ ... ell'CI .,s::. c:: ~ \4ol ~... 0 ~ c;l.1Il :z:; c;l. NN~N CO G)~ 0 r-r-r-4 ~ ... 0 :z:; <<I ... ... ~ i-' .-Ie III G)~ <<I ~... a) ... <<I'CI <<I e c:: \4ol (/) <<I ,t:J 0 ~ .-I ~ 4444 4 .-I .. ... ... ("lNN- - <<I III t) 0 i-' e ... III :z:; 1Il.s:. oO~ ~ a) \4ol~t) c:: c::.t:l.t:l o c:: ~ .t:l~ o ~ ::l ~ ~P-i ... ... ~ ~c;l.e ~ o t) t) ~ <<I e c:: <J'CI <JCf)Cf) <<1...0 0 Cf)C::f>J-- s...U ~ <<I a) ~ ~ ... a)Cf)~C::C:: C:\4ol as c:: c::~ ~ Cf) ~ 0 --' ~.,,~P-iP-i ~ p..eP-i.,s::..,s::. a) 'CI<<I-ellllll - ;> c:: ~ c:: <<I <<I <<1.-1<<1.-1.-1 a) Cf)UCf)Cf)Cf) .-I ~ i-' a) ~ ,..1 _~C"\4\1"1 G) ... i-' ~ ... Y.' -\La. I........ ~ I ..a .J ~ - ---.----. I r t7-. I I L. , I I -""'_. "-.., .". I I (' I '/ .- 1 - ~ <' :, r ~ I ,/ ( , .q I ;/ " , J I I Jill:") { \ ,( I ) t. \:- .. ," -. \ I " / . ( .?....J . ... , .r I :.9 " 1-.:' .-.. ~ ,-- . i ,~ .... \~ i ! , I · . . I .~ I ': . if ' ~ ".~... ---' I \ I .\ \ - '- - ~- - - - ---. 10"._ -..00 ~ (.1. Figure 1 If; e' '4. ., .' I I ~ ~ - - - ./ ., !I 50 Location of Florida mouse trap lines in 1 the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce scrub (Numbers indicate suitable Florida mouse habitat ) - I " .......... ....... ., ..;.: , , ; , It. .J - \ ) r · .J. ............... " ~ ~ .... .... :: .. i:L , ...~ --- s::= '"' ' r- j' . ~ ~i f I 51 REPORT ON THE PROPOSED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR AREA 2. As per the development order proposed by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, the disappearance of sand pine scrub habitat within the region has caused concern for the remaining remnants and the preservation of its unique plants and animals In an effort to preserve the largest contiguous area of sand pine scrub, the developer of this property has agreed to set aside 40 acres west of High Ridge Road and north of N.W. 22nd Avenue, a portion of which is young sand pine scrub (Appendix 7). The tract of land known as Area 2, has suffered deterioration due to sporadic understory clearing and livestock grazing, but this study has shown that the area is a viable scrub that supports a number of scrub plants and animals of regional concern Established transects and field observations of Area 2 indlcate that this proposed 40 acre preserve has a higher species diversity of indicator and obligate scrub species and provides considerable more acreage in which to manage both plants and animals than Area 1 The purpose of this report is to define the proposed management philosophy and methodology for preservation of Area, 2 Basic Management Philosophy The objective of the resource management plan is to preserve, through management, the subjected piece of property as a . ---.- 52 representative sample o( an original Florida ecosystem, thereby maintaining its natural diversity of plants and animals. Resource Description The predominant plant community of concern is sand pine scrub It occurs at elevations of approximately 15 to 25 feet and shows evidence of early pleistocene shorelines that occur in visible, parallel dune ridges. The scrub is a very xeric type of plant community and is adapted to the dry, well drained, and relatively infertile sand of the old dunes as well as sporadic fires. Sand pine (Pinus clausa) is the dominant tree and is usually found in closed canopy situations of mature stands, as found north of N W. 22nd Avenue The characteristic woody understory species adapted to xeric conditions of the scrub include various scrub oaks (Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, and Quercus chapmanii), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides) Fire generally does not enter sand pine stands except when fuel levels are high and moisture conditions are low. This often leads to very hot crown fires that are hot enough to kill the sand pines and other vegetation. However, fires are necessary to regenerate sand pine forests, as it reduces hardwood competition, triggers the release of sand pine seeds, and improves the seedbed If fire is excluded from scrub, the sand pines eventually will die of old age, after approximately 60-70 years, and the habitat may ultimately grow into a xeric oak forest If a fire is carried through L_, 53 the area, the mature trees are killed and young seedlings begin the cycle again This plant community also contains many endangered, threatened, and endemic plant and animal species that depend on this type of habitat for survival Some have different environmental requirements even within the same plant community, and will require different management procedures if they are to be retained on site A second plant community on this site (Area 2) is the open prairie. It is characterized as a nearly treeless plain that includes formerly cleared areas that are now dominated by ruderal or weed species The common associates includes natal grass (Rhynchelytrum repens), broom sedge grass (Andropogon virginicus), ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) and many other common weeds It is a relatively flat and moderately to well-drained terrain In naturally occurring dry prairies the fire frequency appears to be every 1 to 4 years, which is slightly more frequent than that which generally occurs in mesic flatwoods The higher frequency of fire is probably the primary factor that limits pine recruitment in this community True dry prairies are endemic to Florida and largely confined to a few regions of the state. Most representatives of this community have been converted to pasture, fields or citrus groves They are disappearing rapidly and have beeri important habitat for several animals that occur nowhere else in the eastern United States (e.g caracara and burrowing owl) 54 Management Procedures In the stated objectives for the management of the property, there are major responsibilities for the long term preservation of the vegetation, wildlife, and soil, plus the area's natural resources. In this role, the following comments are reasonable judgements as to the management "state of the art", so that the area will be sufhciently protected for the future and not just short-term realities Assessment of impact and management recommendations are based on field observations, comparison of past records, and a review of pertinent li terature. Fire management Fire has a necessary historical role in the perpetuation of sand pine scrub and maintaining its diversity of vegetation Man's efforts to suppress fires and the development of firebreaks provided by human activity (roads, etc.) have created the need for instigating prescribed burns to maintain scrub. In add1tion, the burning o{ the; areas at different times will also help promote a diversity of different age stands of vegetation. This documentation is largely established as a theoretical ideal time sequence for rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides) and sand pine (Pinus clausa) as both can be aged and their life histories have been well studied. This plant community appears to be adapted to a 30 to 40 year cycle A survey of randomly selected trees, starting near the south end of the property and working north, will be cored and the age of each tree estimated by counting growth rings. Using this data, 55 the scrub community will be divided into two zones that will be used for future management purposes to promote a diversity of different age stands of scrub. A fire model for the scrub will be used to judge the effects of the thermal dynamics of a proposed fire This model considers the amount and combustibility of fuels, required moisture content, air temperature and humidity, desired wind speed and direction, and any other changes that may alter the fire's progress. The fire prescription includes concerns for smoke management. The plan addresses the need to maintain the ecological diversity of the scrub Instead of burning all the fire-adapted communities at one time, the 40 acre preserve will be partitioned into zones that will be managed and burned separately Thus, the wildlife will be able to use recently burned tracts, as well as formerly burned areas The open prarie will be burned yearly in the late spring or early summer to increase the grasses for the gopher tortoises If burning turns out to be an unacceptable means for maintaining the existing scrub, due to smoke management or excessive explosive fuels, then mechanical means, such as hand prunning and chopping, will be instituted This is viewed as a good alternative because it does not cause soil disruption and compaction The relocat~on of gopher tortoise into Area 2 will occur at total densities (resident plus relocated individuals) of 2 per acre All gopher tortoise will be fitted with a transmitter so that monthly movements and activity of relocated tortoise can be followed using telemetry Monitoring of all gopher tortoise will occur for a two 56 year period or as stated in the requirements of the permit At the time of the resurvey, all burrows will be counted and mapped, and any tortoises encountered will be examined for condition. Body weight changes of all marked tortoise before and after relocation into Area 2 will be used as a measure of condition. Following acceptance of the preserve area and the issuance of proper state permits, scrub lizard relocation will be initiated at/or during the same time the Gopher tortoises are being moved To provide for safe capture and transport, each scrub lizard will be caught with a fish net and transported to the site in an aquarium Because of the presumed commensal relationship with the gopher tortoise, the Florida mouse is usually not relocated onto the site until such time as the former has become established in burrow systems. However, recent evidence (Stout and Roberts, unpublished) suggests that the Florida mouse may actually dig its own den in the absence of gopher tortoise burrows If these data turns out to be correct for the Florida mouse, relocation of mice into Area 2 can occur independently of the gopher tortoise. Also, due to the reduced rate of captures in summer and high frequency of hyperthermia encountered, all relocations will be conducted preferably during cooler temperatures The methodology for live trapping will be the procedure as stated earlier and the monitoring period will be as long as necessary to determine survival rate All mice will be ear tagged so that if it is determined that a survey can be undertaken the following year without compromising the population, one can be conducted 57 A methodology will be developed to establish "zero" population levels on Area 1 following efforts to relocate that population to Area 2 (Appendix 1). When conducting a prescribed burn, it is desirable to attain the conditions which are most natural. As this biological community is perpetuated by natural fire events, one objective of prescribed burning is to maintain the ecological diversity within these areas The projected fire model study predicts many of the items that will determine whether there can be an "acceptable" fire at the site, but a smoke complaint or burning regulations established by the county or city can preclude this management option Once the fire prescription has been established, the Division of Forestry will conduct the burn similar to their arrangements with private property owners throughout the state (i.e burning of pasture lands) because of the liability. equipment required, and the permits needed Thus, policy and guidelines for prescribed burning can be established, but realistically a mechanical/burning combination will probably be the management future for this site Any area within the proposed preserve site that will require restoration because of past impacts (old trails, dump locations, etc ) will be planted with native scrub species . THREATENED ANIMALS Several reptiles and a mammal are considered highly adapted to scrub (i e . reaching their maximum population levels or found only within this habitat) and deserve further comments. All are referenced 58 in the Florida Committee of Rare & Endangered Plants & Animals reports. Florida Scrub Lizard (Gopherus polyphemus) (Sceloporus woodi) Gopher Tortoise Florida Mouse (Peromyscus floridanus) Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) General Habitat Requirements The gopher tortoise is largely restricted to upland pine forests with dense herbaceous ground covers and firm, sandy soils (e.g., sandhills). It also inhabits scrub communities and coastal savannahs. Population densities are \ generally reduced in the former largely because the loose sands often do not support burrow construction and the general sparsity of herbaceous plants limits food supplies (Campbell & Christman 1982) Population densities are generally greatest on islands {ca 20 tortoises/hectare (8 tortoises/acre), Wester, 1983) and in isolated coastal savannahs {ca. 11.3/hectare (4 5 tortoises/acre), Kushland & Mazzotti, 1984) where tortoise predators are absent or infrequent In typical sandhill communities, tortoise densities generally vary from 0.3-11.9 tortoises/hectare (0.12-4.76 tortoises/acre)(T. Logan, cited in Kushlan & Mazzotti 1984) and are directly related to the density of herbaceous sround cover (Lande,s & Speake 1980). Densities greater than 17.1 tortoises/hectare (6.84 tortoises/acre) have been reported for annually burned sandhills (Rask 1983) In typical sand pine scrub, tortoise densities have been shown to vary from about 4-7 59 tortoises/hectare (1.4-2 7 tortoises/acre) (Auffenberg and Iverson 1979) and were directly related to grass cover. It was reported at the Fifth Annual Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting (November 9-11, 1984) that tortoise densities average 10.4- 20.4/hectare (4.1-8.1/acre), but may reach a density as high as 28- 33/hectare (11-13/acre) where predation is minimized and habitat is ideal Management Recommendations The most important management factor for Gopher Tortoises is ecological burning (Landers & Speake 1980) The herbaceous ground cover requires fire to stimulate new growths of more succulent and nutritious grasses. the major foods of gopher tortoise (Lander 1980. Means 1985. Rask 1983) Additionally, ecological burning reduces the growth of hardwoods whose dense foliage could shade out herbaceous grasses (Komarek 1974). Managed forests that have been routinely burned have higher tortoise densities than sandhills that have undergone succession due to the artificial exclusion of fires (Landers & Speake 1980). The seasonal timing of ecological burns may also be important Fires during spring and summer not only stimulate succulent new growth, but also prepare the soils for burrow construction (Means 1985) This may be especially important for young tortoise establishing their first burrows 'Means 1985) Human related soil disturbances may also have significant effects on tortoises (Lohoefener & Lohmeier 1981) Silvicultural ground preparation techniques (e g , roller chopping and web plowing) destroy 49-72% of the tortoise burrows (Tanner & Terry 1981). Tortoises are 60 probably not killed when their burrows are destroyed, but they typically do not reconstruct or use destroyed burrows (Landers 1980) Instead, they generally move to other areas or construct new burrows (Tanner & Terry 1981) In scrub communities, the most suitable areas for burrow construction often occur along roads where vehicular traffic has compacted the loose sandy soils (Campbell & Christman 1982). Other management concern~ include the indiscriminate use of herbicides, tortoise harvesting, and human related increases in tortoise predator populations Aerial applications of herbicides have been potentially implicated in tortoise die-offs (R H Mount, personal communication) Tortoise "pullers" have significant lmpact on populations, not only on tortoises that are harvested, but also by harming those that they attempt to harvest (Taylor 1981) Hobbyists can also impact tortoise populations, especially when they collect the larger, mature individuals The low reproductive potential of the gopher tortoise intensifies the detrimental impacts of all harvesting practices (Landers et al. 1980) Human related increases in predator populations can be attributed to the introduction of exotic species (e g , fire ants and armadillos) or to the increased success of some native species (e g , raccoons) because of human related influences (Landers et al 1980, Landers 1980) Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus woodi) General Habitat Requirements The Florida scrub lizard is largely restricted to Florida's endemic scrub communities, but also 61 occurs in nearby sandhills and xerlC hammocks where ground cover, i.e., grasses and leaf litter, is sparse because of disturbances (Jackson 1973a & b, Campbell & Christman 1982). Maximum population densities occur in rosemary or evergreen oak scrubs without sand pines and in early successional stages (i e., less than 15 years since major disturbance) of sand pine scrub (Carr & Goin 1955, Christman et al , unpublished report. Campbell & Christman 1982). Only one study provided an estimate of population densities (average · 10 1 yearlings and adults/hectare maximum. 30/hectare), but they concluded that II . true densities are certainly higher" (Jackson & Telford 1974) In all habitats where S. woodi occurs. the essential characteristics are dry, well-drained, deep sandy soils with numerous patches of open. unvegetated sand and high insolation levels (Christman et al unpublished report, Campbell & Christman 1982. Jackson 1973a & b) General Life History The primary prey species of !- woodi are predominantly non-flying arthropods or those that spend much of their time on the ground (Jackson 1973a) Known predators include coachwhip, black racer, scrub jay, and brown thrasher (Jackson & Telford 1974). Reproductively,!- woodi is characterized as an " .. early maturing, mult iple-brooded, small cl utch spec ies" (Jackson & Telford 1974) Mating occurs from the end of March to September, while egg deposition occurs from early A?ril to October when ground temperatures exceed lOC (Jackson & Telford 1974). The simultaneous presence of yolked follicles and oviducal eggs or corpora lutea suggests that 2 to 3 clutches of eggs are probably produced each year Under ideal conditions, 4 to 5 clutches may be produced in a year 62 (Jackson & Telford 1974) Hatchlings are present from late June to early November. June hatchlings may reach sexual maturity by the following spring while August hatchlings may not mature until their second spring (Jackson & Telford 1974) The Florida scrub lizard has been regarded as a "weed" species because of its colonization of patchy, early successional or disturbed habitats (Campbell & Christman 1982) However, its relatively poor ability to disperse across habitat barriers (e.g , low flat woods, grassy sandhills, and swamps) reduces its capacity to colonize isolated patches of suitable habitat (Jackson 1973a & b) Management Guidelines Periodic, major disturbances of the canopy and ground cover vegetation in sand pine scrub habitat are essential for the maintenance of viable !- woodi populations These disturbances may be natural catastrophic fires or silvicultural clear-cuts. In either case, patches of open, unvegetated, highly insolate sand would result and produce ideal habitat for ~ woodi If the canopy or ground cover in sand pine scrub is allowed to close because of protection from major disturbances, ~ woodi populations would diminish substantially or even d1sappear (Christman et al , unpublished report) Natural recolonization by S woodi where it has been extirpated is highly unlikely (Jackson 1973a & b) Thus, existing populations should be managed so t~at suitable habitat is continually available for them to move lnto Their dependence on arthropods for food suggests that the indiscriminate use of insecticides could impact the reproductive biology of ~ woodi, although no studies have been conducted in 63 this regard The control of exotic competitors or potential predators (e g., Anolis sagrei, Armadillo, and Bufo marinus) may also become important. Hydrological manipulations in the surrounding areas which could substantially alter the scrub habitats may also be a concern Population Estimates Essentially four techniques may be employed to estimate population densities or relative changes in population densities of S woodi (1) capture all lizards within a specified area, (2) trap lizards using a drift fence, (3) line-transect measurement of observed lizards, and (4) mark-recapture study of trapped lizards The first two techniques have been employed with S. woodi (Jackson & Telford 1974, Christman et al., unpublished report), while the last two have been employed with other mobile vertebrates (see Burnam et al 1980) Each method has inherent problems and drawbacks The first and fourth techniques are time consuming endeavors and not warranted for this study The third requires the least time to set-up but probably provides less accurate data, because of meteorlogical, behavioral, and other influences on lizard observability. The second technique requires some initial set-up time and expense, but is by far the simplest and quickest method for assessing relative population changes The drift ~ence technique is adequately described and depicted by Christman et al (unpublished report)... Briefly, long aluminum sheets are erected in open sandy areas to obstruct the movements of lizards (also snakes, small mammals, amphibians, arthropods, etc) The lizards follow the obstruction to one of its ends, where 5 gallon 64 plastic buckets are buried flush with the ground. Lizards which fall into the bucket generally cannot escape Some investigators further enhance trapping efforts by placing aluminum funnels within the 5 gallon buckets, and/or they place a slightly elevated board over the bucket for the lizard to crawl under. Additionally. 8creen-wire funnel traps may be placed along the drift fence to trap animals before they reach the buckets. (Note 5 gallon buckets should have drainage holes in the bottom to keep them from being flooded or hydrostatically elevated.) Once established. drift fences and bucket traps require very little maintenance and will last for years. They can be inspected once a week for short periods (April and May are probably best for ~ woodi) and made inoperative by filling the buckets with sand when not needed Additionally. the drift fence techniques will provide an assessment of population densities of many other animals besides S. woodi Assuming that the probability of trapping lizards remains constant from year to year. an annual estimate of relative abundance can be obtained by tabulating the number of ~ woodi trapped during a specified period, e g., 1 or 2 months with traps checked weekly, or 1 or 2 weeks with daily checks By keeping the trapping periods, check times, and locations constant. the population dynamics can be estimated, and the success of various management techniques can be evaluated By assuming that trapping success is directly proportionate to population levels, relative population estimates for / 65 different areas can also be compared (Christman et al., unpublished report, Campbell & Christman 1982). Florida Mouse (Peromyscus floridanus) General Habitat Requirements Florida mice are limited to well-drained sandy soils that support sand pine scrub, scrubby flatwoods, pine-turkey oak associations, and certain oak hammocks (Layne 1963, Layne & Ehrhart 1970). The species is endemic to Florida (Layne 1978). Florida mice often live commensally with gopher tortoise (Gopherus pOlyphemus), pocket gophers, and perhaps other rodents (Layne & Ehrhart 1970). In the absence of burrows, they use natural cavities such as those formed when tree roots decay (Dick Roberts, personal observation) and new evidence indicates that they do some burrowing in the absence of existing openings (Mary Keim, personal communication. Stout, and Roberts, unpublished) Florida mice consume a diet of herbaceous materials and insects (Glenn 1970. Young & Stout 1984). Reproduction occurs primarily from August through November with a minor effort in winter (February) (Layne 1966, Stout, unpublished observations). Mean litter size is 3.1 based on wild caught females. The populations undergo annual cycles of abundance with relatively high densities achieved at intervals of 7-10 years (Layne, unpublished data, Stout, unpublished 'data" Stout 1982) Density estimates for P floridanus are not available in the scientific literature Stout (unpublished data) studied 3 trapping grids (each grid was 1 28 acres) in 20 year old sand pine scrub in Orange County Populations during one annual cycle peaked with winter 66 following fall breeding as grid C- 4 6/acre, grid E- 4 6/acre, grid L- 7.0/acre. In another year with less acorns available, the number of mice was reduced grid C- 2.5/acre; grid E- 3.8/acre; and grid L- 3.8/acre. In summary, densities are variable within years and tend to be highest in winter and lowest in summer. Likewise, between-year variation is pronounced and probably linked to food availability and weather factors in a complex interaction. Management Recommendations Management of scrub to benefit P floridanus requires maintenance of vegetation and presence of potential home sites Florida mice are present and sometimes abundant in scrubs of various ages. Age, here, refers to the time of recovery since a fire or timber harvest. Ehrhart (personal communication) has found Florida mice to be fairly abundant within 2-3 years following the harvesting of sand pine from scrub in the Ocala National Forest Stout (unpublished data ) has trapped extensively in scrubs in Orange County that are 20-30 years old Densities in these scrubs are variable, but typical of other areas. Layne (unpublished data) reports stable populations of Florida mice in sand pine scrub of the Archbold Station that has not been burned for over 50 years These data suggest that Florida mice persist in scrubs throughout the period between disturbances Part of the explanation for this behavior is the fact that scrub plants resprout so rapi~ly following fire or clear cutting Thus, cover and food are more or less continuously available In addition, Gopher Tortoises and their commensals survive the fires in the tortoise burrows and re-occupy their former home areas. 67 In summary. management of scrubs for Florida mice requires 1.) Periodic prescribed burning of the scrub (interval between fires is a site specific option). 2.) Maintenance of on-site gopher tortoise populations or presence of gopher tortoise burrows. (Florida mice use gopher tortoise burrows that are no longer used by tortoises as well as active burrows. Based on currently available data, it is not possible to claim a particular age of scrub is "best" for Florida mice. Other listed species that have been searched for but not found were the Eastern Indigo snake and the gopher frog The following is added information Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais couperi General Habitat Requirements The Eastern Indigo snake is a wide-ranging species which requires a diversity of properly managed habitats to maintain viable populations Home ranges have been estimated to be 200-300 or more acres of habitat mosaics which include types from xeric uplands to hydric lowlands. Xeric and mesic habitats seem to be preferred. Because of their susceptibility to dessication. indigos are generally associated with tortoise burrows in xeric habitats. Although home ranges of individuals overlap (especially those of the opposite sex). an estimated 10.000 acres of properly managed habitat mosaics are required for long-term survival Given the small size of Area 2 (40 acres) and the diverse habitat 68 requirements of D. corais, it is doubtful that viable indigo populations could persist if the surrounding areas are developed residentially or intensively agriculturalized. Management Recommendations Maintenance of a diversity of habitat types and seral stages within types is probably most important. This could be best accomplished in fire-adapted communities by developing ecological burn zones and regimes which maximize seral stage diversity. Additionally, the maintenance of gopher tortoise populations at or near their carrying capacity would increase the number of burrow refuges for "aestivating" indigo snakes Protection from collectors and snake hobbyists is also extremely important, as indigos are favorite pets among them. Gopher Frog (Rana areolata aesopus) General Habitat Requirements The species is largely restricted to Florida's sand pine scrub habitats and also on sandhill communities of turkey oak (Quercus laevis). The species is unique in that it utilizes the burrow of the Florida gopher tortoise, quite a departure from other Florida frogs, but also has been found in a mouse burrow (Peromyscus polionotus) and other holes Whereas the Florida mouse will use inactive tortoise burrows, the gopher frog seems to prefer active sites (74% in active burrows, 25% in inactive burrows, and 2% in old burrow.s) The most important requirement for this species is the proximity to breeding ponds Without them, they could not exist Generally, these breeding ponds are shallow, grassy ponds which the frogs will travel great distances to flnd. 69 Management Recommendations As stated, the species largely depends on an active gopher tortoise population and ponds for breeding. They have been looked for in the field by the use of a flashlight with no success so far. It bas been reported that there are really no significant differences in observability of the frogs during the night, morning, late afternoon, and evening surveys (Franz. personal communication). but they were generally absent f~om near the burrow entrances between 11 00 AM and 4 00 PM during the summer. Also, they have not been found in central Florida during the breeding periods (Karch through April and September through October). If you learn their call notes, they can be determined if they are present and where If found and if relocation (to gopher tortoise burrows) is necessary, the frogs may be readily trapped by placing a screen-wire funnel trap in the burrow entrance (diameter of the trap should be tha same as the burrow entrance). EXOTIC PLANTS One of the most serious threats to any native plant community in South Florida is the invasion of exotic vegetation. Exotics can modify normal ecological processes or relationships, including predator-prey and herbivore-plant relationships, nutrient and energy cycles. and soil-building and erosion processes it has also been shown that the general stability of our natural communities is also reduced. One exotic plant species is an existing threat, namely Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) and has been noted within the 70 - The permanent removal and/or treatment wi_~~acc~~ed area of study herbicides (Garlon 4) of exotics must be completed _with_._~~~ -- reforestation of native plant species relating to that particular plant community ROADS AND TRAILS The planned use of the preserved site should restrict the construction of fire roads to as few as possible and restrict research vehicular usage (by Mytinger and Roberts in their liE 1.5. of Military Reserve and National Guard Activities on a portion of Jonathan Dickinson State Parkll). Once these areas are impacted, their rate of recovery is slow and the entire community may be affected 71 SUtIIDary A study was made to compare the natural values of sand pine scrub of Area 2 with those of Area 1 in the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce Development. Because a species list alone is usually not satisfactory for portraying the special characteristics of a plant community, a quantitative evaluation of Areas 1 and 2 was made using the following well-known field techniques 1) Nested quadrats, 2) Line-intercept transects 3) Grid system of transects for systematic sampling, and 4) Ground truth reconnaissance The following finding indicate that Area 2 is of better quality than Area 1, especially in terms of long term management of this rapidly disappearing ecosystem 1) Preservable sand pine scrub habitat in Area 2 is almost 3-fold (33-35 acres) that of Area 1 (11.9 acres). 2) Species composition was considerably higher in Area 2 (63 species, 20 obligate) than in Area 1 (33 species, 11 obligate) 3) Community diversity, as expressed by the Shannon~iener Index, was higher for Area 2 (2 26) than the mature scrub of Area 1 (2 09) 4) Thinning of the Area 2 preserve has st imulated' several early successional scrub species endemic to sand pine scrub (Ceratiola ericoides, Lechea cernua, and Lupinus diffusus), desirable species not commonly found in Area 1 72 5) The Area 2 scrub is at an early stage of development and the use of prescribed burning as a management tool would be delayed for many years, whereas the mature scrub of Area 1 is approaching conditions that would demand the use of large scale mechanical manipulation coupled with prescribed burning. 6) Based on previous st~dies (Yamato scrub, Jonathon Dicklnson State Park), a minimum of 10 acres is required for long term management of sand pine scrub Beca use of its size, Area 2 can be managed in several different age stands, an important criterion for maintenance of animal populations 7) It has been determined by Ms Joan Diemer of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Canmiss ion that the Area 2 preserve could accommodate the relocated gopher tortoise and Florida mouse populations without habitat manipulation. She also stressed the fact that Area 1 showed signs of poaching and would require immediate habitat manipulation for the safety of the animals She also stressed that preservation of sand pine scrub as well as animal habitat was her main objective in relocation matters 8) The proximity of Area 2 to the proposed city park would allow a portion of the scrub of Area 2 to be utilized, through a series of boardwalks (Appendix 5), for enviro~mental education , 9) The possibility of co~struction of a major 1-95 exchange at N W 22nd Ave would eliminate a portion of the Area 1 preserve which would produce new, possibly intractable management problems 73 In summary it is our recommendation that the 40 acres designated as Area 2 in the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce Development be utilized as a natural preserve area. 73 1 ItTo assure 40 acres of Sand Pine Scrub Is preserved on the property, 12 acres of scrub habitat will be preserved within landscape areas on specific parcels, as designated fn the "Sand Pine Contfngency Plan" Should the attempted scrub habitat creation within the preserve area prove successful, the required mlcroslting of sand pine scrub shall be appropriately reduced A determination of success shall be made by the City of Boynton Beach In consultation with Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council staff If necessary, the developer will Institute an frrigatlon program within the scrub creation areas designed to provide soil moistures appropriate for germination -- and early growth of plant material It is the expressed Intent of this plan that any areas preserved on specific building sites should be clustered and aggregated to develop meaningful areas I I 1 REVISED 1/5/88 74 ANNUAL REPORTS Annual reports will be submitted to the city of Boynton Beach, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Regulation, and the Florida ~ame and Freshwater Fish Commission. Tbe reports will summarize the animal and plant components found on Area 2, with special emphasis as to the quality and rate of change of the scrub preserve Tbe reports will address the following 1. A revised checklist of the plant species of Area 2. 2. Line transect data to be collected semi-annually and summarized as follows 1. Dominance (Relative dominance) 2. Frequency (Relative frequency) 3. Importance Value 3 Seasonal observations (flowering/fruiting) of selected plant species will be monitored quarterly and summarized for Area 2 4 Average plant height will be recorded for species along the transect. 5. Seed recruitment along the transect will be recorded semi-annually for comparative analysis and summarized for the annual report 6 Soil transplant site location will be accurately mapped and 75 monitored for plant recovery, as per the above parameters and a comparison made with the remaining portions of Area 2. 7. A location map of all listed plant species will be provided. 8. A map of all gopher tortoise burrows (active, inactive and abandoned) will be provided for later relocation into Area 2 9. All additional animal burrows (armadillo, fox, burrowing owls) will also be recorded. 10. A summer survey of the Florida scrub lizard will be initiated and all captured individuals will be mapped, indicating areas of ac tivity and recounted for relocation into Area 2 11. An additional Florida Mouse survey will be conducted and all information pertaining to location, size, sex, age and body mass will be provided. 12. All other listed animal species that may occur on the site will be resurveyed and the results of each survey summarized. 13 The age of the sand pines will be determined for Area 2 14. A summary of the fire model will be provided with the cooperation of Bob Doran, Everglades National Park l5. Acceptance of the Annual Report by the city of Boynton Beach will be coordinatad through the Planning Director and the city Forester. 76 Append ix 1 77 METHODOLOGY FOR REMOVAL OF PEROMYSCUS FLORIDANUS FROM AREA 1 OF THE BOYNTON BEACH PARK OF COMMERCE The following discussion is intended to address the question of relocating ~. floridanus from Area 1 to 2 within the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce. More specifically, it has been requested by Daniel Cary, of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, that in the process of relocating animals, all individuals of ~ floridanus be removed and relocated rather than an arbitrarily designated subset, e.g., 20 individuals of mixed sexes The central question becomes one of definition when does the population to be moved reach zero density in Area 1. Background Information Removal trapping of small rodents has a long history Zippin (1956, Biometrics 12(2) l63-l89, and 1958, J Wildl. Manage 22(1) 82-90) discussed the statistics and methodlogy of removal trapping and its application to estimating the size of populations, e g , of small mammals The method requires that traps be arranged on an area of interest in some systematic manner. Trapping effort is constant during the cour~e of study Snap traps or live traps may be used In either case, animals are physically removed from the site The trapping should be conducted over a short period of time with a high density of traps. Moran (1951, Biometrika 38 307-311) gives these assumptions for estimating population size 1. probability of being caught is constant for all animals on each catching occasion, 78 2 the population is not so dense that the catching of one individual interfers with the catching of another, and 3 no births, deaths, immigration or emmigration occur during the experiment. It is generally hard to prove that these assumptions are met by the circumstances in the field However, over short periods of time, say a week, assumption 3 can be satisfied. Having numerous traps in the field satisfies assumption 2. Assumption 1 cannot be fulfilled because some animals may never enter a trap and one can never prove that such a subpopulation does not exist. Tbe estimation procedure is graphically shown as Figure 2. If capture success declines in a linear fashion, a regression line may be fitted to the data set This allows one to estimate the size of the population at the beginning of the removal experiment. This is done as follows Regression model y-a -b(x), where a- the intercept of the fitted line on the y axis. b- the slope of the line (negative sign in this case), and x represents values taken from the x axis Y is the population estimate The y value from the regression may be converted to density (no per unit area) if one can be certain that the population was closed and no individuals from outside the area of interest entered into the trapping area When no further captures are made, the zero population density has been achieved This result occurs automatically if the population is self-contained in, e g , 5 acres of isolated habitat surrounded by many areas of unsuitable habitat. However, if suitable habitat is juxtaposed with the removal area, movement of animals into the trapped ~ .. .. 79 out area may very well occur This is evidenced by a sudden increase in trap success after a linear decline (see dotted line in Figure 2) Such a result may occur on the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce. Another way to detect the zero population is to have trappable animals marked in the area of interest Zero population is achieved when 90r. of the tagged animals have been removed. This procedure allows 10% of the tagged animals to be lost due to movement out of the area, death. or a change in trappability Previous efforts to trap out Populations A considerable literature exists on removal efforts to estimate population sizes. I will not attempt to review these studies at this time The major point of the papers is that induced immigration is nearly always a problem I have on two occasions in Florida "trapped out" small mammals. The first effort was in pine flatwoods habitat on the University of Central Florida campus. The study has been published (J Mamma logy , 64(2) 210-217) In this case. trappable cotton rats (Signodon hispidus) were removed in 5 days from two 0.49 ha grids The subject of the paper is tbe subsequent immigration pattern of cotton rats onto the removal grid. In a second. yet unpublisbed study, I removed animals from a grid in sand pine scrub on campus The grid was 0.52 ha in area and was trapped for 5 nights Peromyscus floridanus wa~ not present on the grid, however, cotton mice and gloden mice (~. gossypinus and Ochrotomys nuttallii) were removed within 4 days. Recommendation 80 One hundred sherman live traps should be systematically placed on Area 1 Trapping should be planned for lO days. Captures should be removed and held in captivity until relocation can be accomplished Some effort on the part of the animals to "home" may be expec ted. A short period in captivity may reduce this urge to return "home II. Each days capture success should be plotted on a graph Capture success may be expected to decline to zero in about 5 days A sudden upturn in the cumulative capture curve will signal the start of movement into the habitat vacuum 20 81 llice is I aught I per l);)y 10 5 o Flgure 2 o 20 1.0 GO 00 CUl1luhtivc Tot::11 t.~ptll res I il1enr regres91011 of capture!; of mice ocninst the clIllluJntivc I1lJmlJer of coptures over n 5 day relllov~t periou The line extenu!; to the x axis ol1d ~Ilgr;estn .1 pop\ll<1tion sIze or r1hollt 100 mice The dnshcd IJI1I~ il1dJcntetl the trclltl if rcmovnl le:lllr: to invosiOIl of the trnppcHI Ollt h:Jbltnt 82 Append ix 2 Checklist of Area 2 --... Scientific Name Common Name Trees Pinus clausa Pinus elliottii Sand pine Slash pine Shrubs Asimina obovata Asimina reticulata Befaria racemosa Ceratiola ericoides Conradina grandiflora Licania michauxii Lyonia ferruginea Lyonia lucida Palafoxia feayi Polygonella polygama Quercus chapmanii Quercus geminata Quercus myrtifolia Sabal etonia Schinus terebinthifolius Serenoa repens Vaccinium myrsinites Ximenia americana Pawpaw Pawpaw Tar flower Rosemary Scrub mint Gopher plum Rusty lyonia Staggerbush Jointweed Chapman I soak Sand live oak Myrt le oak Scrub palmetto Brazilian pepper Saw palmetto Huckleberry Tallowwood Herbs Abrus precatorius Andropogon virginicus Aristida gyrans Aristida stricta Aster tortifolius Bulbostylis ciliatifolia Cassytha filiformis Chamaecrista fasciculata Chrysopsis scabrella Cyperus planifolius Cyperus retrorsus Dalea feayi Dichanthelium dichotomum Dichanthelium sabulorum Euphorbia polyphylla Hedoyotis procumbens Hel ianthemum corymbosum Heterotheca subaxillaris Indigofera hirsuta Lechea cernua Lechea deckertii Opuntia compressa Rosary pea Broom sedge grass Wiregrass Wiregr as s White-topped aster Hair sedge Love vine Partridge-pea Goldenaster Spurge Innocence Camphorweed Hairy indigo Prickly-pear cactus 83 S ta t us ObI. Obi. Obl Obl Obl Obl Obl Obl Obl Obl Obl Obl Obi. Obi. Opuntia humifusa Paspalum setaceum Phytolacca americana Pityopsis graminifolia Polygonella robusta Polypremum procumbens Rhynchospora megalocarpa Schrankia uncinata Scoparia dulcis Selaginella arenicola Setaria geniculata Seymeria pectinata Sida cordifolia Sisyrinchium solstitiale Smilax auriculata Solidago chapmanii Stipulicida setacea Tillandsia recurvata Tillandsia usneoides Tillandsia utriculata Vitis munsoniana Prickly-pear cactus This paspalum Pokeweed Silkgrass Jointweed Rus tweed Scrub sedge Sensitive briar Sweetbroom Sand sp ike mos s Foxtail grass Blue-eyed grass Sawbriar Ball moss Spanish moss Wild pine Wild grape 84 Obl Obl Obl. Obl Obl 85 Appendix 3 Checklist of Area 1 Scientific Name CClIIUllon Name Trees Pinus clausa Pinus elliottii Sand pine Slash pine Shrubs Ceratiola ericoides Conradina grandiflora Lyonia ferruginea Myrica cerfiera Palafoxia feayi Polygonella polygama Quercus chapmanii Quercus geminata Quercus myrtifolia Sabal etonia Schinus terebinthifolius Serenoa repens Ximenia americana Rosemary Scrub min t Rus ty lyonia Wax myrtle Jointweed Chapman I soak Sand 1 i ve oak Myrtle oak Scrub palmetto Brazilian pepper Saw palmetto Tallowwood Herbs Andropogon virginicus Aristida gyrans Bulbostylis ciliatifolia Cassytha filiformis Cyperus retrorsus Dalea feayi Dichanthelium dichotomum Dichanthelium sabulorum Lechea deckertii Opuntis compressa Pityopsis graminifolia Rhynchelytrum repens Rhynchospora megalocarpa Smilax auriculata Tillandsia recurvata Tillandsia utricuIata Vitis munsoniana Broom sedge grass Wiregrass Hairsedge Love vine Prickly-pear cac tus Silkgrass Natal grass Scrub sedge Sawbriar Ball moss Wild pine Wild grape 86 S ta t us ObI. ObI. Obl ObI. Obl ObI Obl Obl Obl Obl ObI. 87 Append ix 4 Letter of Recommendation FLORIDA GAME AND FRESH WATER FISH COMMISSION THOMAS L. HIRES SR. WILLiAM G BOSTIC~, JR. C. TOM R.'\I!'.EY D \' M. J.H. BAROCO MRS. GiLBERT \\~jl JMPHRE\ Chairman, Lake Wale, Vice-Chairman. Winter Haven Miami Pemacola Mlcco,~ ROBERT M. BRANTLY, Executive Director F.G. BANKS. Assistant Executive Director Wildlife Research Laboratory 4005 South Main Street Gainesville, Florida 32601 (904) 376-6481 March 24, 1986 Don Richardson Ecological Consultants 7301 Summerbridge Drive Tampa, Florida 33614 Dea r Don I appreciated the opportunity to view the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce development site I have also reviewed your draft management plan for the sand pine scrub and indigenous fauna. As we discussed on March 12, I concur with your recommendation that the gopher tortoise colony in the ruderal northeast corner of the site, as well as the scat- tered tortoises south of N W 22ND Avenue, be relocated into the proposed 40 acre preserve in the northwest corner I must stress that, whenever possible, I would prefer that an established tortoise colony be retained in situ However, in this case, the problems stemming from potential human predation, the proposed constuction of an 1-95 interchange, and the difficulties of managing a disjunct tortoise population in a small habitat island warrent an alternative stategy, ie, the relocation of tortoises within property boundaries Although our understanding of tortoise carrying capacity, densities, and correction factors (number of tortoises per number of burrows) is currently incomplete, I feel that the 40 acre (16 ha ) preserve can realistically accommodate the relocated tortoises (based on your estimate of active burrows) Recent data gathered on 2 nearby development sites indicated that the correction factor for scrub/scrubby flatwoods during the winter months may be as low as 0 3-0 5 multiplied by the number of active burrows (this data is based on tortoises obtained through the use of a backhbe.)' If th'ils co,r1rec.tion fattor ;s ap{rlied to :the Boynton' Beqch site, 'tIlE:! total number of tortoises may only be 20-30 (or a potential tortoise stocking density of 1-2/ha on the 16 ha preserve) As you indi- cate in your management plan, applying the Auffenberg and Franz 1982 correc- tion factor (0.614 x Active and Inactive burrows) gives an estimate of 46 tortoises (or 2 8/ha on the preserve--an acceptable stocking density) Even if all tortoise to active borrow ratio existed, a stocking density of of 4/ha (66 tortoises) would not be excessive in this open grassy habitat Your proposed habitat management regime, ie, periodic burning/mechanical disturbance and the creation of a scrub IIfingerll in the prairie, should greatly enhance the long-term prospects for this tortoise population The 2 89 use of radiotelemetry over a 2 year period will provide valuable data on both resident and relocat~d tortoises It will be especially interesting to see if the tortoises use the created scrub habitat I would, however, recommend fencing the entire 40 acres (rather than the 10 acre prairie) This will allow the tortoises to move out into the open scrub, reduce disturbance by humans, and prevent the relocated tortoises from "homing" or moving south into the proposed development area I hope the above comments are helpful to you I have also enclosed my revisions on pages 21-22. Should you desire additonal information, please feel free to contact me Sincerely, d~iZ ~ ~oan E Diemer Biological Scientist III JED/apc ..... 90 Append ix 5 Boardwalks 91 BOARDWALKS Preservation of 40 acres of sand pine scrub and dry prairie habitat in the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce development will provide a unique opportunity to enhance public awareness concerning preservation of a portion of Florida IS rare plants and animals To accomplish this goal, the developer (Quantum Associates) wishes to provide a system of elevated boardwalks, to the extent allowed by all permitting agencies, (Figure 1) that will connect with the proposed city park ~ediately due west of the preserve area A circular boardwalk will provide access through a portion of the sand pine (Pinus clausa) scrub forest. the dry prairie grassland, and the newly created sand pine scrub ridge (Appendix 6, Figure 1) A short junction in the boardwalk will extend out into the prairie area and will terminate at an observation deck This portion of the boardwalk will be elevated approximately 4 feet above the main walk area The observation platform will provide a visual panorama of gopher tortoise activity plus our efforts to create sand pine scrub habitat by using the mulching technique of Clewell and Poppleton (1983 ) The boardwalk should be constructed using standard guidelines as established by the Florida Department of Natural Resources. Division of Recreation and Parks, to ensure safety and long-term performance A guardrail will be provided in order to discourage patrons from walking into scrub areas Visual aids (wooden signs describing special plants and animals) will provide information necessary to ~ 92 educate local residents This environmental facility could be incorporated into a variety of programs sponsored by local public schools, county parks and recreation, or Pine Jog Environmental Sciences Center. Hetland Jardwalk . 93 .-.:" _----.--..- _ '-.T..:"y;~..jl' i~-t -~..-..; I \ S"'\. 'l' J~~~ .'_ " ~. , '.:~ ~t"?t ~ '\ r."j,/.7 :\ ~~ 1", \. ,do" " -. ,.jooI" . "." ~b;> I.~ ~~I.V.,r, '/ ' " TJ' -'" "., "t' . . a;'" '<< U' ~ ,. _ _. ' ,', ""." ,.Ji ,- ~ "'\.,,,' ;...".. .' ~ """, · ~'".,~.,.... 'IV \' 1~"r~v~?""';::'.:-( "'.'~ ~'~..,;: ~.:~I~ 1- '~""K'~''- \ ~~ .. ~ · ~...' ,.. ~:p.lifj ....) f.!- ~~ '.; ~ Nl; . , '~S:"- \.. ~\.r . " !XL , " ". '<; \" . ~ .' ., .. .. "'. " .. ~ " . ._.Jf'~ . ..' _ }' ~ I 4. ,. ',_ '-.. /'+" , 'l~ ~. ~~~. '.: ;' ".... ,'1 ie' ':. r.. ,',' ~l,;: ' .. .. ',~. lit.. 'l~" .~~~ ,,~...' .... '. l' /"....".i~.. ',"'.rt~.,,':..""{)" ,~"_,..,~'" .MA .... ~,.....II ~ ., ~ ij'I>.t, Wi( ~l.\~ '~o: ~~ VI. . , " ~ I~ 1 .. ' ., .. ~~ "' .. ~'r , . ' '.. ." ',~:..'C:. · ", .. I ;;';:'~ ~->.. .. ~"'''~J'fJ' ~ - '".1f .~. . 1tL/; ~ . ,:':, C/. ' 'f, --,,"'''' ~ - , '. . . ,. f ..... .. .'/ '" ~ti .,' .J> 'i . p" .' .' ..\ ; II ., ... I.,.. ,. ~' ~ . .'. "'" ~ ~ '1 . ~",' -'".' ,- "'~.~~.. . ,/E.'/. .~l f' ~ .' .'- . ~. ,.. , .. ;; "~!, (Iiill;,.'~ ~ II .;:.7>."'.....,;~. > '" ..' ~r.- ~ .\"" ' I7.;.Il~~~I~'. ~111' '. ~~,: ;. ", .. ~ y; .I~-A.i:~~- c'" ,,. .~'~ ~_ I '. ~.. . ~ . ..[ i I~' -fl.', ~ . ~~..'" __.'-]" . " .:' 'J. I: I~ ;i~". ~. u,~;;:.: ":, '1.,.,.,.' :'.. ',rl~~/. ~ , ~~.~ " ~ .. ~ a _.~~., "', .t.. .~.' ~ ' /;t.}J. f."( ^~ I' \., ~ ( H\'.io;\.. ::/'.' . , "~,~, ~. ^ ~ ~~... I~"~ ' ,t' II ., .-.- ~ .. , ._ ,,~ ~.. !Io-~' ,.~ ~", ~ , . ,,,,:;'\:: : ':"-- :.~ . ~ fI ~'" . '. '. '/~~~ ~.J~' "11 I ~" .' , ,ii., .. M '\.'\~.{~ II \I , ' :> 1\ I ~ .[~,'~~' . ~$~" l",\~ ",.~~_~./~'~~~, ~~ ." , \.~ ' ~ .... , I'J "I/ ~H\\~ ~ r~. ,~..~.. ~ ~~ ~ ~ ,.' y,: '''1 .< , .' 1I! ,..-".-- ..r!l ~ · "--''' ~ ~..... ~ " :;.'" -and Pine )ardwalk -- , , . . , ..- ; l'lj" 't-~ "~';'~ ..L . ~ ,!It ' / ~ ry , \ '~l D" . ",,1 (e ~~ \ \ 9 ~H~\ ~ ~ '~ . . " ~ tl.'i\f\. '. ~igure 1 Boardwalk plan schematic r~ ---------------- ---------------..---------~. ~ Appendix 6 Sand pine Scrub Mulching Technique ------~-- ------ ---------- - --------~--------~ 94 95 METHODOLOGY FOR THE FORMATION OF SAND PINE SCRUB USING THE MULCHING TECHNIQUE QUANTUM PARK AT BOYNTON BEACH Prior to any movement of heavy machinery into the dry prairie at the northern end of the preserve, all gopher tortoise burrows will be staked and flagged to prevent burial of burrow entrances At this time, an area of approximately 7 acres will be created contiguous to the existing sand pine scrub community, thereby creating a full 40 acres of sand pine scrub within the boundaries of the Sand pine Scrub Preserve (Figure 1) The habitat to be created will not exceed natural elevations found in the sand pine community. All sand will be harvested from sand pine areas immediately south of the preserve (Figure 2) With the use of a front end loader or small pan, the upper 18-24 inches of soil will be excavated and hauled to the site Placement of the soil will start at the edge of the sand pine forest and progress northward into the prairie Manipulation of the soil after it has been dumped in place should be kept to a minimum so that the seeds and root tubers will be at the surface and available to germinate or sprout Since all roots, stems and plant remains will be utilized, no cle~ning of the soil is necessary. Based on the acreage to be created, approximately 20,000 cub~c yards of white sand will be hauled to the site All vehicles will enter the prairie along the western edge of the sand pine scrub forest and under no circumstances will heavy machinery be allowed within the canopied areas 96 FIGURE #1. LOCATION OF SAND PINE SCRUB AREAS TO BE CREATED CREATED SAND PINE SCRUB (SAND FINGERS) VEHICLE ROUTE t ~ . it""~""-I - i ;~'\ -=- ~-~.._.~ ~\'\~, i .. "'" """-"" "t"_ " I : 1~;'i.:~~\'5iIi I!!Il ~, ~I .. I ~.. ..,.Y~' · f" ' J ~.~ :' - '~', I-~'I I- i_ria .;.- .'_~ ;1". - ~ 1fJr- .......",::::; - .. ','" '''' ~-'" . \' , .... .i:" " -~\- \..fr:- . .:...--:.,..;1.. ."...-~ ,.. ..' -- "" '" ..... .. '" ~ . \-_' .. ..,..f-' \11 ""'" .. · iJ .. 1t..... ,..... · \..... · .. y ~' f = ' \: ') .' . " . _ "_= 'f#' ~" ..~' . ~ .~n .' .. . 'f; . ... ' .\ . " ' :l~~jll": ~} ~,II '.. :t~flr .. . .' ..~f(r"'"'' \~~j", .[rr/:~.., . " li:,. ~"'... ~. : 97 1_ ..aLJr\ ,Il t. ~rtr..f~~J" ~ ~ ~ .. . '>.1: I' .:Ie ~ '. ' ,'. ~1 \ j" ~ '-', ~K-;.> \ . :',{.: . '\~~ ' . ~~- . "\. r;! I. ,~;;. ., , ~~ l{ ~~;-.l '. . ~.;~ I, .' , ~ t. \ ,~~, '~~ ,I ~ .. '4 ~.. " , , ~' 1 .If I, .. "!" , " '. .. -~ .., . ~-:::- .. T:.. -L. .. ./' - :..;:..-.:"'1-.:'" -:::' - 1\ - -\ I ~~ '-~II': '~ . . ,., ..... . ' .' ~ :1 .. IA,~'l' J~tI t . ' . JOo,.I:' , "t " . ';IX#~", X .i.. 01:.. ~ · l'r '.t~. "1.1 '. 'PI III i;l~ ~ , " . ,.~ ; II i~ ~ , . . ~ " ;"II ~, ~ ~-, , ~' ~ :$ 11.' . . ,,". ~f ;1' r.. l'" . -;. ,." ! ..~ I ,,'" ,.' '. 'f ' ", , . . . ~:lMJ ~ .... ,-*A: ' A.' ..... _. , .ur.. . ~, It r"r..; ,~:.." . , r f' . <t. ,-"". 10 ..:.f ~I" , ,/,,;,,r.J " I ~ fti. ~"'.. : 'IJ. '~:)l{lJ.i If: ~~~~.,. ',. ' LI:: (L: '1 . -~' , ~,~ , . ;:) :: ..;:;.. _~;J"" I . ~~ " ,\ '-' . -:-: ~ ~('(' ,. ~ 1_'l~ C> !~ -I....~ <.~~,~ ~r.; ""'- \ ~' ./~~~ . 'So ,~. ,... K\"''''~ ' ,~ r,l) · - . ~" .. ' ' ~l)' '.;-,: . - " . ,.~ -" ' ~ . "~ '~~' :. FIGURE \\2 ., ' oi:i \', s>>ID !\i'R'l/Es't i'RE; 10' ~ 'JI!.,' I::' , ". ':t ~' .~: .. ,; . ,..." ,.,;,,,.-.. ... ' .... t \! ,. '" ...~ r" , ., ~..:..~,'fT.JI. ~~ l: III . .. I Vi' ,", . ' fl:.., <'. ~ "f.. ~ ~' fI.~ ,,... " . , ' ; ~ ... I: ~~i I ;j:,. J. :~ . .~ ..' .. .. ~ " ;; I" ./ j~ .. f r . j~ ~ 1 "J ill' ,,,,, ~ "Ul,' ." t'{J 'Ow ~ ~ . . " ~J" ~ t' ' !,;:-,J" '1" , J . I 'J '\i\(. ~ ~ ..... F ~'. ",":-'- .. . . ~ ,~,~- (/j fJ- ~~ .. .....-----.....-----~ .0 ':J .,' r ...... .. Appendix 7 Boundary of the Sand Pine Preserve J AMENDED 1/5/88 98 J ' .; III ,-, ::.. ;: i if "i~ ,I~ -;. ~ "ii' I.~,:' 5 al.'~l= = .O~ 5." ,:18_. i ~J~;.. ~ ~I.' I~:I :i:11 i · 5t~'1 . !,'I ~,S. t.~~ _ , I'I~ ~- ~ ~5' ~.:' i':'1 I~ 1 .! ~.tl- ~i:; ._. , I ... , ... 1_,1 '1':1 ;, . is .yj . -;it .;.. I:~..: = a:!I'al I ~I;' :111 i-tli ,; ! ,!'15~1 ! '-I li~i !:I=I!' I . "I' i I"I! :;~,. I".t. !-f ~ t:!'.:. , .ihi sa.. 'i~ · - , JI~a., i VIi sh ,clIl I:. ~;.~- I' a ': .~ ~ J.r I '~!1:5! , ~_t5 - ,. .a.. ,. ill a ~ .. -.... il"' -it:f 'Di It! .1- , it_if :1'1 =.:! i-- ~i !!,Ii! ,~:i'!! .,!e 1_': .1' r: '.I:i,., rr :'-i~' a~ Ci :. Ii ri..: :1: ~.. iii 1.lil irl i~ ~I.'i' :i ,Ii~r - I: I Il'~ .;;.1 ,:~~:~. .. a!...a . i": ~ ~.! ,~. " Ir't,.. ",,-.,. i ,:.~~ , ~I~ i!l-i ~,::. ~ia ;,:~~ ; ._ . . .. r Sf .. 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"~~ 'C\" ....j "r', 1C;V1 f)d to6S. lnfO M./~ . ~3NIW r. g ! \J: .ISoe. l,ll.9l,&lN - 1I 1oo.13n . !l 10 .JOI~ M... ~"')"'r.:1~ ". l,.'.S .,oos i ih i! II:,!:::! ..';;1:.0 i!rri~~E "'i," i1,: 1......Kv...:: '''''I .. e..a_~s,...1 -It<<-n~- t- .,,:. .u a_."IJa.. !:~~i;; :. ~5h:..1~= ~~ii;iiia r ~ ... ....! I~;~fl!~!~ !..1'.. t-j:1Il t1'~II~!:: aUI:::a!!. !ioltu::;v t;~!t~i;; r.f..~u." 'l.r..H"~l &0"0 ...l, ~ ~"~"I=a~c "'S'" 0 . t.: ::~ ... t I lit: ~~~7:; i i.;~:,!~:: . :....~sa.a., i ~aiai~;;li ~ ;i:.i-'!J;l : ":':':''i~wt;'i hllo;,iir ~ 64 ....D::. ~ ~ V&!~':I: ~. !~r.~;tah2 ! ~ ~ ~ -A !E 5: :~!~a .1 ..., ..;z"..lJliu ::'a: ;.1I;j;r!a-tr 5"-. I 0_0 "'0_" ~;"t..~...I~ ....;;r_~ ......a.., _ eo ~!:."fl' &u.~ s.&.. ;V~ '.> i..r.J 'i, ;~;II ,". - .. &~il .,At!.',;;" .1'.. .._ aO-1I a .... Y:;'s""aJf" :~&:. r::~~~;..l~ .;;:. to 0 "......S.. 02." --:'-a': ;...! :::'oil j" 'wi: !&:i~i~ii ,if: ~=:!.1ira& --I..' =r..o..!I...; -ol'a~' r.u !!...-~..t! ;~rl ~n~"!!.ri _5_0 !ti~J;:!;. i;-;: ..a....lS.t ,~U Il'i-r.ti~! ,,_ _- V!:,,"'. ~_ .a ~,,~!,,_. -.w ~,,'~!l _ "i'!.!!..,:".! iii;~ ::i~:~~~ir i~~:~ -,:.., ..~: ,. .t~...l'. J':.h:!'~;. - 'a.' '.a" ~..I!S J !-!=;.D -~".. r~r .~'- r..!.~ !::"i~i"i: ;'iai'l 1~.;~; .ii': -~.>l' '~Yr:';Ya" t ~~ . f-l'IYl' . "~,:~ ..!' ":!:!J r.':'tjy 1'1 -;'". ~";,!ID -~ i~:it :~..~:~: .!~!~ "I~ ~U!:' ~~:I.- ..._ r uw i..... .. ; ; r , i ' ~ 1 N. .U) I &hi I ro i ~ r !;t i we . ~=: r ::I~ j w.. .. crz .,; to a~ fIt&;s: ~i ~is i ~... e.it. a 41 uti( S z~.... OQ 4a:. Ill:;. tnC Z :"".. A. .... 1I~3'8 o~c :::2 ::I. t .,.!... 1: 2; lEi::: DC a ....... _ IE;:) :" ~iA.O- .. . is: i~ ! 1 i a. a y: ~! II' :i ~j:;~! .."~~ ~i:;! _ _ e~:'i! ..~.. -..~.. a.... ............1 "w ........... ..-lit ...:-.... ~o. :::,:::..1:: :::::;::::~,~: nnau=a~a .w- HHH~!i;~ ;O;DoCiQ~=Y;; ;:;.;.;~;~j~!:. ::.:.,r; - r . ~~~:.:.~:al. ~o....-..."'o::!tl :=:=~ :!i!: isr ::~~ :;! I.SZ.St:rJ'r~JI.':; ~nHB;HH ..... ....... .. Appendix 8 Additional Preserve and Micrositing Plan Revised January, 1988 ...,-....".. .......... Introduction As stated in the DRI report prepared by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, approximately 40 acres of sand pine scrub vegetation was intended to be preserved within the constraints of the project. With this in mind, a 40 acre tract north of N.W. 22nd Avenue was dedicated as the sand pine preserve. This area was entirely fenced and all protected faunal species were relocated into the preserve from the other scrub areas within the 560 acres of the site. The 40 acre preserve was originally described as being 33 acres of sand pine scrub and approximately 7 acres of old pasture occupied by gopher tortoise (Gopher us polyphemus). Since the entire area was not sand pine scrub, an additional 4-5 acres of scrub was created using an overburden mulching technique which has been utilized by the Phosphate Industry. Final approval for the preserve was granted by both the city of Boynton Beach and the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. Following approval by the agencies, all protected species were relocated and a monitoring program established as ind icated in the Development Order. However, several months after the relocation effort, the preserve was found to be inadequate. In order to r~ctify this problem, an additi~nal 14 acres of sand pine scrub will be preserved south of N.W. 22nd Avenue, west of High Ridge Road (Figure 1). The 14 acre preserve will encompass prev ious development lots 65 and 66 and a one acre portion of lot 64. This area has been field checked and approved as scrub by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the City of Boynton Beach (see attached documentation). Establishment of this additional 14 acres of scrub vegetation plus 12 additional acres of microsited scrub within several commercial lots will bring the total acres of sand pine scrub to approximately 44 acres, including the 4 acres of created scrub. The following discussion will focus on the ecological assessment of the new 14 acre sand pine scrub preserve, a management plan for its cOfttinued survival within the Quantum Park project, and the 12 acre micrositing plan. FLORISTIC COMPOSITION The above mentioned 14 acres of scrub vegetation will be incorporated into the Master Site Development plan for the Quantum Park project as Sand Pine Preserve. All requirements and recommendations agreed to by the developers in the original plan will also become part of the new 14 acre preserve. Historically, this tract of scrub vegetation shares a similar background with the preserve north of N.W. 22nd Ave. in that the understory was cleared in the early 1980's. What's interesting about this 14 acres is that regeneration of sand pine has been prolific. This indicates that the type of mechanical disturbance used to clear the understory vegetation in this portion of the scrub caused less disturbance of soil profiles when contrasted with the area to the north. Most of the area north of N.W. 22nd Ave. was cleared with a root rake which caused severe mechanical disruption and alteration of soil profiles. This type of clearing tends to remove a vast amount of underground roots and corms which would normally germinate with time. It appears that the 14 acres south of the N.W. 22nd Ave. was mowed or raked in a slightly different fashion since many more endemic species and sand pine have germinated over the past 5-6 years. The site is dominated by sand pine (pinus clausal which range in size from 15-41 cm dbh reaching heights of 16-17 meters. Most of the trees lean to the west because of offshore sea breezes. Tree core data indicates that most of the larger sand pine range in age from 21-45 years. Existing sand pine densities within the preserve average about 45 trees per acre. Sand pine recruitment from existing seed bank reserves and periodic release by mature trees has been prolific for this scrub. Seedling densities range from 280 to 340 trees per acre. The shrub layer is dominated by scattered sand live oak (Quercus geminata), rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides), Palafoxia feayi, jointweed (polygonella polygama), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and scrub mint (Conradina grandiflora) (Table 1). A large portion of the tract is covered with a dense mat of love vine (Cassytha filiformis) which has killed many scrub mints. Most of the young rosemary appear to be about 3-5 years old based on nodal counts. The herbaceous layer is composed of wiregrass (Aristida gyrans), silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifol ia), scrub sedge (Rhynchospora megalocarpa), hairsedge (Bulbostylis ciliatifolia), sand spike moss (Selaginella arenicola), Dichanthelium sabulorum, prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa), natal grass (Rhynchelytrum repens), broomsedge grass (Andropogon virginicus), and sawbriar (Smilax auriculata) (Table 1). Within the sand pine scrub preserve, approximately 1.4 acres along the western edge of the site (Figure 2) is best classified as ruderal vegetation. It appears that these areas were once utilized as dump sites for building and residential debris. These areas support a thick grass layer composed of several weedy or exotic species. The dominant species include bahia grass (Paspalum notatum), broomsedge grass (Andropogon virginicus), natal grass (Rhynchelytrum repens), wild grape (Vitis munsoniana), and pokeweed (phyto1acca americana). Other assoc i a tes i ncl ude dogfennel (Eupator ium capi 11 i fol i urn), Caesar weed (Urena lobata), begger-ticks (Bidens alba), dwarf horseweed (Conyza canadensis), Sida cordifolia, periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) and Bra z i 1 i an pepper (Sch i nus terebi nthi fol i us) (Table 2) . Within the disturbed vegetation, open sandy areas are dominated by a mixture of sand pine scrub species, most notably, sand live oak, jointweed, pawpaw (Asimina reticulata), fetter bush, prickly pear cactus, Palafoxia feayi, and tread softly (Cn idoscol us st imulosus) (Table 2). PROTECTED PLANT SPECIES There are five species of plants within ,the new 14 acre preserve which have been listed or are under review by state or federal agencies (Figure 3). These include: Curtiss milkweed (Asclepias curtissii) - Threatened, FDA. Scrub palmetto (Sabal etonia) - Threatened, FDA. " Nodding pinweed (Lechea cernua) - UR2, USFWS. Scrub mint (Conradina grandiflora) - UR2, USFWS. Sand spikemoss (Selaginella arenicola) - Threatened, FDA. No federally protected plant species were observed within the 14 acre preserve during the field study. Two of the species (scrub mint, nodding pinweed) are under review for federal listing (UR2), but substantial evidence of biological vulnerability is lacking. Three species (scrub palmetto, Curtiss m:llkweed, sand spikemoss) are threatened by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDA), but have no real protected status if permission for removal is granted by the owner of the property. The location of the above species has been documented so that they may be maintained within the new sand pine preserve. In almost every case, the above five species are restricted to open, sandy areas within the sand pine scrub where competition is low or on the margins of oak thickets in full sunlight. FAUNAL ASSEMBLAGES Animal populations within the preserve are at extremely low levels since the site was or ig inally cleared in 1984-85 of all gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), Florida mice (Peromyscus floridanus), and Florida scrqb lizards (Sceloporus woodi). To date, gopher tortoise activity has not been observed within the proposed preserve. No Florida mice were orginally found south of N.W. 22nd Avenue because of poor habitat cover. We can assume that since only 3 Florida mice werE originally trapped during the small mammal study, recolonization from other scrubs on the property is unlikely. However, Florida scrub lizards were observed on several occas ions within the proposed preserve. Flor ida scrub li zards prefer open sandy areas to forage f or prey items. Max imum population densities usually occur in rosemary or evergreen oak scrubs without sand pine and in early successional stages (less than 30 years) such as in the preserve. Its poor ability to disperse across habitat barriers reduces iti capacity to colonize isolated patches of suitable habitat, thus requiring contiguous preserve areas of different ages. The occurrence of this species within the proposed preserve indicates that probably not "all" scrub lizards were relocated in the original study since this species is very fast and difficult to capture. There have been two reports of scrub jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens coerulescens) utilizing the area south of the proposed preserve as a source of acorns. have been observed within the entire No permanent residents 560 acre Quantum Park development since most of the habitat is of poor jay quality. At least 5 scrub jays have been observed in a small tract of oak scrub directly east of the site and Interstate 95. It is conceivable that the occurrence of 2 scrub jays on the Quantum site in 1987 may be the result of a new pair looking for available habitat or that during times of stress (~ood shortage), this area may be utilized by jays as an acorn supply. preserving an additional 14 acres within 1000 feet of a resident population may allow breeders to utilize the site. MANAGEMENT PLAN (14 Acre Preserve) Management guidelines and goals will be similar for the proposed preserve as those outlined for the sand pine preserve north of N.W. 22nd Avenue. The objectives will also be to preserve, through management, a representative sample of an original Florida ecosystem, thereby maintaining the natural diversity of both plants and animals. Long term preservation of the ~crub vegetation will require the use of controlled prescr ibed burning as a management tool. Since the proposed preserve will be surrounded by commercial development, a combination of roller chopping and prescribed burning will be required. Roller chopping was used successfully at the Yamato scrub (Boca Commerce Center) to produce a cooler, more manageable fire. Roller chopping is frequently utilized as a method to reduce fuel loads which create wide fire breaks between the vegetation and permanent structures (i.e., buildings, telephone poles etc.). The site will be divided into at least two different subunits to be burned in different years in order to promote a diversity of different age stands of vegetation. Since the preserve is similar in age to the preserve .north of N.W. 22 nd Avenue, prescribed burning and/or roller chopping will not be required for at least 15-20 years. In contrast to scrub management, approximately 1.4 acres of ruderal vegetation should be immediately altered to allow the establ i shment of scrub vegetation. These previously disturbed areas along the west edge of the site should be burned and the area seeded with sand pine. Prescribed burning would require the formation of a sandy fire break between the existing scrub and the ruderal vegetation. Burning should occur when the winds are out of the east to prevent smoke management problems on the interstate. This would force the flame front to the west, away from the sand pine scrub vegetation. Once the disturbed areas have been burned, the entire area should be immediately seed~d with sand pine. The seeds should be broadcast and slightly trenched into the sand about 2 inches. Other trees such as sand live oak could also be planted in these disturbed areas to simulate oak thickets which could be utilized by scrub jays as suitable nesting sites. Observations from other scrubs indicate that oak thickets with as few as 5 trees have been utilized as nesting sites by scrub jays. Two small oak thickets will be planted within the disturbed areas. Each thicket will be planted with 5 field grown sand live oaks which range in height from 5-7 feet. The trees will be placed in a pattern to produce a dense canopy required for nesting. All exotic pest species will be removed from the preserve in order to reduce seed loads that may be dispersed by local resident birds or other animals. with long term management of the scrub, this area could also be utilized as a potential site for relocation of gopher tortoise I from other scrubs in the city or within the yet to be developed areas of Quantum Park where recolonization may occur over the next several years. Management for other scrub species will b~ in accordance with the guidelines that have already been approved and accepted for the existing sand pine preserve north of N.W. 22nd Avenue. oJ} , [\ 1 ! .. , ( ~\ II _"...... __'" --. r...----- __a .... - ' ------ ~--~~-~~~~---- Location of tbe 14 Acre preser"Ve FIGURE 1 ~ --~-------- Figure 2. Aerial photograph showing areas of sand pine scrub and ruderal vegetation within the proposed Bapd Pine Preserve. . Figure 3. Generalized location for the protected plant species within the proposed preserve. . . y yY Y . .. . . . . . . y" . a Sabal etonia y - Asclepias curtissii . = Lechea cernua / Scientific Name Table 1. Checklist of the proposed 14 acre sand pine preserve. Common Name Trees Acacia auricu1aeformis Brassaia actinophy11a Pinus clausa Pinus e11iottii Shrubs Asimina reticu1ata Ceratio1a ericoides Conradina grandif10ra I1ex glabra Licania michauxii Lyonia ferruginea Lyonia 1ucida Palafoxia feayi Po1ygone11a po1ygama Quercus chapmanii Quercus geminata Quercus myrtifo1ia Saba1 etonia Schinus terebinthifolius Serenoa repens Vaccinium myrsinites Ximenia americana Herbs Andropogon virginicus Aristida gyrans Asclepias curtissii Bulbosty1is ciliatifolia Cassytha fi1iformis Chamaecrista fasciculata Cnidoscolus stimulosus Croton glandulosus Cyperus retrorsus Dalea feayi Dichanthelium sabulorum Eupatorium capillifolium Euthamia minor Euphorbia polyphylla Ga1actia regularis Hedoyotis procumbens Helianthemum nashii Heterotheca subaxillaris Lechea cernua Lechea deckertii Lupinus diffusus Earleaf acacia Schefflera Sand pine Slash pine PawPaw Rosemary Scrub mint Gallberry Gopher plum Fetterbush Stagger bush Palafoxia Jointweed Chapman's oak Sand live oak Myrtle oak Scrub palmetto Brazilian pepper Saw palmetto Huckleberry Tallowwood Broomsedge grass Wiregrass Curtis milkweed Hairsedge Love vine Partridge pea Tread softly Croton Nut sedge Dogfennel Spurge Milkpea Innocence Camphorweed Nodding pinweed Blue lupine Herbs cont. Opuntis humifusa Paspalum notatum paspalum setaceum Phytolacca americana Pityopsis graminifolia Polygonella ciliata Polygonella gracilis Polypremum procumbens Rhynchelytrum repens Rhynchospora megalocarpa Selaginella arenicola Setaria geniculata Seymeria pectinata Sida cordifolia Sisyrinchium solstitiale Smilax auriculata Solidago stricta Stipulicida setacea Tillandsia recurvata Vitis munsoniana Prickly pear cactus Bahia grass Thin paspalum Pokeweed Silkgrass Wireweed Wireweed Rustweed Natal grass Scrub sedge Sand spike moss Foxtail grass Blue-eyed grass Sawbriar Goldenrod Ball moss Wild grape Table 2. Checklist of the disturbed areas within the proposed 14 acre preserve. Scientific Name Trees Acacia auricu1aeformis Brassaia actinophy11a Pinus e11iottii Schinus terebinthifo1ius Shrubs Asimina reticu1ata Lyonia ferruginea Pa1afoxia feayi Po1ygone11a po1ygama Quercus geminata Quercus myrtifo1ia Serenoa repens Herbs Andropogon virginicus Bidens alba Cassaytha fi1iformis Catharanthus roseus Cnidosco1us stimu10sus Conyza canadensis Cyperus retrorsus Eupatorium capil1ifo1ium Helianthemum nashii Heterotheca subaxi11aris Iresine diffusa Opuntia humifusa Paspa1um notatum Phytolacca americana Poinsettia cyathophora Rhynchelytrum repens Richardia brazi1iensis Sida cordi folia Smilax auriculata Solanum americanum Urena lobata Vitis munsoniana Wedelia trilobata Common Name Earleaf acacia Schefflera Slash pine Brazilian pepper PawPaw Fetterbush Palafoxia Jointweed Sand live oak Myrtle oak Saw palmetto Broomsedge grass Begger-tick Love vine periwinkle Tread softly Dwarf horseweed Nut sedge Dogfennel Camphorweed prickly pear cactus Bahia grass Pokeweed Wild poinsettia Natal grass Sawbriar Nightshade Caesar weed Wild grape Creeping oxeye SAND PINE MICROSITING PLAN Through the course of review of the Ecological Plan, comments were received from the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council which indicated a need to provide alternate areas for Sand Pine Scrub preservation outside the designated 48 acres of preserve area. This concern arose because of the following: I) The or ig inal Ecolog ical Report est imates that 33 acr._s of sand pine scrub exists and that 6 new acres will be created by the sand pine fingers in the 48 acre preserve. 2) The Council was not prepared to acknowledge the 6 acre sand pine fingers experiment as successful for a two- year period. Therefore, the following plan has been formulated to protect no less than 48 acres of sand pine scrub habitat upon full development of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce. It is the intent of this plan to demonstrate successful creation of sand pine fingers in the future and subsequently seek relief from all or part of this micrositing plan. In preparing this plan, reference was made to the Development Order (Ordinance 84-51, City of Boynton Beach) Condition 19. This condition states the following: (19) A minimum of thirty percent (38%) of the landscaped required by Section 7(H) (13), Planned Industrial Development regulations, Appendix A, Zoning Code of Boynton Beach, less waterways, as a part of specific site development shall be preserved or replanted in a manner to enhance or recreate native vegetation. In addition, the following shall apply: (a) the location of the areas of native vegetation shall be such that the watering and fertilization of non-native areas not inhibit the management of the native vegetation areas in a healthy state; (b) a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of all trees and shrubs used in landscaping shall be native species adapted to the soil conditions on site; and (c) any scrub habitat set aside under condition 6 above which is located on a specific site to be developed will be found to meet this condition and to receive credit against condition 6. (Condition 6 establishes the 40 acre requirement for Sand pine Scrub) . The P.I.D. Ordinance 7(H)(l3) cited in the condition specifies that each development parcel maintain a minimum of 20 percent landscape area. Therefore, the result of the development condition is that a minimum of 6 percent (but up to 20 percent) of each parcel must be preserved or replanted with native vegetation. Analysis of the lot area contained outside designated preserves indicates that a logical and efficient illethod of designation exists which can safely preserve slightly more than 12 acres of sand pine scrub habitat. Considering these areas plus the 28.3 acres existing within the preserve areas acknowledged in the Ecological Plan, this results in satisfaction of Development Order Condition 6, which mandates a minimum of 40 acres of sand pine scrub habitat. Table 3 and Exhibit A illustrate the parcels which are hereby designated as contigency areas, their acreage and the minimum amount of sand pine scrub habitat which will be preserved on each It should be noted that all lots so designated are wholly contained in areas which presently contain sand pine scrub, with the exception of lot 55 which is not completely covered by existing sand pine. However, due to the large size of this parcel, flexibility exists to allow many preserve opportunity I areas when site plans are pre~ared. Because Condition 19 exists in the approved Development Order, no special action or covenants are necessary to implement this contingency plan. The Development Order mandates this provision and preservation, and the native vegetation so mandated on these lots is sand pine scrub. Therefore, the City will enforce this provision at site plan review through the normal process. Specifically, deed restrictions will be utilized to mandate preservation of at least 8.2 percent of the lot area as native vegetation (which is sand pine scrub in the lots shown on Table 1 and Exh ibi t A wi th the except ion of Lot 55). Upon appl ica t ion for site plan approval, the City Forester will certify compliance with this requirement and have the applicant record the location of the preserved area as a condition of approval. Upon acceptance of the site plan for each parcel, preservation of the sand pine area will become the responsibility of that parcel's owner. Table 3. Micositing Area Area Sand pine Acreage Credit A 0.73 ac B 1.55 ac C 1.85 ac 0 1.96 ac E 1.47 ac F 2.01 ac G 0.84 ac H 1.20 ac Sub Total 11.61 ac Lot 55* 0.50 ac Grand Total 12.11 ac *On1y partial credit taken on this parcel because it is not entirely covered by Sand pine Scrub in its existing state. " . . ~ ~r-8y. .\,,___-... . ~~_~~,tjlJ.*".).;$~~. __...... __.. . II - ~r",\OO ,n n.~.."" .-~'I& .-. ...", 1\iiicrositing Are~ EX-IlIBI" --------------------/--------------- ------~----- Attachments to Appendix 8 ~ , , II ,. I', co~t regional planniQg council 1u')~[2,~D~~ LFJf 1,- ! Ol:r 1 n ,o~ .-- December 3, 1987 Mr Sam Shannon Assistant County Administrator Palm Beach County POBox 1989 West Palm Beach, FL 33402-1989 Subject Quantum Park Development of Regional Impact Dear Sam In response to your request for informati on on the status of the Quantum Park Development of Regional Impact (DRI) scrub issue, the following summary is provided below and additional background information is provided in attached Council staff memorandums To resol ve the scrub issue the developer has proposed to 1) reduce the original 40-acre preserve area to 25.7 acres to include 14 acres of scrub habitat and 11 7 acres of open grassl and (scrub acreage is located within "Area 5" as referenced in the Iverson and Austin September 14. 1987 letter), 2) preserve an additional 14.3 acres of scrub habitat along High Ridge Road as shown on the attached map (this acreage is located within 'IArea 411 as shown in the Iverson and Austin September 14, 1987 letter), and 3) set aside an additional 12 acres of scrub habitat through micrositing Counci 1 and City of Boynton Beach staff have verbally agreed that the proposed approach is consistent with the Development Order (DO) and adequate to resolve the scrub issue on this property Implementing this approach requires significant revision to the master site plan As such, the developer has recently submitted a proposed change to the DO which provides language and an amended master site plan incorporating the necessary revisions. All condaions to assure establishment and management of microsited and preserved scrub areas will be contai ned in the revi sed ,preserve management plan The revi sed management plan is expected to be submi tted for revi ew sometime this month. Agencies approving the plan include the City of Boynton Beach, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Comission, and the Florida Department of Natural Resources 3228 Sow. martin downs blvd. suita 205 . p.o. box 1529 palm d",. IIorida 33490 phon& (305) 286-3313 kcnn L marcus chairmCIn thomos 9. kMny, III MCNtary/nasurar jun minix vicachainnon clani.1 m. cory aaculiva diractor .; Mr Sam Shannon Palm Beach County December 3, 1987 P age Two The developer has requested that he be ghen relief from preserving scrub in m;crosited areas as scrub creation efforts in the original preserve are demonstrated to be successful. The developer is proposi ng language to be included in the revised preserve management plan to provide for this option If there are questions please call Dani el M. Cary Executive Director DM:/MB 1 g Attachments cc Carmen Annunziato Fred Cichocki George Zimmerman M t ~ 0 RAN 0 U M io Quantum Park DR! File From Micnael Busna Date June 11, 1987 Suoject Monitoring Site Visit - June 4, 1987 Accompalli~(J by Grace Iverson and Fred Cichocki of ?alm Beacn County's iJilderness lslanas COalition, I inspected tne aesi'3nateo scrUD preserve drea and a previ ous 11 scari fi eo ,scrUD area occupyi ng the sou thwes t corner of Nortnwest 22nd Street and High Ridge Road Prior to rny arrival, Iverson alld CiCalOCKi inspected the scrub area occupying tne nortneast corner of Nortnwest 22no Street and Hign Ridge Road Findings Northeast Corner 2u obligate scrub plant species including the threatened Curtis Milkweed Numerous scrub lizards Active gopner tortoise burrows Sou thwes t Corner 14 ooligate scrub plant species incluoing tn... threatenea Curtis Mi 1 kweed Numerous scrub lizaras This area was completely cleared or unaerstory and ground cover approxi- matel) 3 5 years ago Stressed canopy sand pines were also noted at that time Regeneration of this area is ongoing and vigorous Designatea Scruo ?reserve Area 3u obligate scrub plant species (Ricnardson, April 1987) Numerous active ~opner tortoise burrows and scrUD liza ds The sand pi ne scrub habi tat wi thi n the fenced preserve appeared as good or better in terms of species diversity as the other areas visited It does not appear, basea upon rev; ew of so; 1 survey maps and vi sual i nspecti on, tilci't the area of scrub hab i tat preserved totals 33 acres as previ ous ly represen tea by the developer and hi s consu 1 tant. I n my rough es ti ma ti on, tne to ta 1 scrub area is probab ly ; n the nei ghbornood of 15 to 20 acres The remai ni n9 area is made up of di sturbed pasture and pi ne fl at'Noods and areas where scrub creation experiments have been in progress since December/January It is sti 11 too early to determi ne tile success of the scrub creation experiment Upon inspection, however, I would nave to ques ti on porti ons of Ri chardson I s April 15, 1987 moni tori ng report Average percent cover estimates may be overstated and I did not observe II severa 1 thousand sand pi ne seedl i ngs tnroughout the scrub preserve in areiaS tha t have been ennanced by topsoil from the harves t sites II I may not have, nowever, visited every ennancement site As a result of tnese findings, I would strongly recommend as an initial step that the sand pine scrub area within the aesignated preserve be measured immediatelj to determine its actual approximate size MB pk ~ ~-~--------- -----~------- - --- - ----- ----- / M E M 0 RAN 0 U M To Quantum Park DR! File Via Chris Beditz, DRI Coordinator From Michael Busha ~ Date July 16, 1987 Subject Quantum Park Sand Pine Scrub As a result of staff finding significantly less than the 33 acres of Sand Pine Scrub habitat previously reported by the developer to occur within the Quantum Park preserve area, a meeting to discuss the finding was held July 9, 1987 Present at tne meeting were the developer and his consu1t~'ts on the matter, and Chris Beditz and myself The following facts were agreed upon 1) 14 acres of Sand Pine Scrub habitat occur within the existing 40 acre preserve area, 2) 4 acres of experimental scrub creation plots occur within the existing 4U acre preserve area, 3) 26 acres of representative scrub habitat would need to be found on-site and set aside in reasonably sized and arranged parcels to mahtain its character, 4) additional scrub habitat should capture lands containing the threatened Curtiss Milkweed or other such species subsequently found, it will take at least another year before it can be determined whether scrub mat' on plots wi 11 show a reasonable 1 i ke1 i hood of success, 5) 6) the concept of undertaking additional scrub habitat creation experiments as creoit towards the additional acreage was strongly discouraged, the developer's concept of recalculating total scrub acreage to de termi ne suspected overes ti ma ti on in the ori gi na 1 MJA was taken under advisement and the developer was instructed to proceed wi-thout accounting for this possibility, additional animals newly identified within previously trapped areas should be SCheduled for on-site relocation immediately prior to clearing these areas, 7) 8) ----- 9} it was strongly advised that the developer contact the City of Boynton Beach ;ouneai ately and work through them on any proposal s to correct the situation, 1U) it was expressed by Council staff that it is likely to stay involved as a consul tant on the matter to the Ci ty of Boynton Beach and that any proposals shoula be transmitted to Council as well, and 11) the developer expressed a sincere willingness to quickly and satisfactorily solve the problem and would try and have a proposal together in two weeks One day following the meeting I contacted Carmen Annunziato, City Planner for Boynton Beach, and brought the matter to his attention He had not yet been contacted by the developer MB 19 , " M E MaR AND U M To Quantum Park DRI File From Michael Busha @ Via Chris Beditz. DRI Coordinator Date November 10, 1987 - SUbject Quantum Park DRI Site Visit On November 9, 1987 I met on-site with City staff and the developer and his consultant to inspect a 14-acre piece of proper'ty which the developer proposed to set aside as credi t towards meeti ng a porti on of hi s sand pi ne scrub preservation requirement (see attached map) At the conclusion of the i nspecti on, it was agreed that thi s 14-acre parcel was acceptab 1 e for preservation I had expressed some concern over three small fragmented areas in the parcel which had been disturbed in the past by dumping and clearing activities These area which contain few obligate scrub species and are domi nated by grasses, total ed approxi mately 1-1.5 acres and occur along western edges of the proposed preserve. It was felt that active management of these areas would allow the scrub to recover from past disturbances After being questioned about where the final 12 acres of scrub would be preserved, the developer explained that the remaining acreage would be set aside in homogeneous landscape areas established from parcel to parcel mainly along High Ridge Road Location of these landscape areas along with new management guidelines for preserve areas will be established in the updated preserve management plan to be approved by the City of Boynton Beach and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, and Florida Department of Natural Resources The developer requested that he be allowed rel ief from preservi ng acreage in landscape areas as it is demonstrated that scrub creation efforts in the northern preserve is successful It was mY opinion that the initial efforts to create scrub habi tat had fai 1 ed and that further efforts may be futile However. I explained that if the developer wanted to continue with his efforts to create scrub as a way to get relief from maintaining the landscape areas, the criteria by which success is determined will have to be clearly spelled out in one of the conditions contained in the updated preserve management plan MB/LCS 1 g ---- ---- --- ~ 1,- I l- t f I ~ ~ I u_ ~. ~..- -- - co~t '. *' ;~'~~'] ~.~. regional planniQg council , I G-Uk" ~_--.-lL~ December 8, 1987 Mr Carmen Annunziato, Planning Director City of Boynton Beach 211 South Federal Highway Boynton Beach, FL 33425-0310 Subject Quantum Park Developm~nt of Regional Impact Review of Proposed Change Dear Mr Annunziato I In accordance with the requirements of Section 380 06(19). Florida Statutes t Counci 1 staff has revi ewed the proposed change to the Quantum Park Development of Regional Impact (DR!) submHted to Council by the developer The proposed change revises the master site development plan by redistributing office, commercial, industrial, Sand Pine preserve. and surface water management land uses There has been a reduction in overall development area of 0 6 acres Conunercial land use remains unchanged, while industl"'i-al land uses have decreased by 0 2 acres, and office land use has decreased by 0 4 acres Because only 14 acres of scrub habitat occurred within the original 40-acre Sand Pine preserve, the developer was required to preserve an addltional 26 acres of scrub habi tat el sewhere on the property To accompl i sh thi s the developer proposes to 1) move water management and office uses into non-scrub habitats of the original preserve and maintain the existing 14 acres of scrub habitat, 2) establish a 143-acre scrub preserve west of High Ridge Road and, 3) establish 12 acres of homogeneous sCl"ub landscape corridors by micrositing development on certain parcelS It is staff's understanding that the location of microsited scrub areas, along with conditional langu~ge to assure establishment and management of required scrub acreage on the property. will be contained in the revlsed sCl"ub habitat management plan Because Council as well as the City of Boynton Beach, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Com\TIission. and Florida Department of Natura 1 Resources must approve the revi'sed pl an. thi s approach is acceptable 3228 s.w. martin downs blvd. suite 205 p.o. box 1529 palm city, Rondo 33490 phone (305) 286-3313 karen t. marcus chairman jim minix lice chairman thomas 9. kenny, III secrelarv/lreasurcr daniel m. cary lUllCl/live directQr Mr Carmen Annunziato, Planning Director City of Boynton Beach December 8, 1987 Page Two The proposed change does not meet or exceed any of the criteria in Sections 38006(19}(a), (b), or (c), Florida Statutes Based upon these substantial deviation guidelines and staff's review of the impacts of the proposed change, the change will not require additional review by this agency, and Council will not participate in the local public hearing for the proposed change If you have questions, please call ani elM. Cary Executive Director OftC/MB 1 g cc Edward Deutsch Jon Moyl e M~rina Gonzalez-Pennington ~&eorge Zimmerman Peter Cheney Karen T Marcus 100 Bibliography Auffenberg, Wand J B Iverson 1979 Demography of terrestrial turtles. In M. Harless and H. Morlock Turtles. John Wiley & Sons, New York Pp 541-569 Auffenberg, Wand R. Franz 1982. The status and distribution of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) Pp 95-126 In R B Bury, eo , North American Tortoises Conservation and Ecology Wildl,fe Research Report 12, USDI 126 pp Burnham, K P . D R Anderson and J. L. Laake. 1980. Estimation of density from line transect sampling of biological populations Widl Monogr 72 1-202 Campbell, H W. and S P Christman 1982. The herpetological components of Florida sandhill and sand pine scrub associations In N. 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F 1982 Some demograph~c characteristics of the Florida rosemary Ceratiola ericoides Michx American Midland Naturalist 108 170-174 Jackson, J zone F 1973a Evo 1 ut ion 27 The phenetics and ecology of a narrow hybrid 58-68 Jackson. J F 1973b Distribution and population phenetics of the Florida scrub lizard, Sceloporus woodi Cope1a 1973 746-761 Jackson. J F and S R Telford, Jr 1974 Reproductive ecology of 101 the Florida scrub lizard, Sceloporus woodi 1974 689-694 Cope ia Komarek. E V 1974 Effects of fire on temperate forests and related ecosystems Southeastern United States. In C. E Ahlgren and T Kozlowski, eds Fires and ecosystems. Academic Press, New York Pp. 251-277 Kushlan, J A. and F J. Mazzotti 1984 coastal population of gopher tortoise. Environmental effects on a J Herpetol 18 251-239 Landers, J L. 1980. Recent research on the gopher tortoise and l.ts implications. In Proceedings of the First Annual Meeting of the Gopher Tortoise-Council Pp. 8-14 Landers. J. L , J A. 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D B 1985 Gopher tortoise management Experimental studies of tortoise population response to habitat manipulations Unpublished research proposal submitted to the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Comml.ssion. Tallahassee Rask. L M 1983 Dl.et of the gopher tortoise in longleaf pl.ne/turkey oak sandhill habitats in central Florida In Proceeding of the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Gopher Tortoise-Council Pp 19-21 Stout, 1. J 1982 Small mammal community in sand pl.ne scrub Bull 102 Ecol Soc Amer 63(2) 68-69 Tanner, G W. and W STerry 1981 Effect of roller chopping and web plowing on gopher tortoise burrows in southern Florida In Proceeding of the Second Annual Meeting of the Gopher Tor~ise Council Pp. 66-73. Taylor, R. W. 1981 The gopher tortoise its use as food by man In Proceeding of the Second Annual Meeting of the Gopher Tortoise Council. Pp 56-65 Wester, E 1983 Island populations of gopher tortoises in a reservior. In Proceeding of the Second Annual Meeting of the Gopher TortoISe Council. Pp 22-23. Young. B L. and I. J. Stout rodents in sand pine scrub. 1983 Food supplementation of small Florida Scientist 46(Suppl 1) 26