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ECOLOGICAL PLAN AMENDED 3/16/1987 ECOLOGICAL REPORT FOR THE QUANTUM PARK DEVELOPMENT, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA August 4, 1986 Prepared by Ecological Consultants 7301 Summerbridge Drive Tampa, Florida 33614 and Quantum Associates 2455 E Sunrise Blvd Suite 1106 Ft Lauderdale, FI 33304 Amended March 16, 1987 as follows Section II, added page 7 1 Section II, revised page 13, description and survey Section III, added page 73 1 Section III, added Appendix 8 Wetland monitoring and survival language Figure #3 3 8 acre wetland legal Sand Pine Preserve Contingency language Sand Pine Preserve Contingency Plan of revisions by ff:7Jl ECOLOGICAL PLAN FOR QUANTUM PARK BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA A fr/evoe1) {tfft.{2.CH /5 If'll- -- --. ~ --~------- TITLE PAGE :0. ECOLOGICAL REPORT FOR QUANTUM PARK AT BOYNTON BEACH ~..;. Part I - Introductlon, Flnancial Responslblllty prepared by - Quantum ASSOClar~S 2455 E Sunrise Blvd SUlte 1106 Ft Lauderdale, Florida 33304 (305) 564-5114 j: 'i' Part II - Hardwood Swamp, Wetland, and Freshwater Marsh MltlgatIon and Management Plan prepared by - Ecolog1cal Consultants 7301 Surnrnerbrldge Drlve Tampa, FlorIda 33614 (813) 88b-4288 Part III - Sand Plne Scrub Preserve Management Plan prepared by - EcologIcal Consultants 7301 Summerbrldge DrIve Tampa, Florlda 33614 (813) 886-4288 r--.- ,r ". ~\. . DE "'CTSCH IREL.A..XD PROPERTIES 'U:~...T TO rO_T .........C("'~....( ::>,.,.,:, Part I - Introduction/Statement of Financial Responsibility Quan~um 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 Associa~es, 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 con~ained within the lan appendices labeled "Boardwalks" and "Met.hodology for the Formation of Sand Pine Scrub Using the Mulching Technique" and immediately following herein Management & Financial Resoonsibilitv - 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 !.lanagement Plan 2) Relocat.ing 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 diversit.y, 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 discussed in Part III, Page 9 of this report 5) Plant.ing 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 8UILDING-2455 E. SUNRISE 80ULEVARD-FORT LAUDERDALE. FLORIDA 33304 . (305) 564-5114 THE BUILDING. 1125 NORTHEAST 125 STREET NORTH MIAMI. FLORIDA 33161 . (305) 891-6806 AFFILIATES 0/1 REALTY & MANAGEMENT CORP MITA CONSTRUCTION CORP In~rcduc~io~, Ccn~inued 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. &~D FRESHWATER MARSH MITIGATIO~ AND MANAGEMENT PLAN. QUANTUM PARK AT BOYNTON BEACH As stated in the DRI report prepared by the Treasure Coast Reglonal Plannlng Council and as contalned ln condltion, the developer shall establlsh a vegetated littoral zone of Hardwood Swamp/Freshwater Marsh comprlslng a total of no more than 11 acres as part of the surface water management system No less than 5 5 acres of the 11 acre littoral zone requlrement shall be maintained and comprlsed of specles that are representative of Hardwood Swamp habitat found on-site lncluding but not limlted to swamp bay (Persea palustrls), dahoon holly (Ilex cassine). and pond apple (Annona glabra) in association. with a typical herbaceous layer of ferns and other natlve indlgenous hydrophytlc vegetatlon The littoral zone habitat shall be fully vegetated wlth native plant specles and occur from lake control elevatlon to a depth of 3 feet below control elevatlon In addltlon, the developer shall .preserve on-slte 6 acres of seasonally flooded wetland habltat deslgned to be of value to fish and wildlife species and consisting of natlve vegetatlon typlcal of such habltats The Development Order states that prior to commencement of construction for any phase of the project. the developer shall prepare a deslgn and management plan for all wetlands or littoral zones that wlll be part of that phase The plans shall l) inc 1 ude a topographic map of the wetland or llttoral zone, or include typical cross-sections, 2) specify hO\J vegetatlon 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 Treasure 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 IA-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 sOlI The addition of topsoil 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 domlngensis) 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 species, 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) Sort rush (Juncus effusus) Whlte waterlily (Nymphaea odorata) Smar tweed (Po lygonum punc ta turn) LlZard I stall (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 height 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, will 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 least two rows of hydrophytes wlll be planted to bridge clustered areas All plant Ing will commence 1n the spring and summer months in order to get plants estab11shed before wlnter fronts begin It 1S suggested that. if possible. Some natural zonatlon be util1zed in the planting scheme Soft rush and sawgrass should be planted at mean high water or just above mean high water on the lLttoral shelf Smartweed and lizard1s tail should be planted at water depths ranglng between 0 and 8 Inches or within the upper 3-5 feet of shelf A mlxture of arrowhead and pickerelweed will be planted from mean hlgh water and outward from the bank to a depth of 24 lnches At depths exceeding 24 inches) water lilies will be planted on 4-5 foot centers All water lilies will be planted w1th leaves st111 Intact thlS specles Long-term management of the 11ttoral zone will not be necessarv) This has been determined to increase survival of provIded topsoll is added to the planting sites and quality plant materlal 1S ut11Ized At the discretlon of the developer. some managemen"t of cattalls may be deSired In selected plantIng sites for aesthetlc reasons HARDWOOD SWAMP As indicated In the Master Plan, a total of 6 acres of Hardwood swamp w11l 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 dlvers1ty 5 These two wetlands are domlnated by a dense shrub or small tree layer that forms an impenetrable thicket The domlnant shrub or tre~ species include swamp bay (Persea palustris), Carolina willow (Sallx caroliniana). pond apple (Annona glabra), dahoon holly (llex cassine). wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), and salt bush (Baccharls hallmlfolla) The herbaceous layer is common only along the sunny margins and is represented by the following speCles swamp fern (Blechnum serrulatum). royal fern (Osmunda regalls). redroot (Lachnanthes carolinlana), arrowhead (Sagittarla 1anclfolia). pickerelweed (pontederia cordata). sawgrass (Cladium jamalcense) and white waterlily (Nymphaea odorata) The southern 2 2 acre wetland has been lnvaded by punk tree (Xelaleuca qUlnquenervia) Due to the density of punk tree in thlS wetland, a major portlon of the vegetatlon assoclated wlth this slte will be removed and replanted wlth natlve hardwood swamp species lndlvldual hardwood trees wlthln the wetland wlll be flagged and located for removal and/or preservatlon in Sltu The actual number of plants and the locatlon of planting wlthin the 2 2 acre wetland will not be determlned at this tlme A resurvey of the plant specles just prior to bulldozlng wlll determlne the type and number of individuals that may be lost and would have to be replaced to make the wetland functional Long-term management of these wetlands depends on controlling water table fluctuatlons durlng drought conditions Every effort to malntain water tables at or slightly above ground level is important 6 to prevent oXldatlon of the peat and to maintain a saturated sOlI condition that would be conducive to regeneration of all associated specles For the southern 2 2 acre parcel. this should pose no serlOUS problems Slnce 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 (F 19ure 2) As per the deslgn constraints. the hardwood swamp will be constructed at a 4 to 1 slope This will allow approximately 8-10 feet of plantlng habitat along the lake shores Long-term maintenance or the swamp vegetation is dependent upon establlshing and maintainlng saturated to temporarily flooded soil conditlons ThlS wlll ultimately be regulated by storage of ground water in the lakes Desired species for the hardwood swamp include swamp bay (Persea palustrls), dahoon holly (Ilex cassine), sweet bay (Magnolla vlrglnlana). Carollna wlllow (Salix caro1iniana), pond apple (Annona glabra), red maple (Acer rubrum). and wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) Nursery grown trees of various Slzes (1-20 gallon) wlll be utilized throughout the mitigated areas Transplanted trees from on-site wetlands will be used where possible Trees will be planted on 10 foot centers or in clumps to simulate natural field condltlons 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 hlgh water line or at the 12 foot elevatlon Swamp bay) dahoor. hollj, and Carolina wlllow wlll be planted above the saturated zone with wah myrtle OccupYlng the ecotone between the hardwood swamp and the upland vegetatlon No speclflc numbers of required tree specles can be provlded at thlS tlme because many of these specles may not be available when plantlng commences It may be necessary to alter planting speclflcatlons prlor to planting the hardwood swamp zones 7.1 "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, Me1aleuca, and Australian Pine) 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. Maintenance will occur as often as necessary to control encroachment of pest exotic species Resul ts of the program will be summarized within the annual monitoring reports proposed to be submitted " REVISED 2/26/87 FlGUKE: T- A ~KE~ 1 2~2k~ ~~~ __'NFTF't.H:/ ~A or.:#lO -~t-. 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C,JO . ~~:::;~;;:=::~i:.~ & -w ~_%%%%%%%%Z%%~~ZX h ~~~----------Z&w~ ~~aaa~aa~&l&l-." ~ ~~~~~~~~lililf~~2 _ .! C % OJ ~ C >! 11 ~ ~ ! ~ ~ w .. I ~ :1\ ~ . . . ... .."'...........~=: % ... c :i z e z 2 ~ +~ t. ~ ." 1 ..", <1-, ~~ .-:'- ~ \1''6,; <~ oO!~ 00' SOUTM '14! ;~ ." - --~--- --------~---------- 14 :>i ~ > ~ ~ tr. <<l QZ ZO "::H 1-1E-; E-/p., tilH :3:~ U tilUJ ~~ UC ~ ~ ~ Nt.!) t.:l NI-1 ~ =-= t.:l ~ ::> t.!) H fl-l ~ 1 PART III - MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PRESERVATION OF SAND PINE SCRUB (AREA 2) OF THE BOYNTON BEACH PARK OF COMMERCE DEVELOPMENT 04 August 1986 by Ecological Consultants Donald Richardson 7301 Summerbridge Drlve Tampa. Florlda 33614 Index Introductlon .. . Plant and AOlmal Surveys Vegetatlon Gopher Tor to lse Florida Scrub Llzard Florida Gopher Frog Eastern Indigo Snake . Florida Mouse . . Managemen t PIan Resource Descrlption Management Procedures Threatened Anlma1s Exotic Plants Roads and Trails . .. . S urrma ry Annual Reports AppendlX 1 - Zero Trapping Methodology Appendlx 2 - Ckecklist of Area 2 Appendlx 3 - Checkllst of Area 1 Appendlx 4 - Letter of Recommendation Appendix 5 - Boardwalks Appendlx 6 - Sand Plne Mulchlng Technique Appendlx 7 - Boundary of the Sand Plne Preserve Blbhography . . . 3 5 27 39 41 43 . . . 45 51 52 . . . 54 57 . . 69 70 71 74 76 82 85 87 90 94 98 100 2 3 INTRODUCTION Prior to any development in Area 1 (Figure 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 WOOdl). 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 cernuua), Indian pipes (Monotropa brittonii), scrub palmetto (Sabal etonia), wild pine CTillandsia utriculata). and sand spikemoss (Selaginella arenicola). The trapping of all listed animal species and relocation of plants from Area I and all other scrubs into Area 2 will be accomplished 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 facilltate habltat dlversity 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 speCles 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 5 REPORT ON AN. rnVESTIG.ATION OF DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF RARE. END~~GERED, 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. quantltatlve and qualltative assessments of Areas 1 and 2 were made to compare the ecological condit~on of the proposed 40 acre preserve) Area 2. with that of the mature sand pine scrub known as Area 1 Methods A checkllst 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 indicatlon 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 checklist Two lOO-meter permanent line-transects were established for both Areas 1 and 2 (Figure 2) In each area. the vegetation was sampled using a line lntercept method. recording the length of the transect line intercepted by each plant shoot encountered and a series of ne s ted quadr ats Three (3) and five (5) nested quadrats were randomly 6 located in Areas 1 and 2. respect1.ve1y The size of the quadrats varied with the strata of the forest to be sampled Trees were measured using a 20 x 20 m quadrat, shrubs using a 4 x 4 m quadrat, and herbs us ing a 1 x 1 m quadrat Each 4 x 4 and lx 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 each measured species For all trees encountered in the 20 x 20 m quadrat, dbh and basal area were measured Density. dominance (as percentage ground 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 height was also noted for each transect Flowering and fruiting times for all plant species of Area 2 will be monitored on a quarterly time interval Notes on additional species not located along each transect will also be monitored during each subsequent vis1t to the site for management purposes Viability of Area 2 was determined by comparing species diversity. density. height and seedling recruitment with Area 1. Line transect sampling will occur in Area 2 on a semi-annual basis to determine for management purposes. changes in the various plant strata over time Line transect sampling of Area 1 will be done only once. initially. baring any change of the site (hard freeze, fire, etc ). A three acre portion of the 40 acre scrub preserve will be utilized for the relocat10n of top soil from other selected scrub areas already slated for development within the overall project The top 8-10 inches of soil w1ll be scraped from other scrub areas and deposited on 7 the test plot ThlS management practice will be utilized to determine if species diversity lS enhanced due to additional seed material and/or dlsturbance and will provide additional desired habitat for gopher tortoise in the prairie system Two additional line transects will be established ln the soil test plot to assess ~hanges in species dlverslty. 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 lndicates that the scrub mint (Conradina grandiflora), noddlng pinweed CLechea cernuua), Indian pipes (Monotropa britonnii), scrub palmetto (Sabal etonia), sand spikemoss CSelaginella arenicola) and wild pine (Tillandsia utriculata) occur within the area Due to the cryptic nature of the Curtiss milkweed. surveys in the spring wlll be initlated to determine whether this species occurs 10 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 extension of a small introduced population 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 a is good, however. studies regarding relocation of the Curtlss mllkw~ed suggest survlvability is much reduced The wild pine (Tillandsia) may be moved from Area 1 into Area 2 with relatIve facility Scrub palmetto (Sabal etonis) has been transplanted from other sites with success, bue to our knowledge no one has tried moving Indian pipes Three of the remalning 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 practlces 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 comparison of the species composition of Areas 1 and 2 was determined by ground truthing, line transects and q~adrat 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 speClcS 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 revert1ng or setting-back succession in sand pine sc rub Prior to thlS investigation of Areas 1 and 2, several species (1 e Ceratiola ericoides, Lechea cernua) were missing from Area 2 and other cleared scrubs on the project Our origlnal interpretation suggested that root raking of the understory with heavy equipment coupled with grazing had destroyed the nature of the 5011 However, following the removal of cattle from Area 2. several specles indicative of young scrub began to appear Most notable was rosemary (Cerat1ola 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 competit10n from sand pine Other specles that have been stimulated by the disturbance include silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia), camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris), Lechea cernua, jointweed (Polygonella polygama and P robusta) and scrub mint (Conradina grand1flora) 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 anlmal species, including the gopher tortoise While these sites provlde habitat for several desirable animals. each brush 10 pile should be burned or hand cleared in order to eliminate potentla1 weed speCl.es Vegetatl.on Are a 1 The vegetatlon of Area 1 (approximately 37 acres) is best described as mature sand pine scrub, ranging in age from 15-37 years The community is characterized by 3 distinct layers and shows minimal signs of dl.sturbance The dominant tree is sand pine (Pinus c1ausa) which forms a relatively closed-canopy of mostly even-aged indlvlduals Trees vary in size from 2 4-36 0 cm dbh. reaching heights of 40 feet The average dbh per quadrat was varlable 12 7 cm for quadrat 1, 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 Sl.nce most of their cones were open Tree spaclng ln the mature scrub shows signs of aggregated patterns posslbly due to the behavior of past fIres Thera was conslderable overlap ln tree crowns and a total of 106 trees was measured for the 3 quadrats, representing an estimated density of 349 trees per acre Fire scars indicate that a recent fire (10-15 years ago) burned through the central portion of the site Reproductl.on 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, Q mvrtifolia, 2- chapmanii) , 11 tallowwood (Xirnenia 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 denslties 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 WhlCh had removed a major portion ~f 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 lndicate that 69% of the ground surface lS covered by plant material ln Area 1, as opposed to 35% for Area 2 (Table 4) Are a 2 The vegetation of Area 2 (known as the 40 acre preserve) lS characterized as young or early successional sand pine scrub Although clearing of the understory and thinning of the sand pine occurred prlor to 1983, community recovery has been successful The overs tory trees are dominated by widely spaced sand pine (Pinus clausa) (138 trees per acre) of several age classes. Tree core data of randomly selected trees indlcates that the majority of the sand plnes 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 em dbh, 12 reachl~g heights of 35-40 feet An analysis of the average dbh per quadrat for sand pine (Table 5) ln 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 predlct 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 lS dominated by scrub oaks (Quercus myrtifo1ia. g geminata), jointweed (Polygonella po1ygama). scrub mint (Conradina grandif10ra)) 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 ISO 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) and 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 Area 2 is well represented by 41 species. including a small proportion of weed species that have colonized the brush plIes The most common herbs include Cyperus retrorsus, wiregrass (Aristida stricta). broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus)) hairsedge (Bulbostylls 13 ciliatifolia), Helianthemum corymbosum, innonence (Euphorbia po1yphylla) 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. jOlntweed (Polygonella robusta). scrub sedge (Rhynchospora megalocarpa), and sand spikemoss (Selaginella arenicola). Stipulicida setacea, and blue-eyed grass (Slsyrinchium solstitiale). Plant Species Diversity Species dlversity, 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 slte and Archbald Biological Station (Table 6). a well studied site in southern central Florida The Area 2 preserve I showed the hlghest species diversity and was comparable to the Lake 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 species 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 exempl1fied by that of the Archbald Biological Station Future Considerations The ratlonale of this report is to determine 1) ~hether the proposed 40 acre preserve (Area 2) 1S a viable piece of sand pine scrub. and 2) 1f th1S parcel could be managed in such a way as to preserve. 1n perpetuity, this habitat for relocated plants and animals Several indications support the V1ew that the 40 acre preserve. even though disturbed in the past. is a viable piece of scrub 1n 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 Th1nning of the canopy and shrub layers ln Area 2 has stimulated several scrub species which normally occur 1n young scrub following severe fires (Lupinus diffusus, Ceratiola erlcoides, Conradlna grandlflora, and Lechea cernua) As pred1cted 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 22nd Ave Management of sand pine scrub V1a 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 pres.cribed bur:llng would be delayed for several years, whereas the mature scrub of Area 1 is approaching conditions that would demand the use of large scale prescribed burning The major drawback to burning the mature scrub lS the amount of acreage avallable for manipulation. Area 1 is divlded lnto 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-th1rd the amount present and viable in Area 2 Secondly, recent prescribed burning in the Yamato scrub in Boca Raton ind1cates that 10 acres of scrub would be the minimum amount of scrub requ1red to achieve 3 acres of naturally burned sand pine The rema1n1ng acreage (about 7 acres) would be mechanically altered in order to prov1de a sufficient fire break and necessary fuel to slIDulate a natural burn Therefore, if the intent is to preserve sand p1ne scrub, preservation of 11 9 acres in Area 1 would not be suff1cient to ma1ntain v1able scrub over time due to development pressure and poss1ble d1sturbance from roadway construction Relocation of scrub animal species into Area 2 could be accomphrhed 1mmedlately without habitat manipulation since the northern 10-15 acreS of the proposed preserve 1S a grassy prairie with resident tortoise populations at densit1es of less than 2 per acre A similar 9 5 acre site in Area 1 is also habitat for a number of gopher torto1se, but the threat of human poaching is present Preservat10n 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 facil1ty would be cont1guous with the preserve site Addit1onally, with the cooperation of county and city governments and the Florida Division of Recreation and Parks, there is env1sioned 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 preservatlon of the Area 2 scrub would be more desirable for both relocation of scrub animals and plants and the continued malntenance of this type of plant communlty The fact that preservation of scrub ln the past has been predicated on preserving sand pine, makes it even more plausible, especially at the regional level, to preserve a v1able young sand pine scrub community Mitigation Biologlcally, Area 2 represents a substantial portlon of sand plne scrub in southeastern Flor1da 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 proflles was minimal and that release of soil seed banks is occurring However, several areas within the preserve (brush piles, roads and tralls) would require some planting of scrub species in order to hasten reestablishment Several shrub species e g , Conradlna grand1flora and Ceratiola ericoides could be 17 relocated from other scrubs within the project into these disturbed areas Addltionally, it is projected to further enhance certain portions of the Area 2 preserve wlth top soil removed from other scrubs wlthln the project wlth the Vlew of stlmulating the establishment of desired scrub specles The creation of a series of fingerlike ridges (Appendix 6) of about 7 acres into the prairie abutting the existing scrub, wlth top soil from other scrubs, would increase potential gopher tortolse habltat and at the same time facilitate the use of a small portlon of it for educatlonal and research programs Successful reclamatlom through mulchlng wlth scrub top sOll has been utillzed in several phosphate projects (Clewell and Poppleton 1983) Open Prairie III '0 o o ~ u r: ~ OJ c: .-I Hature Sane! pin Scrub 18 Area 1 / Hature Sand Pine Scrub ods N \~ and Avenue OJ co ~ .... ~ 't:l .c (Q coO ... p::: :x: Figure 1 Locatlon of mature sand pine scrub (Area 1) and mitlgated sand pine scrub (Area 2) I I: I , r ?~ ~ .- Area 2 I I It iii I . .. 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(Q .... .... .... al ll.. &:... ll.. ll.. &:... u &:... &:... ll.. ... 0 O' ~ ~ ... (Q ~ ~ (Q ~ - (".j "'"l ..:r LA - "'oJ M ::;l - C ~.... o 0 .....~ ... I- (Q I\) ~ ~ ~.r:. C'Q u ::;l (Q C"OJ e ~ 0 c: 0 N ... >: c >- 0 0 N ~ QI I-l .c OJ ... Q. .... III 0 QI OJ N \.0 ... ~ c .... (Q 0 OJ U I-l ~ Q) CI.I QJ .0 (Q e e QI e ::;l I- 0 Z < C,,) '" Q) .-. .0 (Q ~ (".j III OJ \.0 -=: - (Q QI \.0 < 'J:: --' rt Associatlon HI e S s 40 Acre Preserve 2 26 0 SO 23 Archba1d Sand Pine 1. 25 0 23 24 37 Acre Mature Scrub 2 09 0 56 13 Archba1d Rosemary Scrub 1 4S 0 11 16 Table 6 Shannon-Wiener d1versity lHI). evenness and species rlchness lS) indices based percentage cover for plant species from dlfferent scrub stands ~6 (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 divided on the basis of vegetation types as shown ln the DRI report Since gopher tortoise are known to inhablt a wide range of habitats, each vegetation type (scrub, pine flat~oods, dry prairie) was systematlcally 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 Inactlve burrows showed no fresh signs of use and were usually laden with leaves and other rubble Abandoned burrows were often character~zed by erOSlon of the entrance or cave-in, with no signs of ac t i v 1 t 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 Are a 1 Area 2 Actlve Inac t 1 ve Abandoned Poached 25 10 10 1 35 1 16 Area so uth of N W. 22nd Ave 6 1 11 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 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 o 6 x active and inactive burrows (Auffenberg and Franz 1982) A total of 35 active and inact~ve burrows were locat.ed in Area l, while all the scrubs south of N W 22nd Ave contained only 7 burrows assume that Auffenberg's multiplier is correct for tortoise populations throughout Florida, 35 and 7 burrows represents an If we 29 estimated population Slze of 21 and 4, respectlve1y This multlplicr is a "rule of thumb" yardstick based on a single study in a 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 reconna~ssance of the total site, gopher tortoise are sparsely dlstributed throughout the sand pine scrub, but occur at relatively high densities in the prairies where food 15 plentIful Table 1 summarizes gopher tortoise densities in various habitat types ln 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 popu1atlon densities are found where light levels are high and in areas contain1ng a diversity of grasses and herbs In areas where oak canopy had become dense from f1re exclusion, the results were a decline in the herbaceous components and a subsequent reduction in gopher tortoise populations Although gopher tortoise densitles have been estimated for various habitat types. the actual carrying capacity for sa~d pine scrub is stlll relat1vely unknown Auffenberg and Iverson (1979) showed that tortoise densities in sand plne scrub were clearly correlated with grass cover as follows Locality Habitat 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 Astor Park A Astor Park, B Danla Salerno Sand Pine Sand Pine Sand Pine Sand Pine It lS clear from their data that as percent basal cover of grass decreased, gopher tortoise densities also decreased These data indlcate that 1n und1sturbed 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). relocatlon of all tortoise (46 based on Auffenbergs estlmate) 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 Dlemer of the Florida Game and Freshwater Flsh Commisslon agreed that the area could support the estimated population of 46 anlma1s 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 T~~le 1 State Ca Ca Ca Ca Ca Ca Ca Fl Fl Fl Fl Fl Fl Fl Fl Fl Gcp~er to=:01S~ 2ensltle for a varlety of vegetatlon t\reS Habitat Densitv/Ha Rayonier Snake Sanctuary- Longleaf Pine/Scrub oak Natural Stand J 3 Slash Pine Plantation 10 1 Silver Lake Station- Longleaf PinelScrub Oak Burned every 2-4 years 15 8 Silver Lake Station- Slash Pine Plantation 9 3 P1tts-Longleaf Pinel Turkey Oak forest 2U 6 Howard-Long1eaf Pinel Turkey Oak forest 0 38 Abbeville-Xeric Red Oak Hammock 9 J8 Alachua-Xeric Red Oak Hammock , 8Y Archer-Longleaf P1ne/ Turkey Oak forest 5 45 Trenton-Longleaf Pinel Turkev Oak forest U 8~ Tampa-Longleaf Pinel Turkey Oak forest 10 41 Sandhill Islands LO U ~ape Sable-Coastal Dunes 11 3 St Mark's Wildlife Refuge-Scrubby Flatwoods (Managed) 13 0 Tampa-Longleaf P1ne/ Turkey Oak forest 17 1 A1achua Co -Longleaf pine forest 2 5 3:! Reference Landers & Speake 1980 Landers & Speake 1980 Landers & Speake 19~0 Landers & Speake 19~0 Auffenberg & Iverson 107Q Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Auffenberg & Iverson lY79 Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Auffenberg & Iverson 197~ Auffenberg & Iverson 1979 Osterman 1985 \olester 1983 Kushlan & Mazzotti 1984 Means 1985 Rask 1983 Auffenberg & Franz 1982 Table 1 cont State Habltat Denslt.: !Ha Reference - 33 F1 Longleaf P~ne forest 3 5 Auffenberg & Franz J"8::: Fl Longleaf pine forest 2 ';I Auffenberg & Franz 1';182 Fl Longleaf pine forest lU 23 Auffenberg & Franz 1982 Fl XerlX Hammock 3 OY Auffenberg ~ Franz 1982 Fl Improved pasture tRoller chopp~ng) 6 4 Tanner & Terry 19~1 Fl Rudera1 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 lB)-Sand Pine Scrub 5 44 Auffenberg 6. Iverson 1971J Fl Van la-Sand Plne Scrub 3 11 Auffenberg & Iverson lY79 Fl Salerno-Sand Pine Scrub 3 55 Auffenberg 6. Iverson 1979 Fl Sand Pine/Scrub Oak 1 43 Auffenberg 6. Franz 1982 ~ean Gopher Tortoise denslty for Georgia = 3 98/acre or 9 83/Ha ~ean 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 ~I ~ . t--~;:r f . . ~ . } i' ... .., .i-1 4- ~. ',J }. " j , !>4J .; ~ "'..) -A. ~ -~ ~ .~.... · ~ J. I .. t. ~ 4' ::- ...... i" ~ - - ~~ j4 Location of gopher tortoise burrows south of N W 22nd Ave and west of High Ridge Road in cleared scrub " ~----. - r-.---~ lit- ~. I ! -. . I : , '. .". I ..,.......,)"f,. ~.~ 'r'1. ;f" If.' . -.. ~ . I r f ,. . /'". i., ., 'i ... .,-. ... . ~., .t U ('. t' ~;.. 1, "',: I ~ I. ~J !'r" .. '" ,. '" ~".,.~.. .... ~ ... r ,. , '"' ," r.\ .J":I ".' 'r . .,. 4 J : _ _",- .... ."" ". J '!',"" ..,- 'J' · ~)\ 1 ",;;<; :"..I..:--g ,.!? ., .1.- .~ 1',:~ ~:.: ..,....t:. " '"r ~ ~. ~ \ .. , .t ".fl...'\ 't\~".. -w..",:: ~..l I": 'n j;: d"L,( , ..~':~. ,~ : :)"......, '. "po :.1' ~.' I ~ .:'P ~;iJ' id' ~, I i I I . ~. ~ ..,. At~ " '7 ~, · f . .; ../ 'f J~ ~' ..} .,. ~.;~ ''f \. ,--1 "1':., - .. a; t... .. - ~ ,.. . , ... . . 'I \ \'1' ,1 .. . . -\. - , Location of gopher tortoise burrows in Area 2 ,.' .... .. I r ~ ,. 4 i....~ 1 ,,'.~ PI- <.>..... ~ ,)!j ~ ~"'1 n. -' __- I' ~ _' r. .l ." '. C.... t. ;. 'V. "'" ~t .~ e\. .q ". J. ._)' ,'l.I" , '" .~. '. - ,..". Ql!,~"< t' i' ,';~' l'~ t .,' ,." "~'. ."\.~\ /~""''4;':.....,,~ {',ri. . <'r '... . . -(, 0 .j' ;c.--< ' '. .' ill -~~~~. /'~j" b..:,,,-r\':'.(.... ,.r.-"lv' .. ...... __ - . · , <;) ,;,,' " t 1 ~ ,.~;i: ,\'\,.... · ~f..:.!jJ"".":~..,;;."~ ...,,\ -,. Po' 'i' ,,~c'-.' 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" ~ ';h;. ,_!i,?,: ~/:'r ,-~.:~~ '~~-;:jC' l}f~ t't ~.. ;r;J'~.~:t....._~._.~ . ~'~'~'~;_'i'l. ,.0 :.\.t'''~':: .t r~ l_;-,t":"~ . -I 4.1 ,.,..- 'to. ... .... A~ ~,;,..~~~' .,?> , - ~~)~,(\., '~ ~?'.'.\".l -'~ .. "'l~'" r."..'\..' "'\~.rF. ~ i.J .. '''v.'\ :.:... ~-;;. r\~I.-:J. ~.I.... "\0:.- ) '~\l~.,". ',! ,s. -u ("".... I :.~ "'~~:-7";:{ _~I'.J~ .,. . 37 &l'r;. J.~~;1~ ~It; ........ .'1.. .~~.~ ;. ~:..:;~ .1 r m-- ! . " .', '"\'tf~ ';.1 J \0' '" ~ ...~!1t ....~.......l , 1'~1:~~~~:.'~.1'\~~;~ 'h ~o~ ,'~''t'''>-y~' ..';" .,... .~. ;1.1' )~.' . \!~& ' ~_ -"f._l ~ ~ " J;........ .- 'n cleared rrows ~ d tortoise bu Ridge Roa , pher of High atiOn of go and west Lac 2 d Ave af N ~ 2 ~ the property boundary a b south scru thern the sou on -- --- ---.----- .. , , ~ ~.:' ~1'..;. t :, J ;. .'1-' . .." burrows in the grassy prairie. Location of gopher tortoise d f Area 1 scrub and oine flatwoo s 0 39 REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION OF DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF THE FLORIDA SCRUB LIZARD (SCELOPORUS WOODI) 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 Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus woodi) were studied on the undeveloped portlons of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce property, inc 1 ud lng Are as 1 and 2 Methods Sce10porus woodi is largely restricted to a single plant association, the sand pine scrub (Jackson 1973a) The study site was div1ded 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 v1sua11y checked on several occasions for lizard activ1ty during warmer weather Line transects were established every 10 meters for field reconnaissance During weather suitable for lizard activlty, 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 capturing observed lizards Sma II fish ne ts were used in Results and Discussion '" 4'J lnitial population census for the Florida scrub lizard was made over a 13 month interval, beginning January 6, 1985 Llzard actlvity is low in the winter months when ambient temperatures are low Lizard activity in the spr~ng and summer was much higher than in the winter months The dlstr~bution of lizards collected along the transects we re as fo llows Are a 1 Area 2 Area south of N W 22nd Ave Total 6 11 18 35 Observat1ons of lizard activity in Area 2 indicate that populations as of March 1986 may be somewhat larger, especially wlth 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 success10nal stages (less than 30 years) (Carr & Goin 1955, Christman et al 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 conc 1 uded that" true dens it ies are certainly higher (Jackson and Telford 1974)" Its poor ability to disperse across habitat barrlers reduces it capacity to colonize isolated patches of suitable habitat (Jackson 1973a, 1973b), thus requiring a contiguous preserve area of d~fferent 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 (RANA 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) populatlons of the Florida gopher frog (Rana areolata) were studied on the undeveloped portions of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce property, incl whng 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 studied The location of gopher torto1se 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 frogs. Artificial light was also used to visually check the roof of each burrow for the presence of the frog Results and Discussion 42 After a preliminary exa~ination of all active and inactive gop~er 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 thlS species, which may be due to the lack of seasonal ponds L.3 REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION OF DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF THE EASTERN INDIGO SNAKE (DRYMARCHON CO~~IS COUPERI) ON THE BQYNTONBEACH PARK OF COMMERCE TRACT As per the development order prepared by the Treasure Coast Reg10nal Planning Council and the city of Boynton Beach, populatlons of the Eastern Indlgo Snake (Drymarchon corais couperi) were studied on the undeveloped portions of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce property, includlng Areas 1 and 2. Methods Desplte the frequent occurrence of the eastern Indigo snake in the sand pine scrub environment, laboratory studies indicate that it lS very susceptlb1e to dessication The shelter of the gopher tortoise burrow appears to be the critical factor necessary for the survlval of this specles throughout areas of critical moisture stress Popu1at1on size was determined by visual observations made along the plant and an1mal 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 4iff~cul~r in ~rapping or locating this ~pe~ies may reflect the lack of available population statistics in the published literature 45 REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION OF DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF S~LL ~~LS 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 studled on the undeveloped portions of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce property, including Areas 1 and 2 Methods Preparatlon of a DRI report for the property resulted ln a vegetatlon map that showed the exten~of sand pine scrub Prior knowledge of the hab1tat requirements of the Florida mouse indlcated the mice would be llmlted to this community and the immediate boundarles (ecotones) L1Ve trap lines were establlshed within the areas of interest (Flgure 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 conf1guration but were placed 10 meters (32 ft.) apart on the lines Indlvldual trap sltes were marked and all traps were returned to the same l~catlons when trapping was done on separate occasions Traps were provlded wlth cotton nestlng material and 10-15 sunflower seeds when set to capture mlce 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 mlce will be evaluated as to abundance by three procedures 1) captures per trap night (1 trap set for 1 night equals 1 trap n~ght), 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 sldes of High Ridge Road along lines 3 and 5 No mice were captured withln 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 47 Accord1ng 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 hab1tat structure and compositlon does not support populat1ons of th1S species Disturbance of scrub areas via heavy machinery may have contributed to their demise throughout the area by eliminatlng gopher tortoise refug1a More recent findings by (Stout and Roberts, unpubl1shed) ind1cate 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 hab1tat, 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 m1ce 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 llzards Noth~ng has been publlshed 1n the open literature on denslties of Flor1da mice in sand p1ne scrub Unpublished data by I J Stout, based on grid trapping 1n 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 loB Average densit1es over a year may be much lower and much Varlat10n In densities may be expected bet~een years c: :;:-\ ::\ ;r ;><: ("I -' 1 ~\ 4Q - 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".... , SITt r \ , .I If \ . - ---- -". ,J:..~". ......:.c::::- .:fi'< -- t i" , Figure 1 Location of Florida mouse trap lines in the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce scrub (Numbers indicate suitable Florida mouse habitat ) 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 w1th1n the region has caused concern for the remain~ng remnants and the preservation of its unique plants and animals In an effort to preserve the largest contiguous area of sand p1ne 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 1S a v1ab1e scrub that supports a number of scrub plants and animals of regional concern Established transects and field observations of Area 2 indicate 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 object1ve of the resource management plan is to preserve, through management. the subjected piece of property as a 52 representative sample of 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 sporad1c fires Sand pine (Pinus c1ausa) 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 cond1tions of the scrub include various scrub oaks (Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, and Quercus chapmanii) , saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides) F1re 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 ult1mately grow into a xerlC oak forest If a fire is carried through 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 communi ty 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 been 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 responsibil1ties 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 suff1ciently protected for the future and not just short-term realities Assessment of impact and management recommendations are based on f1eld observations, comparison of past records, and a review of pertinent lit era t ur e Fire management F1re has a necessary histor1cal role 1n 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 act1vity (roads, etc ) have created the need for inst1gating prescribed burns to mainta1n scrub In add1tion, the burning of the areas at different times will also help promote a diversity of d1fferent 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 hum1d1ty, 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 exist1ng 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 relocat1on 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 act1vity 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 1t is determ1ned that a survey can be undertaken the following year without compromising the population, one can be conduc ted 57 A methodology will be developed to establish "zero" population levels on Area 1 following efforts to relocate that population to Area 2 (Append1.X 1) When conducting a prescribed burn, it is desirable to attain the cond~tions which are most natural As this biological community is perpetuated by natural fire events. one objective of prescribed burn~ng 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 prescr1ption 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 requ1red, and the permits needed Thus, policy and guidelines for prescribed burning can be established, but real1stically a mechanical/burning comb1nat1on will probably be the management future for this site. Any area within the proposed preserve site that will requ1re restoration because of past impacts (old trails. dump locations, etc ) will be planted with nat1ve 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 1n the F1or1da Committee of Rare & Endangered Plants & Animals reports Gopher Tortoise Florida Scrub Lizard Florida Mouse (Gopherus polyphemus) (Sceloporus woodi) (Peromyscus flo~idanus) Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) General Habitat Requirements The gopher tortoise is largely restricted to upland plne forests with dense herbaceous ground covers and firm, sandy soils (e.g., sandhills) It also inhabits scrub commun1ties and coastal savannahs Population densit1es 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 densit1es 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 o 3-11 9 tortoises/hectare (0 12-4 76 tortoises/acre)(T Logan, cited 1n Kushlan & Mazzott1 1984) and are directly related to the density of herbaceous ground cover (Landers & Speake 1980) Densit~es 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 l/acre), bu~ 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 (Komarck 1974). Managed forests that have been routinely burned have higher tortoise densities than sandhills that have undergone succession due to the artlficial exclusion of fires (Landers & Speake 1980). The seasonal timing of ecological burns may also be important F1res 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 k1lled 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 traff1c has compacted the loose sandy soils (Campbell & Christman 1982) Other management concerns include the indiscriminate use of herbicides, tortoise harvesting, and human related increases in tortoise predator populations Aerial applications of herbicides have been potent1a11y implicated in tortoise die-offs (R. H. Mount, personal commun1cat1on). Tortoise "pullers" have significant impact 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 ind1viduals The low reproductive potential of the gopher tortoise intensif1es the detrimental impacts of all harvest1ng practices (Landers et ale 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) Florlda 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 sandhil1s and xeric hammocks where ground cover, 1 e , grasses and leaf litter, is sparse because of disturbances (Jackson 1973a & b, Campbell & Christman 1982). Maximum population densit1es occur in rosemary or evergreen oak scrubs without sand pines and in early successional stages (i e less than 15 years since major dlsturbance) 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 11 true densit1es are certainly higher" (Jackson & Telford 1974) In all hab1tats where S WOOd1 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 6 Chr1stman 1982, Jackson 1973a & b) General Life History The pr1mary prey species of ~ woodi are predominantly non-flying arthropods or those that spend much of their t1me 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, multiple-brooded, small clutch speciesl1 (Jackson & Telford 1974) Mating occurs from the end of March to September, while egg depos1tion occurs from early April to October when ground temperatures exceed 20C (Jackson & Telford 1974) Tbe 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 & T~lford 1974) Hatchlings are present from late June to early November June hatch11ngs may reach s~fual maturity by the following spring while August hatchlings may not mature until their second spring (Jackson & Telford 1974). The Flon.da scrub lizard has been regarded as a "weed" species because of its colon1zation of patchy, early successional or d1sturbed 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 1solated 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 essent1al 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 disappear (Christman et al J unpublished report) Natural recolonization by ~ woodi where it has been extirpated is highly unlikely (Jackson 1973a & b) Thus, existing populations should be managed so that suitable habitat is continually available for them to move into The1r dependence on arthropods for food suggests that the indiscriminate use of insecticides could impact the reproductive biology of ~ WOOdl, 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 speclf1ed 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 consum1ng endeavors and not warranted for this study The third requ1res the least tlme to set-up but probably provides less accurate data, because of meteorlogica1, behavioral, and other influences on lizard observab1lity 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 fence technique is adequately described and depicted by Chr is tman et al (unpublished report), Briefly, long aluminum sheets are erected 1n open sand~ 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 plast1c 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 bucketsJ and/or they place a slightly elevated board over the bucket for the lizard to crawl under Additionally, screen-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 llttle 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 prov1de 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 ,lor 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 f1atwoods, pine-turkey oak associations, and certain oak hammocks (Layne 1963, Layne & Ehrhart 1970) The species is endemic to Florida (Layne 1978) Flor~da m~ce 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). Reproduct1on 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 availabJe in the scientific llterature 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 breed1ng as grid C- 4 6/acre. grid E- 4 6/acre, grid L- 7 O/acre In another year with less acorns available, the number of mice was reduced grid C- 2.s/acre, grid E- 3.8/acre. and grid L- 3 8/acre In summary, densities are variable within ,years and tend to be highest 1n 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 f10ridanus 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 SO years The s e data suggest that Florida m~ce 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 ava~lable 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 par t ic u lar age 0 f scrub is "be s t" for Florida mice Other Ilsted 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 coralS couperi General Habitat Requirements The Eastern Indigo snake is a wide-ranging specles 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, indlgos 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 hab1tat 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 lndigos 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 burrows). 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 find. 69 Management Recomzendations 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 has 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 from 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 (March 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 com~unities is also reduced. One exotic plant species is an existing threat, namely Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) and has been noted within the 70 area of studv The permanent removal and/or treatment with accepted herbicides (Garlon 4) of exotics must be completed with the 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 I.S of Military Reserve and National Guard Actlvities on a portion of Jonathan Dickinson State Park") Once these areas are impacted, their rate of recovery is slow and the entire community may be affected 71 Sunmary 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 held techniques 1) Nested quadrats, 2) Line -intercept transec ts 3) Grid system of transects for systematic sampling, and 4) Ground truth reconnaissance The followlng 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 ob ligate) than in Area 1 03 spec ies, 11 ob ligate) 3) Community diversity, as expressed by the Shannon-Wiener 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 stimulated several early successional scrub species endemic to sand pine s~rub (Ceratiola ericoides, Lechea cernua, and Lupinus diffusus), desirable species not commonly found in Area 1. 72 5) The ~rea 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 stud~es (Yamato scrub, Jonathon Dlck~nson State Park), a minimum of 10 acres is required for long term management of sand pine scrub Because of its size, Area 2 can be managed in several different age stands, an important criterion for maintenance of anlma1 populations 7) It has been determined by Ms. Joan Diemer of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission 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 immedlate habitat manlpulation 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 environmental education 9) The possibility of construction of a major 1-95 exchange at N W 22nd Ave would eliminate a portion of the Are~ 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 Canmerce Development be utilized as a natural preserve area. 74 AL~NUAL 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 Game and Freshwater F~sh Commission. The 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. The reports wlll 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 tr ansec t 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 accu.ately 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 activity 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 resu lts 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 15 Acceptance of the Annual Report by the city of Boynton Beach will be coordinated through the Planning Director and the city Forester 76 Append ix 1 77 METHODOLOGY FOR REMOVAL OF PEROMYSCUS FLORIDAN US 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 indlvidua1s of mixed sexes The central question becomes one of deflnition 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) 163-189, and 19s8, 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 course 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. The estimat10n procedure is graphically shown as F1gure 2 If capture success declines in a linear fash1on, 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 succe$S 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 90% of the tagged animals have been removed. This procedure allows lO% 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 s~zes 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 Mammalogy, 64(2) 210-217) In this case, trappable cotton rats (Signodon hispidus) were removed in 5 days from two o 49 ha grids The ~ubject of the paper is the subsequent immigration pattern of cotton rats onto the removal grid In a second, yet unpublished 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 mlce 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 10 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" 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 fllce t s I aught I / per / D.:1Y 10 / /' .- ./ ./ -' " S o o 20 '10 60 00 CUl1lulotivc Tot:ll Captures rlgure 2 I i\lcnr rcgres9101l of cnpt\lrcn or mire Dgnil1!';t the cumulntivc \lumuer of c::Ipturcs avec n 5 day rCllIovnl period The lil1c cxtelld~; to the x DKis 01\(1 f,lIgr,c5ln :l poplllnllull sJ..c of nhollt 100 mice The dn5hcd 1I1\l! indlcnleJ thc treml if rcmovnt lcnt\~ to invastol! of the trnppeL! Ollt h:1b1t:1t 82 Append ix 2 Checklist of Area 2 Scien t ific Name Common Name Trees pinus clausa Pinus elliottii Sand pine Slash pine Shrubs Asimina obovata Asimina reticulata Befaria racemosa Ceratiola ericoides Conradina grandif10ra Licania michauxii Lyonia ferruginea Lyonla 1 uc ida Palafoxia feayi Polygonel1a po1ygama Quercus chapmanii Quercus geminata Quercus myrtifolia Sabal etonia Schinus terebinthifolius Serenoa repens Vaccinium myrsinltes Ximenia americana Pawpaw Pawpaw Tar flower Rosemary Scrub mint Gopher plum Rus ty lyonia Staggerb~sh Jointweed Chapman's oak Sand live oak Myr t le oak Scrub palmetto Brazilian pepper Saw palme t to Huckleberry Tallowwood Herbs Abrus precatorius Andropogon virginicus Aristida gyrans Aristida stricta Aster tortifolius BuIbostylls clliatifolia Cassytha filiformis Chamaecrista fasciculata Chrysopsis scabrella Cyperus planifolius Cyperus retrorsus Dalea feayi Dichanthelium dichotomum Dichanthelium sabulorum Euphorbia polyphylla Hedoyotis procumbens Helianthemum corymbosum Heterotheca subaxillaris Indigofera hirsuta Lechea cernUa Lechea deckertii Opuntia compressa Rosary pea Broom sedge grass Wiregrass Wiregrass Whi te -topped as ter Hair sedge Love vine Partridge-pea Goldenaster Spurge Innocence Camphorweed Hairy indigo Prickly-pear cactus 83 S ta t us ObI. Obl Obl ObI. Ob1 ObI. Obl ObI Obl ObI Obl ObI. ObI Obl Opuntia humlfusa Paspalum setaceum Phytolacca americana Pityopsis graminifolia Polygonella robusta Polypremum procumbens Rhynchospora megalocarpa Schrankia uncinata Scoparia dulcis Selagine1la arenicola Setaria geniculata Seymeria pectinata Sida cordifolia Sisyrinchium solstltiale Smilax aurlculata Solidago chapmanii Stipulicida setacea Til1andsia recurvata Tillandsla usneoides Tillandsia utriculata Vltis munson~ana Prickly-pear cac tus 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 ObI. ObI. Obl 85 Append ix 3 Checklist of Area 1 Scient ific ~a.me ;h Canmon N~-:" j ;. Trees Pinus c:lausa Pinus elliottii Sand pine Slash pine Shrubs Ceratiola ericoides Conradina grandiflora Lyonia ferruginea Myrica cerfiera Palafoxia feayi Polygonella po1ygama Quercus chapmanii Quercus geminata Quercus myrtifolia Saba1 etonia Schinus tereb inthifo 1 ius Serenoa repens Ximenia americana Rosemary Scrub mint Rus ty lyonia Wax myrtle Jointweed Chapman I soak Sand live oak Myr t le oak Scrub palmetto Brazilian pepper Saw palme t to 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 utriculata Vitis munsoniana Broom sedge grass Wiregrass Hairsedge Love vine Prickly-pear cactus Silkgrass Natal grass Scrub sedge Sawbriar Ball moss Wild pine Wild grape 86 S ta t us Obl. Obl ObI. Ob!. ObI Obl. Obl. ObI. Obl Ob!. Ob!. 87 Append ix 4 Letter of Recommendation 73 1 "To assure 40 acres of Sand Pine Scrub is preserved on the property, the outstanding 1-2 acres of scrub habitat will be preserved within landscape areas on specific parcels, as designated in the "Sand Pine Contingency Plan" Should scrub habitat creation attempts within the preserve area prove unsuccessful, necessary areas of existing scrub habitat to cumulatively provide 40 acres on the property will occur within landscape areas on specific parcels, as designated in the "Sand Pine Contingency Plan." A determination of success shall be made by the City of Boynton Beach in consultation with Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council staff no later than the end of the proposed two-year monitoring period If necessary during this two-year period, the developer will institute an irrigation program designed to provide soil moistures appropriate for germination and early growth of plant material REVISED 2/26/87 73 1 "To assure 40 acres of Sand Pine Scrub is preserved on the property, the outstanding 1-2 acres of scrub habitat will be preserved wi thin landscape areas on specific parcels, as designated in the "Sand Pine Contingency Plan" Should scrub habitat creation attempts within the preserve area prove unsuccessful, necessary areas of existing scrub habitat to cumulatively provide 40 acres on the property will occur within landscape areas on specific parcels, as designated in the "Sand Pine Contingency Plan" A determination of success shall be made by the City of Boynton Beach in consultation with Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council staff no later than the end of the proposed two-year monitoring period If necessary during this two-year period, the developer will institute an irrigation program 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 REVISED 2/26/87 FLORIDA GA~1E A~D FRESH \V A TER FISH C01-i~llSSIO~ THO~I:\S L. HIRl:.S SR. WILLL",,~I G BOSTlLi\. )R, C TO~i RAI:-'EY D.\ ~l. ).H. BAROCO MRS. GILBERT \\, H j~IPHRE\ Ch,,!rnan. LJk~ \);'.I~< Vice.enal!:!".a!>, ~'Int~r "a'..!> Miami Per.'lI,ola ~1Icco~Jia ROBERT M. BRA '1TL Y Execun\e Direcror F.G. BA:o.;KS. Assistant Executlvc: Direcror 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 Dear 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 rudera1 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 1 must stress that, whenever possibl:, 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, 1 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 backhoe)\ If this co,r,rection factor is applied to the. Boynton' Beach site, 1:l\t:! 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 a 1 1 tortoise to ~ctiVe 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 "finger" in the prairie, should greatly enhance the long-term prospects for this tortoise population The 2 89 use of radiotelemetry over a2 year period will provide valuable data on both resident and relocated 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, tJ~ k.. fJ~ Joan E Dlemer Biological Scientist III JED/apc ~ ,-' .. 90 .... ':,\. !";..- '1,' Append ix 5 Boardwalks v' 91 BOARDWALKS Preservation of 40 acres of sand pine scrub and dry prairie habitat ln the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce development will provide a unlque opportunity to enhance public awareness concernlng preservatlon of a portion of Florida's 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 permittlng agencies, (Figure 1) that will connect with the proposed C1ty park lmmediate1y due west of the preserve area A circular boardwalk will provlde access through a portion of the sand plne (Plnus 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 wlll ~erminate at an observation deck This portion of the boardwalk will be elevated approximately 4 feet above the main walk area The observatlon platform will provide a visual panorama of gopher tortoise activity plus our efforts to create sand pine scrub hab1tat by using the mulching technique of Clewell and Poppleton (l983 ) The boardwalk should be constructed using standard guidelines as established by the Florida Department of Natural Resources, Division of Recreation and Parks J to ensure safety and lon~.-term performance A guardrall wlll be prov1ded ln order to discourage patrons from walklng into scrub areas Visual aids (wooden signs describing special plants and animalS) will provide information necessary to 92 educate local resldents ThlS environmental facility could be incorporated into a varlety of programs sponsored by local publlC schools, county parks and recreation, or Pine Jog Environmental Sciences Center -~-~ ~~..;_ r\1;i'~r2~;7.JJim~.:{1,"==ji' \ \: -" W'f.>t~~. -~e~-,.;:.~:;;!~-"'::"~l:r .. .~. .; i/ l ~" IT} \ ! 1- \. \" :.,.' 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Q \ i \ "jk" ~ ~A'':-':~ :y:1' ~.. ~~ : .,~' ~\\.(~ -' ''',.~ ~:<<4;' \ . ~ ~;.::;.~~~ it' 1.1/\\ ~~ .\' \ -' .' ..:.0-.... .\ '" ~ M. ~ ""gi, 1.\\ 1...,IJ~~ ..,.' ,n .. , ., "'... ~.. . .. 1lIi'.t ~.: ,<;~ tv.!t~;~' ; " ~. ~ ~F'" .Mt~~H\1'\~'\l~;;'{U,,'" .~ -.-.J;,IiI'lll ~ ~u' >> ~ ~\~~~ wet.land .ooaJ:ci'"lalk and "Pine .-oaJ:dVlalk figu<e 1 Roa<dwa1k ~lan scbematiC ".-"- ,-" -..---..-..-------------- 94 Appendix 6 Sand Pine Scrub Mulching Technique 9S ~ffiTHODOLOGY FOR THE FORM~TION 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 eXlsting 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 habltat to be created will not exceed natural elevatlons found in the sand pine community All sand wl11 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 w1l1 be excavated and hauled to the Slt~ Placement of the soil will start at the edge of the sand p1ne forest and progress northward into the prairie Manipulation of the SOlI 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 utillzed, no cleaning of the soil is necessary Based on the acreage to be created, approximately 20,000 cubic yards of white sand will be hauled to the site All vehicles will enter the pralrie along the western edge of the sand pine scrub forest and under no circumstances will heavy machinery be allowed within the canopied areaS 96 . , . -. ~- - " ," "'~ ~, .~ .-...: " :, ~"'... ~II _'. \' ), ~. r.! " ':IL....~<i~',r". ~, , _ ,1 ,...... 'l~~ ~ .', ~ 'r "'""~'^'~""';b:.' .I:~"{J' \ ">1 . 'T~\~". '~. ~.~~~)iJi. ., ~".. ~ \~~. ,. ~ ....~~X1 ; ~~'~,: ~~k. ~ ~~,,,C/./: \ \ '\ 'r\ \'"~ r' i. ~~J~ ~\~ ~~(( iA~ - \I~-I .~ ~.~. - ~' ; ~~ . ~~~1' . . -~~.: ~ .~Io,~~.' Uit" . , . ~ , \l,.l . I ~ !""'"~.1:,~ . 0 '" ' , . .. .' .~~, 'i1 1 ~ ~ ~ "~JoW. AC7. ,., ~, .. !J '):"" ~ ~~~l' . -,/ f !~. :~ ~ ' ' . ~.-- ~ .~.. .' . ~~ ' ~ . ')~ I'~, 0 "~~~ .,; ~:. "~, . ~ r" '/1/,... .:"4 .' "~:~ '"'\.':I". ~' . -: 1\ ! , "4.. V/ ~ ..~,~~~ ;\~~ 11 "~'r J. ') I,~. ~ I . ,jJ 'I')J ..... . i": :J ~ '~,~ .' {Ill //J ,~. -.:;..: ~'"~ . 'It o. . {'~ . .. \. ! rfjJA ://,~ ~,~ ll~~' a. ''..~~/' . //A .' ..I"~f."~ .~ , ~ f;m~I.. =. I'MIte '11 · I\~ 1 11." :. Y.... ' ,0 ~"I. . itl ~\\I r.;t~...~ .; "I V ~I .' ~. ", f!'''~ V..... ~. ,. ~ .\ ,: ,">>,J ;~J( ", ~ \I~--- .; I.. ~ ..-.i~: ~ ~ , K~ ~~t)~-.~ ". ~~. ~ ~ :ic ~1./" :.\~~ . .,. 'n ~,r;o;~ ~ N. ~ Yo. .~ ,'.. : ..' \ \, 'Jo. 0 )~ ~~. \; , ') ~~ ~~-~.~ ~." ,:., '\=::. . .(;'. . ~L\ ~~. tl -? ~' \.~. .~ ( ..'\!~"~'~~ I ,~ ~)! d/'~~ +~ ~,~ " ( ~'\ I~ 1'" ~~ .I~ ' .... v\,.,;~. ~~l ~ ~~ ) \1 ~ . ~~t'~ij ~~ ":{~(1 } : . ~\\' . 1 '~l-~;~ ; :;I'~ .:*~ ~ '~";" j I~ "K' ,,- "1\' '.. ~~, . ,~tJ (, .'" J.Jr" .." i1 ~p~ l~. , ij,\: )fi.. ;~ ~ , ;; r' , - . ; I,'~f. ,I : . : . . t~ ~ . . ~ \....... CREATED SAND PINE SCRUB (SAND FINGERS) VEHICLE ROUTE FIGURE #1 LOCATION OF SAND PINE SCRUB AREAS TO BE CREATED ..' ,..... ~.- ,i~- I 91 .. I' ..:z.J'..... ::= __- ,-/9r ') t, ~-<-:\ \ _ ~~h~ '~~ A. <'/,v..7'!' '~ ,~'<""' " ,.':. . "Ii . ~ ~ ~~. M. I~'\'L !I!;~~.l\ ~, :,J" I . ",," . ~. VI \~., , .~ 'I~~~';S~~)~"~~_~' . f'""'-- 1\ ' ,~,. ~ ~1<"\,Ai 'f! r 1~'1~ :' -1..;:' ~ i! 1: \1.... III ~,f~~A~,. i--~ _\ ,; ~(r'1 \ I ifj' I _ ;.. .., ~ .~ (fj"':; l-",\ \ \' ,,' A I I........ :.. ~_ _:: ~~:. ':: s.,~~'..s-\ ~ __I~- 'Ii/ " ' ~~i.( '"V'o' .. ',':;,' .., ' '1""/ll , _" d I ""' ,1""! ~ '<I T'.J · .\ ~~l ~ ,,~..:. '" 1;;1' ~_' I ' ,'. ~ ''''''/;.~ :/ ' . \ ",10 . :n ~~.k ..\ ,~~ -~...Y'!< '" ,I ~..r~..; ~ . r:;'" ~ .' .~- ~' ,\. ,..\\ , "1' __ $ , ..... .' ,'~I' " . j ~J' ~ ~ ~. . ~ '.: 1 .._~ ....~'l.;1' ';; .;,.. '/.' \-=- .- ." fI' ,.,.,,, . .'fI~!"'" " 'N ",. _ ) .,:...~' _ ,"..c-'-" i,,:,"': I ",.' ',.':' . ~.... ..F' ~, ',j" ". .. "',~ ,.".' ~T-pj' .:'!' .~~ "iii '~'I I.: "i-i..!.-' _ . : .' '/. rF/....'.. .,\1 ....l~" " ;,~ ~ 11~'''M fJ, . .; . ~ . ;0, . I :", ! If. II: 1.. t""1'~ji'li ~ .. it- -';J, ~ _ ~ .. i ,,'" m~ ,-/ '" 'u Ij """ 'I ...~l _' ,Ji ~ ~ . .,(r~ 7"1t'rfJ':; i~' .' ~'~ ir ~) ~ IJ:. l\~ "C7"'';';'':~";\}l~'~ff,,:'J WI:. ' '1!'IIIl;'J.\.71I';' I.~ ~H/-~~ ,I I~ ",,' _ ,- \ ; · 'r: . ". . " ~ ", -J ,.;:... ..': . . . ."" \ :..~.~ ~ .' . '7:'('1' '~~ .' , ".'~"., "g il'W::)l" 1)1 I' ~tI .::;:7' ~. ',.~ !~' ul(' ~ ,. . . ~ "1~ n ~ 'f.i(,~L\"fj f;,/IJ (,/: ",' ~'~'. '.' . 'Jr;. ~~ ,....."'.{.JJI ': .~..' , ~,..' ,""'" '. .' r; I~ 3::i\., : ~.t., .... . ,<> .,' I , . , . '" ' _ _, 'J" ",:, .. '" ... " , ....)/ " ~ . ~, . .....1 . - "4~:.4!t:)~~ : ' ' ..;' 'I" '~r-" - i'; ~ 'I' .- . :-'~ . . . I .< K:.. ." .., ~ . . :,;.If..:::::"" '.' .. .' """,:;a ,. / /. .. j4<. .' , , .~~'ft.': J. II/I . i~' >J'/'!l'i,'Ifit:: t:./ V' J ..lt~~~ 1 ~r.7I~ I" '" .ll;,uJl7p//w'~'f":;'~ J ~,.'J1li;~ji;<lhf ~ I~/' 1 ;,~~ '(. :(' ~3~';;.. "','d'" "..'.". .,... ! t . 1/ ..:J . r. .~ ~~~.. ~.r.~ I ~ 'V-/~:q, r~ 'fA' Q '11 ~'. . · ~...~ f,~,., .:-. ...1' '" S 7:,,\>1;' .~'H'i ' '1-11 'ff"'flI '. .~~~ ~ ';g)1~1;~~fl ~~.r\..r pJ.J, ,7: . ~illL..... 'f II. f!fC<., '" It ' 'J<'.."i-" ~ , Ill' J Jl!~~~~~)' 1. i I ~ . '/~fJ"" '"J 1/ .',.;J.! : '" 1/ ?t;.~~' ,'./), If/II.': Ijj.};' .1.} ,. .:,i:~~~~.t. ~~ " ~~ ,,... I ' .'!J. . . 1 '(:1;(.' 1 ...., .<. \:.l... ~ ',l\IJ$i:r;;'n' j , i:,"OOW1 ~ .((,~l ~'~~t~i~~}'~';";;'~ :,\ . '. "" I' ,. · ~ ~~. ~...;LY,k>'~ " .":. " ~,..' ., " -l" .'" ' .. ~. "Wi'll/:, 'I' ~':J . . '~.\ 4..~" '\:.\;~~Hfj: . ' L. <<1 r.~' . ~ .. ' ~' ' . 1/" ' · . .' . .~. . .'..-",YB" ~I~'I. . . ~'I ~,.. :~":':'; ~ .:~'~~: f'~~' '~ VlGUF-E \\2 I . , ". r.1..r..l~ .' <" -~ 'Ii 'l1 ' s)o.lID \\)<.ll.VEs'J: )<.ll.1 ~. ~4ffl . t iJ 1" ,~:'>!. ~{Yl;" [:1'. ~ ~. ~~~' " V' '/ L . 'I ~\ ]:J.f . M. ~ 'J. ~ J . '1!',::!'!';';{Hl . \ ' of . ...,!!.!J'j ~?:, ,~ }~-?~!1;V' l' \1. I j '" ~ . " r . '.', ?~J II if.. 'HiI../. lit' . .,~ ~~ ". lJ' (I r fM J ,,\. . ....""jP' , ,~"jl I ,f-1<' (L'C:;;f~ . ~ 1j) . .:11l.,~~~~ ~M ~'!JJ r (!t'l~ ~ - ..~----"~~,----------- 98 Append ix 7 Boundary of the Sand Pine Preserv~ ~ H a,e ,,'Z'. [ 99 " I' I"~ , C U-:l ---.. -, ..... C~I . . \ .... \ -: , .,. I n.. I az I "'0 I .'" I , , '-'F>A~K \ \ \, , . \ , \ I \ , \ , , .. , - SAND PINE PRESERVE ~ III o ~ o .. 10 '111 I ... .. .. N III ~ . _we ... "'01... lie It e Len.'" T.,...."t 0...... !to IN. ... on OQ .. '0" 10 I".N .. 15 20 10 i "..... II 1155 M 001 OQ .. a~ I' lal al .1520 !to \I In la oa 11:15 .. 001 OQ .. r.t. ,a nl U .. N aD 10 It r.t;),oa I. 1:10.00 OZ411. P U.U II' .0 N .1 r7 U r U5.7. I. no.oo 02401 n 5:.1 .2. .11.lt ,N .1 I' .1 I: ~". 51 15 ,UO 00 014 .. 14 211 .. 101.14 II ....001: ZII,,, II 72a} 50 - .1 " I' 71 .. .i .. 12 III :.. ~ II '78 11 7Z17 50 001 n 01 '10 II UI I. " 10 I. .. t UIII5 U 'ill1 :to 000 lIa O. 11055 ., al " . II .. It UO DO I' all 70 Oil. ~ 00 11 .1 .. .1 " I ,. 00 It ".n 70 Uill.. 007 0' 4iI 171 ill as 71 ""sa.. c: 1'1' ,. 71 tilill .. DOl .. II '10 ill 105 .. Il I. 10 al c: 110.00 n lIilO DO Dill 'I ill IU ill '71 15 .. .. II .. t Ila .. ,. 150 00 Dill 07 1. aila .. 1.0 .a '''"'' \I hl.1 7. 150 00 Olil ail :la .... .. au 57 . II II ., It .51 .. 75 1031 50 OIl .. .5 ~7 5' 110 ~ .. iliI 01 O. \I .~ II 7. 1031 50 011 211 15 ." n '51 71 " 10 ., a. \I "I .. n 1031 50 017 " .1 ..] 7. "' 01 " I 12 II t ala.~ 71 1031 50 003 a. OJ .2 15 JI 43 ..""~ t a2 .. . 71 ,a.. oa 010 51 .. .iI. II Ilia." 1'711 "1 II \I >>. ~~. ,.. . . IS. O. 11 100 Bibliography Auffenberg, W. and 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 (Gopheruspolyphemus) Pp. 95-126 In R B. Bury, ed , North American Tortoises Conservation and:Ecology Wildlife 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 Wand S. P Christman 1982. The herpetological components of Florida sandhill and sand pine scrub associations. In N J Scott, Jr., ed., Herpetological communities A symposium of the Society for the study of amphibians and reptiles and the Herpetologist's League, August 1977, U S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife Research Report 13 163-17l Carr, A. and C J Goin. 195s. Guide to the reptiles, amphibians and freshwater fishes of Florida. University of Florida Press, Gainesville 34l pp. Christman, S. P , H. I Kochman, H. W. Campbell, C. R Smith and W. S. Lippincott, Jr Unpublished report. Successional changes in community structures Amphibians and reptiles in Florida sand pine scrub Clewell, A. and J. Poppleton 1983 Sand pine restoration at a claimed phosphate mine, Florida Proceedings of the Florida Institute of Phosphate Research Conference, "Rec lamat ion and the Phosphate Industry", Jan. 27, 1983, Clearwater, Florida. Glenn. M E 1970 (peromyscus) Water relations in three species of deer mice Comp Biochem Physiol. 33 231-248. Johnson, A. F 1982 Some demographic characteristics of the Florida rosemary Ceratiola ericoides Michx. American Midland Naturalist lOa 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 Copela 1973 746-761 Jackson, J F and S R Telford, Jr 1974 Reproductive ecology of lOl the Florida scrub lizard, Sceloporus woodie Copeia 1974 689-694 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 its implications In Proceedings of the First Annual Meeting of the Gopher TortoiselCouncil. Pp 8-14. Landers, J L, J A. Garner and W. A. McRae. 1980 Reproduction of gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in southwestern Georgia Herpetologia 36 353-361. Landers, J Land D W Speake. reptiles in southern Georgia. Wi1dl Agencies 34 515-529. 1980 Management needs of sandhill Proc. Ann. Conf S E. Assoc. Fish & Layne, J. N. 1963. A study of the parasites of the Florida mouse Peromyscus floridanus, in relation to host and environmental factors Tulane Studies Zool. 11 l-27. Layne, J N 1966 Postnatal development and growth of Peromyscus florida~us Growth 30 23-45. Layne, J N 1978 Peromyscus floridanus In J Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida, Vol. 1 Florida, Gainesville Pp 21-22. N Layne, ed University Presses of Layne, J N. and L M. Ehrhart. of deer mice (Peromyscus) 1970. Digging behavior of four species Amer. Mus. Novitates 2429 1-16 Lohferner, Rand L. Lohmeier. 1981. Comparison of gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) habitats in young slash pine and old longleaf pine areas of southern Mississippi J Herpetol. 15 239-242 Means, D B 1985 Gopher tortoise management Experimental studies of tortoise population response to habitat manipulations. Unpublished research proposal submitted to the Florida Game ~nd Freshwater Fish Commisslon, Tallahassee Rask, L M 1983 Diet of the gopher tortoise in longleaf pine/turkey oak sandhill habitats in central Florida In Proceeding of the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Gopher Tortoise-Council. Pp. 19-21. Stout, I J 1982 Small mammal community in sand pine scrub Bull . 102 Ecol Soc Amer 63(2) 68-69. Tanner, G. W. and W S. Terry. 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 TortOise 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 Tortolse Council. Pp. 22-23. Young, BLand I. J Stout. rodents in sand pine scrub 1983. Food supplementation of small Florida Scientist 46(Suppl 1) 26 / APPENDIX 8 SAND PINE PRESERVE CONTINGENCY PLAN REVISED 2/26/87 PRO P 0 SED ADD END U M SAND PINE PRESERVE CONTINGENCY 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 40 acre preserve area This concern arose because of the following 1) The Ecological Report estimates that 33 acres of sand pine scrub exists and that 6 new acres will be created by the sand pine fingers in the 40 acre preserve 2) The Council is not prepared to acknowledge the 6 acre sand pine fingers experiment as successful for a two-year period 3) Even if the areas are successful, the preserved area will lack 1 acre of actual sand pine scrub Therefore, the following plan has been formulated to protect no less than 40 acr~s of pine scrub habitat upon full development of the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce 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 (30%) of the landscaped areas 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) (b) (c) ( Condi tion 6 Scrub) 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; 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 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 establishes the 40 acre requirement for Sand Pine The P I D Ordinance 7 (H) (13) that each development parcel landscape area Therefore, condition is that a minimwn of 6 each parcel must be preserved or ci ted in the condition specifies maintain a minimum of 20 percent the result of the development percent (but up to 20 percent) of replanted with native vegetation The original application for development approval (ADA) was consulted to determine what areas of the site contained sand pine scrub Exhibit A, discussed below, superimposes the existing sand pine scrub areas outside the preserve area onto the approved Master Site Development Plan Area A contains parts of lots 12 through 17, all of lots 32 through 37, and a lake Because some of these lots were utilized as harvest area to create the sand pine fingers in the preserve, this area was judged unsuitable for contingency area designation Area B contains parts of lots 44, 45, 46, 54, 55 and part of a lake Because the sand pine generally exists on only small portions of each lot, and because no site plans exist on which areas can be designated, these areas were also judged unfeasible for contingency area designation Area C contains all of lots 50, 51A, 51B, 56, 57, 65, 67 through 80A, 83 through 89A, parts of lots 49, 55, 61 through 63, 66, and 89B, and a lake This area offered a large amount of habitat, substantial numbers of whole lots, and was judged most suitable for consideration as the contingency area Analysis of the lot area contained in area C indicates that a logical and efficient method of designation exists which can safely preserve slightly more than 7 acres of pine scrub habitat Considering these areas plus the 33 acres existing within the preserve area acknowledged in the ecological plan, this results in satisfaction of Development Order Condition 6, which mandates a minimum of 40 acres of pine scrub habitat Table 1 and Exhibit B illustrate the parcels which are hereby designated as contingency 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 lots 55 and 66 which are not completely covered by existing sand pine However, due to the large size of these two parcels, flexibility exists to allow many preserve opportunity areas when site plans are prepared 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 6 percent of the lot ,area as native vegetation (which is sand pine scrub in the lots shown on Table 1 and Exhibit B) Upon application 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 1 SAND PINE RESERVE AREA LOT SAND PINE ACREAGE CREDIT 49 50 55* 56 57 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80A 83 84 85 86 87 88 89A o 28 o 27 o 50 o 18 o 34 0.20 o 20 o 57 o 56 o 23 o 13 o 11 o 28 o 32 o 28 o 16 o 19 0.18 o 18 o 15 o 25 o 04 o 25 o 21 o 20 o 20 o 31 o 19 06 TOTAL 7 02 ACRES *Only partial credit taken on this parcel because it is not entirely covered by Sand Pine Scrub in its existing state i.w.". I~ 11e!'!,=L);~P ~et----- ::> =",Illl ~ L.. I ,Il L.~ IIW t ~l\li MASTER SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN - t' -- ... "I _L.J(r~l\ Ii -=~~~.. ~\ . lllf ~IFo-.?illn n ij1 - __i ~,e ; -. 4110 ]1,0 538.9 K. ~ ~ QlMH1\Ill .- -~' 7 ~ QUANTUM ASSOCIATES ..,..... L. ..... .... .......1'.. .e. : ~~l. .... ..... ... w..... ... ... ............ '..." =.~~~:!~~~~ ...... ~-':.~~~~ ..~:.:.....__. ~..!...--::-:..~t:..~..~_ LEGEND ~o-:"rcl.& =:J 28.1 0"'.. 133.7 1.......iaI t53.1 H.....'...O'.....__. ......'W- 46.2 0.... "pMe...u-J Leu. -..... _ . l0a.2 W....... _ ...-. ..... .... ........ R_ TOTAl. MSP-l -- 7 JULY 11186 . ...... ... ~ *'M& .. _. '.n Loa........ EXHIBIT A Existing Sand Pine Scrub Areas outside of designated preserve Ref Map F, ADA Ii tI_IE:l~~ ~ => ~"'1lG eo. L'. i . .f I1111 . . Ii I: ~ A,..... ....-.... c.... c... II ~~ "I I'~'~~ -'-==- cz. - ....'\ ~ ll\(~Fa-c; n n ( OJ ~.:::...cw =J 28.7 O"'q ln7 I....~ 1S3.1 Il.....,c:.... 0.......... .....,.w- 46.2 0.... ..~.... _J .....w. -...... . J0Q2 Wel'-Ma _ ..._ ..... Pi... ........ 40.0 H~. no TOTAL S39.111l:. ~~ ~ ~J.'" 7 JULY 19a6 f... "-....... ~ ~ EXHIBIT B Parcels which will reserve native pine scrub Minimum net area reserved 7 02 acres