RECON LEVEL FIELD ASSESSMENT
RECONNAISSANCE U:VEL
FIELD ASSESSMENJT
HIGH RIDGE PROPERTY
Palm Beach County, Florida
Section 17, Township 45 South, Range 43 East
PREPARED FOR:
J..Ievitt/Bank Atlantic Commercial
SEPTEMBER 10, 2002
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BY:
I)IIILLII) I~. JIMI~usrTI
& ASSOCIATES, INC.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERS
ENVIHONMENTAL CONSl.JLTANTS
12730 S.W. 12th Court
DAVIE, FLORIDA 33325
(951) 370- 8870
HIGH RIDGE PROPERTY
September 10, 2002
INTRODUCTION
A Reconnaissance Level Field Assessment was conducted on this 10.4 acre
tract of land located on the Southwest comer of Miner Road and High Ridge
Road, City of Boynton Beach, Section 17, Township 45 South, Range 43
East, Palm Beach County, Florida in the months of August and September,
2002. The parcel was surveyed on three occasions at various times of the
day to be in substantial compliance with the South Florida Water
Management District Basis of Review and the City of Boynton Beach
Vegetation and Environmentally Sensitive Land Ordinance (Chapter 7.5,
Article IV). The site was investigated to identify native vegetative
communities, determine the viability of indigent habitats and note the
presence or absence of threatened or endangered species as listed by the U. S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
and the City of Boynton Beach.
The site is bounded on the north and East by paved roads, on the south by a
cleared field and by an undeveloped wooded tract to the West. The
immediate area surrounding the property, with the exception of the western
wooded area, has been cleared and developed for industrial and residential
purposes. The southeast comer and an area along the north boundary of the
property have been cleared in the past. The southern area is open with some
scattered exotic trees and the northern area has a dense growth of exotic
shrubs.
VEGETATION
The site can best be described as a sand pine (Pinus clausa) dominated scrub
habitat. The wooded area of the site is densely covered with sand pine of
various ages with an understory of scrub oak (Quercus spp.). Approximately
ten percent of the standing sand pines are dead. Both serotinuous and
nonserotinuous specimens appeared to be prevalent within the community.
F ire has occurred at some time in the distant past as evidenced by pieces of
charred wood observed on the southern half of the site.
The southern open area of the property contains roadside weeds such as
Spanish needles (Bidens alba), caesar weed (Urena lobata), ragweed
(Ambrosia artemisiifolia), periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) and various
other grasses and forbs associated with open fields.
2
HIGH RIDGE PROPERTY
September 10, 2002
VEGETATION (Coot.)
Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.) was observed here and in other sunlit
areas of the site and dodder vine (Cuscuta spp.) is invading the periphery
vegetation. The exotic canopy is sparse and consists of earleaf acacia
(Acacia auriculiformis)~ Australian pine (casuarina equisetifolia), Brazilian
pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala), Java
plum (Syzygium cumini) and scheftlera (Scheftlera actinophylla). The area
along the north boundary is covered in dense Brazilian pepper. Earleaf
acacia and scheftlera are scattered through out the site. Giant wild pine
(Tillandsia utriculata), inflated wild pine (Tillandsia balbisiana) and scrub
mint (Conradina grandiflora) were noted in the southeast comer of this area.
The remaining two thirds of the property is forested with sand pine and an
occasional slash pine (Pinus elliottii). The understory is predominately scrub
oak (Quercus myrtifolia), Chapman's oak (Quercus chapmanii), sand live
oak (Quercus geminata), saw palmetto (Serona repens) and Florida privet
(Forestiera segregata). Because of the dense pine canopy, the wooded area is
depauperate of ground cover. Rosary pea (Ceropegia woodii) covers a large
portion of the area and scattered clumps of wire grass (Arstida stricta) were
observed. Wild pine (Tillandsia spp.) occurred sporadically on a few of the
trees.
SOILS
The U.S, Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation
Service Soil Survey of Palm Beach County indicates that the substrate of the
property is PaoIa sand (pcB) with an intrusion of St. Lucie sand (ScB) along
the western edge of the property. Both of these soils are nearly level to
sloping, excessively drained, deep, sandy soil on long narrow, dune-like
coastal ridges and on isolated knolls. The water table is generally below a
depth of six feet.
3
HIGH RIDGE PROPERTY
September 10, 2002
WILDLIFE
Other than mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) and mourning doves (Zenaida
macroura), no wildlife was observed during the survey. Several gopher
tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) bWTows were noted within the more open
areas of the site. Three appeared active. A comprehensive search to map the
location of the active and inactive burrows and quantify live specimens will
be conducted at later date.
CONCLUSION
From the list of State and Federally protected species, only prickly pear
cactus, wild pine, scrub mint and gopher tortoise bWTows were observed.
The prickly pear cactus and wild pine (T. balbisiana) are listed as
"threatened" and (T. utriculata) is listed as "endangered" by the Florida
Department of Agriculture; the gopher tortoise is listed as a "species of
special concern" by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
(FGFWFC) and is listed as "under review" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS). All of these species can be relocated. The Florida scrub
jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), listed as threatened by the FGFWFC and
the USFWS and endemic to a scrub environment requires a low shrub layer
lacking a sand pine canopy that this site does not provide.
Wetlands do not occur on this property.
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