Fire Ecology of South Florida Wetlands

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Metadata:

Identification_Information
Data_Quality_Information
Distribution_Information
Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: James R. Snyder
Publication_Date: Unpublished Material
Title: Fire Ecology of South Florida Wetlands
Online_Linkage: <http://sofia.usgs.gov/projects/fire/>

Description:

Abstract:: The project objective is to determine the importance that season of burning has on the response of vegetation to fire. We have addressed this through the use of experimental prescribed fires at different times of the year. In Big Cypress National Preserve we have established a long-term study of season and frequency of burning in the unlogged hydric pinelands of the Raccoon Point area. This study includes three seasonal treatments: winter (dry season), spring (early wet season) and summer (mid wet season). A shorter study comparing the response to winter and summer burns was carried out in the pine rocklands on Big Pine Key. We are also studying the effect of season of burning on muhly grass (Muhlenbergia filipes), a component of hydric pinelands and often a dominant in short-hydroperiod wetlands known as muhly or marl prairies. We are conducting field and nursery studies to determine how the season of burning effects the rate of recovery of muhly and its ability to tolerate flooding.
Purpose:: Prescribed fire constitutes one of the most pervasive management actions influencing the restoration and maintenance of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. It is generally assumed that lightning-ignited fires were common at the beginning of the rainy season, but there have probably been human-caused fires at other times for the last several thousand years. Since lighting-ignited fire cannot be allowed to operate naturally in South Florida, prescribed (or management-ignited) fire must be used to maintain these habitats. The seasonal occurrence of fire can have an important influence on ecological responses. We have conducted a set of experimental studies to determine the response of vegetation to different seasons of burning. The results of this work will influence the fire management of the publicly owned lands in the Greater Everglades ecosystem.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 1996
Ending_Date: 20040930

Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Status:

Progress: In Work
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent: South Florida wetlands

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -81.5
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -80.75
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 26.48
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 24.65

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: none
Theme_Keyword: biology
Theme_Keyword: ecology
Theme_Keyword: vegetation
Theme_Keyword: marl prairies
Theme_Keyword: fire management
Theme_Keyword: prescribed fire program
Theme_Keyword: wildland fire
Theme_Keyword: pine rocklands
Theme_Keyword: pinelands

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus:: Geographic Data - Metadata, ISO 19115:2003(E), TopicCategoryCode, 2003, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva, Switzerland
Theme_Keyword: biota
Theme_Keyword: environment
Theme_Keyword: inlandWaters
Theme_Keyword: 002
Theme_Keyword: 007
Theme_Keyword: 012

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:: Department of Commerce, 1995, Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions, Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 10-4, Washington, D.C., National Institute of Standards and Technology
Place_Keyword: United States
Place_Keyword: US

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:: U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the outlying areas of the United States, and associated areas (Federal Information Processing Standard 5-2): Washington, D. C., NIST
Place_Keyword: Florida
Place_Keyword: FL

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:: Department of Commerce, 1990, Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas, FIPS 6-3, Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Place_Keyword: Monroe County

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: USGS Geographic Names Information System
Place_Keyword: Everglades National Park
Place_Keyword: Big Cypress National Preserve
Place_Keyword: Big Pine Key

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: none
Place_Keyword: SW Big Cypress
Place_Keyword: Raccoon Point

Temporal:

Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: none
Temporal_Keyword: early wet season
Temporal_Keyword: mid wet season
Temporal_Keyword: dry season
Temporal_Keyword: winter
Temporal_Keyword: spring
Temporal_Keyword: summer

Taxonomy:

Keywords/Taxon:

Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus: none
Taxonomic_Keywords: plants
Taxonomic_Keywords: single species

Taxonomic_System:

Classification_System/Authority:

Classification_System_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:: U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Department of the Interior - U.S. Geological Survey Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Smithsonian Institution - National Museum of Natural History (NMNH)
Publication_Date: 2000
Title: Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)
Other_Citation_Details:: Retrieved from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System on-line database, <http://www.itis.usda.gov>.
Online_Linkage: <http://www.itis.usda.gov>

Taxonomic_Procedures: visual observation in the field