Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2008 [Everglades National Park]

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A summary of fire ecology activities and program information for the Park/network including fire effects plot workload, staffing, management objectives and monitoring results, and planning, fire monitoring, communications, and research. Also included are staff accomplishments/areas of focus, future program direction and other optional information (e.g. data analysis graphics or presentations, annual highlights, publications, program challenges, unique solutions to problems, collaboration, photographs of monitoring/fire activities, and suggestions on FFI). The Everglades fire effects monitoring program was able to successfully transition the fire effects monitoring database from FEAT (Fire Ecology Assessment Tool) to FFI (FEAT Firemon Integrated) in 2008. The crew continued to read plots and refine methodology for fire effects monitoring and data management in both Everglades National Park and Canaveral National Seashore. In the Pine Rocklands, candidate species butterfly host plant and rare herbaceous plant monitoring studies continued. Everglades fire effects staff continued to assist and collaborate with other organizations. Our fire effects monitors served as advisors to the Pine Rockland Working Group, an international, multi-agency effort which effectively makes recommendations and takes action to protect this imperiled ecosystem. Aerin Land represented Everglades and Biscayne National Parks on the Imperiled Butterfly Working group and was appointed co-chair of the Habitat Assessment and Management sub-committee. In February, 2008, fire effects monitors assisted with organizing and facilitating the biannual 2008 Pine Rockland Conference. In December, 2008, fire effects monitors organized and facilitated the 8th annual 2008 Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow symposium (Fire Management Strategy of Occupied Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Habitat). The Everglades fire effects team continued to work with the Big Cypress prescribed fire crew. A South Florida Inter-Agency meeting was held at Panther National Wildlife Refugee to share objectives, protocols and foster communication between agencies and researchers conducting fire effects monitoring in South Florida. The Everglades fire ecology / fire effects staff provided input and expertise to National Key Deer Refuge managers in the development of their Fire Management Plan and monitoring program. They also provided input and expertise to the South Florida and Caribbean Inventory and Monitoring staff for the development and selection of Everglades monitoring sites. Maya Vaidya served as a peer reviewer on the panel for Joint Fire Science proposals and Aerin Land provided Everglades monitoring data and input during the development and inaugural meeting of the Imperiled Butterfly Working Group. Maya Vaidya and Aerin Land traveled to eight National Forests in the Southeast Region to serve as facilitators for the National Fuels Assessment project.

Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2008 [Everglades National Park]

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