Everglades National Park and Canaveral National Seashore, Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2013

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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 program had a successful year in which the monitoring of nearly all scheduled plots was completed; we were unable to monitor 1 coastal prairie plot due to lack of funding for helicopter flight and 2 short hydroperiod prairie plots that were inaccessible due to high water levels. Fire effects staff completed training for personal development and continued to support the compliance needs of the Fire Management Program at Everglades National Park and Canaveral National Seashore. The 2013 field season was completed with a partially staffed crew; and in October, Colleen Holland left to accept a position as lead wildlife technician with the BLM in Coos Bay Oregon. Throughout the year, fire effects staff continued to monitor plots and refine methodologies in both Everglades National Park and Canaveral National Seashore. Monitoring continued in existing FMHplots, as well as fire and exotic plots. The temporary juvenile pine mortality plots were monitored and removed following the 1 year post read as were the temporary Lygodium plots. Monitoring of the effects of fire on Lygodium is will continue in the existing FMH plots. Due to a lack of prescribed burning in the pine rocklands, 11 of the 12 FMH pine plots monitored this year were in a 10 year post fire status, which is outside of the desired fire return interval of 3-7 years. The information collected from these plots will be valuable for analyzing and refining the desired fire return interval for the pine rockland ecosystem. There were 2 prescribed fires and 5 wildfires in Everglades NP this year, however no fire effects plots were burned in any of these fires. A fire ecology program review was conducted in 2013 with assistance from the Regional Fire Ecologist Caroline Noble, Regional Fire Planner Liz Struhar and Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fire Ecologist Rob Klein. The Everglades Fire ecology/effects program would like to thank them for their effort and assistance in conducting the program review and providing guidance and recommendations for future refinement of the program. Late in 2013, the Fire Management program transferred from the Visitor and Resource Protection Division, under the supervision of the Chief Ranger, to the South Florida Natural Resource Center (SFNRC) Division, under the supervision of the deputy director of SFNRC.

Everglades National Park and Canaveral National Seashore, Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2013

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