Terrestrial Vegetation Monitoring at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve: 2023 Data Summary—Cycle 2 and Newly Established Cycle 1 Plots

Boyle, M; Davis, Mallorie

doi:10.36967/2314675

Parks within the Southeast Coast Network (SECN) host a diverse assemblage of terrestrial vegetation communities. Determining trends in vegetation over time and identifying threats is vital to understanding the ecological health of ecosystems within SECN parks. The sampling unit for monitoring vegetation within SECN parks is a 20 × 20 meter plot. The current data summary report describes the status of several plot elements from Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in 2023 and represents the second iteration of monitoring. Baseline data were collected in May–June 2019. During 2019, 23 plots were established across three broad habitats of the preserve (nontidal forested wetlands, open upland woodlands, and upland forests) and across three management units (Cedar Point, Theodore Roosevelt, and Thomas Creek). Each of these plots was resampled in 2023. An additional 10 plots were established during the 2023 monitoring effort increasing overall sample size across habitats and management units. Across all 33 plots sampled in 2023, 245 vascular plant taxa were detected. There were 37 species present in the 2023 plots that were not on previous park taxa lists, including two species listed as invasive—downy maiden and narrow sword fern. Basal area of trees increased from 2019 to 2023 in both nontidal forested wetland and upland forest plots but decreased in open upland woodland plots due to heavy tree mortality caused by the Yellow Bluff Wildfire. Widespread threats to vegetation were not observed within plots of both nontidal forested wetland and upland forest and shrubland habitats of Timucuan EHP. Recent fire history events have had a much greater, more profound impact on the vegetation resources within open upland woodland habitat. Open upland woodland plots that were not within the Yellow Bluff Wildfire currently have similar vegetation structure and density to the pre-burn structure and density in Yellow Bluff plots. A wildfire within these stands that have not burned in well over 20 years would have devastating impacts to this ecosystem. Finally, a vegetation health scorecard was developed for each of the preserve’s broad habitat types. Native species diversity scores were rated as “Good” for all monitored habitats. This is a remarkable feature of the vegetation communities within Timucuan EHP. Despite its close proximity to one of the largest metropolitan areas in the eastern U.S., the preserve offers sanctuary and protected space for a diverse assemblage of plant species and their associations in northeastern Florida.

Terrestrial Vegetation Monitoring at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve: 2023 Data Summary—Cycle 2 and Newly Established Cycle 1 Plots

Series

See also

Collections