Transcript Kristen Mayers

By Kristen Mayers
Terms to know:
 Coastal Upland– mesic or xeric communities
restricted to barrier islands and near shore; woody or
herbaceous vegetation
 Xeric- dry or low in moisture
 Mesic- moderate or well-balance supply of moisture
 Berm- a long narrow wedge of sand with the steep
slope facing towards the sea
What is a
Coastal Berm?
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Long narrow ridge of
storm-deposited marine
debris that is parallel to
the shore
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Formed by a mixture of
coarse shell fragments,
coralline algae, and other
coastal debris.
Distribution and Status
Distribution
Status
 Southern peninsula of Florida
 Poor
 Florida Keys
 Declining
Distinguishable features:
 Occurs on coarse calcareous sediment and not on
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limestone rock
Elevation is higher than normal tide heights
Occurs on shelly substrate rather than sandy
Mixture of tropical herbs shrubs and trees
Lacks a continuous canopy
Common Tree species:
 Gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba)
 Seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera)
 Silver palm (Coccothrinax argentata)
 Blolly (Guapira discolor)
 Milkbark (Drypetes diversifolia)
 Sevenyear apple (Genipa clusiifolia)
 Poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum)
Common Tree Species:
Common Short trees and tall
shrubs
 Spanish stopper (Eugenia foetida)
 Hog plum (Ximenia americana)
 White indigoberry (Randia aculeata)
 Florida Keys blackbead (Pithecellobium keyense)
 Saffron plum (Sideroxylon celastrinum)
Tall shrubs and Short trees:
Short shrubs and Herb Species:
 Perfumed spiderlily (Hymenocallis latifolia)
 Bayleaf capertree (Capparis flexuosa)
 Buttonsage (Lantana involucrata)
 Rougeplant (Rivina humilis)
 Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans)
 Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)
 White mangroves (Laguncularia racemosa),
 Bay cedar (Suriana maritima)
 Bushy seaside oxeye (Borrichia frutescens)
Short Shrubs and Herb species:
Rare Plant Species:
 Pride-of-big-pine (Strumpfia maritima)
 Joewood (Jacquinia keyensis)
 Wild dilly (Manilkara jaimiqui
Common animals
 Ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata)
 Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis)
 Southeastern Beach Mice (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris)
 St. Andrews Beach Mice (Peromyscus polionotus peninsularis)
 Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas )
 Hawksbill Sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
 Loggerhead Sea turtle (Caretta caretta)
 Leatherback Sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
 Spotted Sandpipers (Actitis macularius)
 Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
Threats to Coastal Berm
 Invasion of exotic species
 Human encroachment and development
 Storm disturbance
Management
 Fire is not a management tool in this habitat because it
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is rare to non-existent.
Removal of invasive exotics
Berm repair
Preservation of existing berm habitat
Restriction of real estate along coastal upland
communities
Places to visit
 Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State
Park (Monroe County)
 Long Key State Park (Monroe County)
 Marquesas Long Beach in Key West National Wildlife
Refuge (Monroe County)
What is a Coastal Strand?
 It is an evergreen shrub community growing on
stabilized coastal dunes in the peninsula of Florida,
often with a smooth canopy due to pruning by salt
spray.
Distribution
 Found along
Atlantic coast of
Georgia and Florida
 Southwest Gulf
Coast
 Florida Panhandle
(once pass into
Alabama and
Mississippi become
coastal grassland
communities)
Resources and Conditions
 Soil
 Deep well drained sand
 Alkaline
 Made of quarts sand combined with shell pieces
Resources and Conditions
 Cover
 Smooth canopy
 Shrubs are source of
cover for wildlife
 Fire
 Little to no information
 Food
 Seagrapes, Prickly apple
Status
• Poor
• Declining
• Species within
this habitat are
globally
vulnerable and
subnationally
imperiled
• G3/S2
Temperate Coastal Strand Plant species
 Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens)
 Cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto)
 Tough bully (Sideroxylon tenax)
 Red bay (Persea borbonia)
 Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
 Live oak (Quercus virginiana)
Tropical Coastal Strand Plants
 Seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera)
 Myrsine (Rapanea punctata)
 Buttonsage (Lantana involucrata)
 White indigoberry (Randia aculeata)
 Spanish stopper (Eugenia foetida)
 Wild lime (Zanthoxylum fagara)
 Florida Keys Blackhead (Pithecellobium keyense)
Rare plant species
 Simpson's prickly apple (Harrisia simpsonii)
 Joewood (Jacquinia keyensis)
 Coastal vervain (Glandularia maritima)
 Atlantic coast Florida lantana (Lantana depressa var.
floridana)
 Gulf coast Florida lantana (Lantana depressa var.
sanibelensis).
Animals found
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Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
Southeastern Beach Mice (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris)
St. Andrews Beach Mice (Peromyscus polionotus peninsularis)
Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas )
Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)
Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)
Eastern Indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi)
Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus woodi)
Florida box turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri)
Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita clypeatus)
Piping plover(Charadrius melodus)
Obligate and/or Listed Animals
Threatened Animals
Endangered Animals
Threats
 Climate variability
 Conversion to housing and urban development
 Conversion to recreation areas
 Incompatible fire
 Recreational activities
 Invasive animals and plants
 Roads
 Light pollution
 Fire
Management
 Removal of invasive plants and animals
 Restrictions on recreational use
 Limitations on human development
 Restrictions on beach nourishment and dredging
 Awareness and Education on light pollution
Places to visit
 Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine
Research Reserve – Guana site (formerly Guana River
State Park, St. Johns County)
 Canaveral National Seashore (Volusia/Brevard
County)
 Hollywood North Beach Regional Park (Broward
County)
 Cayo Costa State Park (Lee County)
Questions?