2012 FDOT Mitigation Plan - Southwest Florida Water Management ...

RESTORATION PLAN
Restoration Methods
Due to the dominance of bahia grass on the restoration sites, the only feasible method to
restore the rich diversity and structural complexity characteristic of sandhill and flatwoods
communities is to eradicate the bahia grass using a combination of herbicide treatments,
prescribed fire application, and disking, and then to re-vegetate using a combination of seeding
and planting with containerized material. Restoration of the groundcover will be completed and
deemed successful prior to introducing other components of the community, such as longleaf
pine (Pinus palustrus), oaks (Quercus spp.), tarflower (Beferia racemosa), rusty lyonia (Lyonia
ferruginea), staggerbush (Lyonia fruiticosa), and ericaceous shrubs (Family Ericicae -
blueberries, huckleberries). This tactic will allow maintenance activities to proceed without any
undue constraints. Appendix B includes a detailed discussion of the overall restoration strategy.
Restoration Site Prescriptions
Five altered upland sites totaling 304-acres are being proposed for restoration; all are former
pine flatwoods or sandhill communities that were converted to bahia pasture. Site
characterizations and implentation plans are outlined below. Appendix C includes a more
detailed discussion of upland restoration methodologies that will be utilized on the sites.
Figure 6. Conner Preserve Upland Restoration Site 1.
Site 1
Consists of 192-acres centrally located on the tract in sections 7, 8, 17, & 18 Township 25
Range 19 (Figure 6). The native upland vegetation has been cleared and replaced with bahia
grass, but linear strips of pine flatwoods are still present around the perimeters of the wetlands.
Several soil types are represented on this site. Remnant sandhill vegetation still occurs on the
high ridges, characterized by Tarvares, Narcoosee, and Paola fine sands (National
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