Native Habitat Inventory Final Report 2004 - St. Lucie County

Proximity to Urban Areas - Greater than half-mile from an urban center.
Proximity to primary and secondary roads – Within 500 feet of a major roadway.
Hydrology – As with nearly all of St. Lucie County there are adjacent large canals
that impact hydrology. The entire site is also laced with shallower (approx. 5 ft deep)
canals to drain the land for cattle. However, at the time of the site visit plenty of water
was being held on site, with most of the area under water (approx. 0.5 feet).
Table 2. Community Types present on site and their rankings.
FNAI Natural Community Acreage FNAI Rank Global FNAI Rank State
BW / Basin Swamp 39.4 G4? S3
BW / Depression Marsh 10.5 G4? S3
FW / Bottomland Forest 179.9 G4 S3
WF / Wet Prairie 238.0 G3 S2
NA - agriculture - improved
pasture 10.9
NA - agriculture - unimproved
pasture 77.5
NA - developed 18.5
NA - developed - ditch 3.4
NA - developed - road 0.9
Site History/Habitat Disturbance – The entire site is also laced with shallower
(approx. 5 ft deep) canals to drain the land for cattle. Currently there is cattle grazing in
the open areas but it is mainly unimproved pasture. The Bottomland Forest in the
northwest corner has been heavily disturbed by cattle usage creating a muddy substrate
and little understory.
Table 3. Listed Species observed.
Common Name Scientific Name Federal
Status
State
Status
FNAI Rank
Global/State
Gopherus
Gopher Tortoise polyphemus None SSC G3/S3
White Ibis Eudocimus albus None SSC G5/S4
Cardinal Airplant
Tillandsia
fasciculata var.
densispica None E none
Tillandsia
Northern Needleleaf balbisiana None T none
Royal Fern Osmunda regalis None CE none
Endemic
to Florida
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