The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 117BREVARD SCRUB ECOSYSTEMSites at least partially acquired are the: Batchelor Tract (22 acres; 8.8 ha), Dicerandra ScrubSanctuary (44 acres; 17.6 ha), Enchanted Forest Sanctuary (393 acres; 157 ha), Fox Lake Tract(3695 acres; 1478 ha), Jordan Boulevard Tract (354 acres; 141 ha), Malabar Scrub Sanctuary(395 acres; 158 ha), Micco Scrub Sanctuary (1322 acres; 528 ha), North Rockledge Sanctuary(140 acres; 56 ha), South Babcock–Ten Mile Ridge Tract (53 acres; 21 ha), Tico Scrub Sanctuary(52 acres; 20 ha), and Valkaria Scrub Sanctuary (457 acres; 182 ha). Other sites targeted foracquisition through Brevard Coastal Scrub Ecosystem CARL–FF Project but not yet acquired are:Grissom Parkway, Jordan Boulevard, Malabar, Malabar Expansion, Micco, Micco Expansion,Rockledge, South Babcock, Ten Mile Ridge, Titusville Wellfield, Valkaria, and Valkaria–MiccoExpansion.Brevard County33,982 acres (13,592 ha), with 7480 acres (2992 ha) acquiredLOCATION: on the mainland in central and southern Brevard County, along Interstate 95 from just northof State Road 50 south to St. Sebastian River State Buffer Preserve. Parts are contiguous with the St.Sebastian River State Buffer Preserve IBA to the south, near parts of the St. Johns River NationalWildlife Refuge IBA to the north and south, and near the Upper St. Johns River Basin IBA to thewest.DESCRIPTION: all significant xeric oak scrub sites remaining on the Brevard County mainland, growingon ridge systems that represent coastal dunes during periods of higher sea levels. The Brevard CoastalScrub Ecosystem CARL–FF Project is one of two State acquisition projects targeting the preservationof scrub flora and fauna. [Is visitation known for any public site?]OWNERSHIP: State of Florida (Enchanted Forest Sanctuary and Micco Scrub Sanctuary, both managedby Brevard County), Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department (Batchelor Tract, DicerandraScrub Sanctuary, Jordan Boulevard Tract, Malabar Scrub Sanctuary, North Rockledge Sanctuary,South Babcock–Ten Mile Ridge Tract, Tico Scrub Sanctuary, and Valkaria Scrub Sanctuary), St.Johns River Water Management District (Fox Lake Tract), and private owners (remaining acreage ofthe Brevard Coastal Scrub Ecosystem CARL–FF Project)HABITATS: *pine flatwoods, *xeric oak scrub, *sand pine scrub, dry prairie, cypress swamp, bayhead,freshwater marshLAND USE: *conservation, recreationIBA CATEGORIES: significant populations of Threatened species; and significant natural habitatsAVIAN DATA: This IBA is essential for maintaining a viable population of Florida Scrub-Jays in theregion. Scrub-Jays on the mainland appear to be completely isolated from those on Merritt Island andCape Canaveral by the Indian River, so preservation of the mainland population is needed to maintaingenetic variability. [Is a bird list available for any of the sites?].SPECIES DATES NUMBERS COMMENTSFlorida Scrub-Jay 1992–1993~140 groups3% (R)1999100 groups2% (R)1992–1993 data from +Pranty (1996b); 1999 data from +Breininger et al. (1999)OTHER RESOURCES: At least eight listed plants and “several rare vertebrates” are known to occur on thevarious sites +(DEP 2001).THREATS: *development, *habitat successionCONSERVATION ISSUES: All sites are under extreme threat of residential and commercial development.Three sites (representing 1874 acres; 749 ha) that were targeted in the 1990s for acquisition (CanovaBeach, Condev, and Wickham Road) were destroyed by development or were otherwise rendered