The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

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The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 26Riverine habitats (i.e., rivers, streams, and sloughs) also are abundant in Florida, with over 1700 in thestate. The longest river in Florida is the St. Johns, which winds north for 320 miles (512 km) from IndianRiver County before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville. Several rivers, creeks, and streamsare spring-fed. Florida contains over 300 springs, of which 27 are termed “first magnitude,” which meansthey each discharge at least 64 million gallons (242 million liters) of water daily. The total discharge ofFlorida's springs is an estimated 8 billion gallons (30 billion liters) of water daily, with about 80% of thisamount from first-magnitude springs. Florida contains nearly one-third of all first-magnitude springsknown in the United States. Extensive riverine habitats are found within the Apalachicola and Tates HellForests, Green Swamp, and Withlacoochee–Panasoffkee–Big Scrub IBAs. Characteristic breeding birdsof rivers and creeks depend primarily upon habitats present. Forested rivers will contain species found incypress forests and bayheads, while slow-moving sloughs will contain species of freshwater marshes.Estuarine habitats (i.e., estuaries, bays, seagrass beds, oyster bars, etc.) represent one of the mostsignificant habitats in Florida, if defined broadly. Livingston (1990), who used the term “inshore marinehabitats,” defined estuarine habitats as “any area where sea water is diluted by land runoff.” Using thisdescription, he estimated that 3 million acres (1.2 million ha) along the Gulf coast qualified as estuarinehabitats. Extensive mudflats, oyster bars, and associated communities are prevalent along Florida's westcoast because the Gulf of Mexico is quite shallow offshore. Characteristic birds of Florida's variedestuarine habitats include Brown Pelicans, wading birds, waterfowl, shorebirds, and larids; bird use isstrongly dependent upon tidal conditions.N.B. Lacustrine, riverine, and estuarine habitats are not really habitats per se, but rather different typesand salinities of aquatic habitats. However, because it would have been cumbersome to designate “openwater” or “moving water” with varying salinity levels as different habitats, and because lakes, rivers,and estuaries are such conspicuous features of the landscape, these “habitats” have been used here.Coastal Strand represents the beach–dune habitats that occur (or formerly occurred) abundantly alongboth coasts, especially along the entire Atlantic coast, and barrier island systems along Gulf coast in thePanhandle and southern half of the Peninsula. Most of this habitat has been destroyed or severelyimpacted by high-rise development and heavy recreational use. As a result, breeding birds of coastalstrand probably are the most threatened group of birds in Florida. Some species (American Oystercatcher,Least Tern, other terns, and Black Skimmers) now nest on rooftops (with varying success) in areas wherethe beaches receive heavy human use. The most familiar plant on foredunes is ♦seaoats (Uniolapaniculata), but several other grasses and forbs are present. Away from the foredunes, vegetation variesconsiderably, dependent upon the location in Florida and the extent of wave and wind actions. Backdunevegetation may include grasslands, wind-sculpted oak scrub, cabbage palm hammocks, tropicalhardwood hammocks, or slash pine flatwoods. Extensive areas with coastal strand habitats are protectedon barrier islands in the Panhandle, at numerous sites along the Atlantic coast, most notably the CapeCanaveral area, and scattered remnants in southern Florida. Characteristic breeding birds of coastal dunesand beaches include the American Oystercatcher, Snowy Plover, Wilson's Plover, Laughing Gull, LeastTern, Royal Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Black Skimmer, and Common Ground-Dove.Artificial Habitats refer to human-modified or human-created areas such as mined areas, dredgedmaterial“spoil” islands, parking lots and buildings, etc. Two other artificial habitats, pastures andagricultural fields, are described separately below. Virtually all IBAs in Florida contain some artificialhabitats—even if only a paved parking lot or fields mowed for recreation—but very few IBAs arecomposed primarily of artificial habitats. Perhaps the best example of critical artificial habitats are the“spoil” islands within the Hillsborough Bay IBA, which support extremely significant breedingpopulations of wading birds, shorebirds, and larids.
The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 27Non-native Pastures are planted with bahiagrass and other exotic forage grasses and forbs, usually afterall or most native vegetation has been removed. Surprising as it may seem, Florida is a significant cattleproducingstate, ranked 10 th among all states in the number of cattle. In 1998, over 1,050,000 cow/calfunits were supported on 5.5 million acres (2.2 million ha) of “native range” and pastureland,predominantly in a ten-county area in southwestern-central Florida (Archbold Biological Station website:(http://www.archbold-station.org/abs/Biennial97/R7Research/R7MAERC.htm>). The state contains fourof the nation's ten largest cattle ranches, including the largest ranch, which grazes more than 35,000 cattleon 300,000 acres (120,000 ha)! Because pastures are highly disturbed and largely sterile habitats, they areincluded in IBAs only when native habitats also are present, and/or when pastures have been purchasedby conservation agencies and will be restored to native plant communities. Depending upon the severityof grazing and other habitat present, breeding birds may include the “Florida” Sandhill Crane, BurrowingOwl, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Mockingbird, and Eastern Meadowlark. Agricultural Fields supportone or more fruit or vegetable crops but a very limited diversity of breeding species. The only IBAs inFlorida that contain agricultural fields are those where the farmland is sought for public acquisition andwill be restored to native habitats, as is occurring in IBAs at Emeralda Marsh, Lake Apopka, and in theEverglades. The continued rapid expansion of citrus groves into southwestern and south-central Floridaseverely threatens the continued existence of many prairie and flatwoods species, especially the CrestedCaracara and Florida panther. The citrus industry has also played a major role in the severe habitatreduction and fragmentation of xeric oak scrub, especially along interior ridges of central Florida, whichhas severely reduced populations of Florida Scrub-Jays.LAND ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT IN FLORIDASeveral dozen agencies and non-governmental organizations are engaged in acquiring and managingconservation lands in Florida. The primary agencies and organizations are listed below, with contactinformation supplied for most. Dozens of other local agencies (counties and municipalities) and privateland trusts also are involved with the acquisition and management of conservation lands in Florida. Referto +(Jue et al. 2001) for additional information.Federal AgenciesU.S. Department of Defense[apparently no state or regional office]U.S. Forest ServiceNational Forests in Florida325 John Knox Road, Suite F-100Tallahassee, Florida 32303850-523-8500U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceSoutheast Regional Office1875 Century BoulevardAtlanta, Georgia 30345404-679-4006U.S. National Park ServiceSoutheast Region100 Alabama Street SW1924 BuildingAtlanta, Georgia 30303404-562-3100State AgenciesFlorida Department of Environmental ProtectionDivision of Recreation and Parks850-488-9872Florida Department of Environmental ProtectionOffice of Greenways and Trails3900 Commonwealth BoulevardMail Station 795Tallahassee, Florida 32399-30001-877-822-5208
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(25) *pickerelweed (Pontedaria cord
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The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

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