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 72RED HILLS ECOSYSTEMGadsden, Jefferson, and Leon counties105,000 acres (42,120 ha), with about 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) protected under perpetual conservationeasementsLOCATION: an IBA shared by Florida and Georgia. The Florida portion encompasses a tiny portion ofnortheastern Gadsden County, two separate parcels in northern Jefferson County, and all of northernLeon County, north of Tallahassee between Havana and Monticello,DESCRIPTION: The Red Hills physiographic region encompasses a large area between Thomasville,Georgia and Tallahassee, Florida. The region is so named after its reddish clay soils and rollingtopography. The Red Hills Ecosystem IBA contains nearly 250,000 acres (100,000 ha), with amajority of this area in Georgia. Longleaf pine flatwoods were the original land cover, but theseforests were cleared and heavily farmed for cotton and corn during Antebellum times. Today, oldfieldpine communities of loblolly and ♦shortleaf pines (Pinus echinata) dominate the Florida portion ofthe Red Hills, and most of the plantations exist for hunting Northern Bobwhites. Despite the lack oftheir original threeawn ground cover, these pine forests resemble native pinewoods. Landowners inthe region have a strong land stewardship tradition that recognizes the value of biological diversity.Several conservation organizations, led by Tall Timbers Research Station, are encouraginglandowners to protect their plantations with perpetual conservation easements that balanceconsumptive use of resources with sustainable management. At the heart of the easement program isthe encouragement of implementing good timber management practices, for both sustainable forestryand ecological values. Hunter use is unknown since the properties are privately owned.OWNERSHIP: private (plantations proposed for or under perpetual conservation easements, overseen bythe Tall Timbers Research Station , The Nature Conservancy, or other conservation organizations).HABITATS: *oldfield pinelands, longleaf pine flatwoods, pine plantation, fields, non-native pasture,agricultural fields, hardwood swamp, freshwater marsh, cattail marsh, riverine, lacustrine, andartificialLAND USE: *hunting, *timber production, conservation, agriculture, ecological research, environmentaleducationIBA CATEGORIES: significant populations of Endangered, FCREPA, and Watch List species; completediversity of pinewood species; significant diversity of breeding species; significant natural habitats;and long-term researchAVIAN DATA: The Red Hills are the last stronghold in Florida for the White-breasted Nuthatch, whichhas disappeared from the remainder of their statewide range. The Red Hills support the sixth largestpopulation of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers remaining in the world, but nearly all of these clusters nowoccur in Georgia; Florida populations in the Red Hills have declined significantly. Data obtainedduring the Florida Breeding Bird Atlas (FBBA) Project documented over 100 breeding species, oneof the most diverse breeding areas in Florida. A long-term study of birds killed by a television towerat Tall Timbers Research Station was censused nearly daily for 28 years, establishing a study “almostunique for its duration and rigorous effort” (+Crawford and Engstrom 2001; see also +Crawford2001). Bird diversity for all sites combined is ____ native species. [Are bird lists available? Theremust be one for Tall Timbers at least].
The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 73Florida portion [data on the entire IBA (i.e., Florida and Georgia portions) will be provided later]:SPECIES DATE NUMBERS COMMENTSRed-cockaded Woodpecker 2002 13–14 clusters 1% (R)White-breasted Nuthatch 1986–199120 of the state’s 37 FBBA blocksthat contained this species werein the Red Hills2002 commonBachman’s Sparrow 2002 commonOverall diversity ____ list ____ natives____ exoticsFBBA data from Kale et al. (1992); other data provided by Jim Cox (Tall Timbers Research Station). See also+Crawford (2001) and +Crawford and Engstrom (2001)OTHER RESOURCES: The pinewoods of the Red Hills are unique in Florida, as pines do not grow in claysoils elsewhere in the state. • Protection of this IBA will aid in recharge of the Floridan Aquifer. •Several rare plants and animals occur within the IBA, such as pine snake, gopher tortoise, and blackbear. • Many historical and cultural features are present, from the Plantation era to Indiansettlements.THREATS: *development, timber harvestingCONSERVATION ISSUES: this IBA is entirely in private ownership, but the owners of several plantationshave established perpetual conservation easements on their properties, thereby ensuring thepreservation of their natural resources. • The Red Hills support one of the largest populations of RedcockadedWoodpeckers remaining on private property. Populations in the Florida portion of the IBAare small but management activities are increasing this number. • This IBA also contains one of fewdemographically stable populations of Northern Bobwhites in the state. • Management includesselective timbering, herbiciding of oaks, and frequent prescribed fires to maintain the openunderstory of the pinewoods. In some plantations, longleaf pine is being replanted as other pines arelogged.NOMINATED BY: Jim Cox (Tall Timbers Research Station)REFERENCES: +Crawford, R.L. 2001. Some erroneous WCTV tower data. Florida Field Naturalist 29:129. • +Crawford, R.L., and R.T. Engstrom. 2001. Characteristics of avian mortality at a NorthernFlorida television tower: A 29-year study. Journal of Field Ornithology 72: 380–388.WEBSITES: ,
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MemorandumBill Pranty, Florida IBA
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The Important Bird Areas of Florida
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THE IMPORTANTBIRD AREAS OFFLORIDA:
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(25) *pickerelweed (Pontedaria cord
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“Southeastern” American Kestrel
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Purple Martin (Progne subis)Tree Sw
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