Wet Sandy Cutthroat Seeps and Flatwoods

Description

These are densely vegetated, single-layered grassland communities that are dominated by cutthroat grass (Panicum abscissum). Trees and shrubs are rarely present in its natural state, and will often occur most often along the ecotone of other communities or in an altered state. This community is found along the foot slope toe slope of the Lake Wales Ridge and Bombing Range Ridge, extending exclusively within Polk and Highlands Counties.

Characteristics and indicators

This state is characterized by the stiff, strongly rhizomatous, turf-forming cutthroat grass, which often will result in an overwhelming dominance of this species in each of these communities.

Resilience management

This natural state is maintained by a high water table at or near the surface for most of the year. Cutthroat grass communities exist along the seepage slope and slope break, where groundwater flows downslope and rainfall attribute to the hydric conditions of these communities. These communities are also dependent strongly on frequent fire to maintain community composition and structure. Fire return intervals every 1 to 10 years during the growing season (mid-April to mid-June) should act to prevent extensive woody encroachment.

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Description

This state is occupied by a open or closed canopy of woody shrubs and trees that have become completely established with the absence of fire from the natural community at one point or another. These are most often created due to alteration of the natural habitat and are the successional climax community of these habitats.

Characteristics and indicators

These areas are characterized by broadleaf evergreen or coniferous wetland shrubs and trees that exist along the side slope and slope breaks of the Lake Wales Ridge and Bombing Range Ridge.

Resilience management

This natural state is maintained by a high water table at or near the surface for most of the year. These communities depend on the absence of fire from the system to allow for woody species to become dominant in the overstory. If fire is reintroduced into the system after pine establishment but before hardwood dominance and is continuously maintained as a fire dependent community it can allow for the creation of a cutthroat flatwoods community. If fire is continuously suppressed it will continue to smother the understory cutthroat grass and can lead to the development of a hardwood dominated baygall.

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Description

Rangelands are described as lands on which the indigenous vegetation is predominately grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, and possibly shrubs or dispersed trees. Existing plant communities can include both native and introduced plants. Primary export from Florida ranges are cattle and have been present in the state since their first introduction by Spanish explorers in 1521. Native forage production is very good with proper management in this community, with only a slight effect on the community. Proper management will often result in an increase of grasses and reduction of shrubs while also maintaining proper fire intervals.

Rangelands provide a diversity of ecosystems and also provide a diverse and significant production of economic benefits and ecosystem goods and services. Livestock production along with sustainable wildlife populations provide for the major direct economic benefits, but also tourism, recreational uses, minerals/energy production, renewable energy, and other natural resource uses can be very significant. Vital ecosystem contributions include clean water, clean air, fish/wildlife habitat, as well as intangible considerations such as historical, cultural, aesthetic and spiritual values. It is strongly advised that consultation with State Resource Conservationist and District Conservationists at local NRCS Service Centers be sought when assistance is needed in developing management recommendations or prescribed grazing practices.

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Description

Pasture is a land use type having vegetation cover comprised primarily of introduced or enhanced native forage species that is used for livestock grazing. Pasture vegetation can consist of grasses, legumes, other forbs, shrubs or a mixture. The majority of these forages are introduced, having originally come from areas in other states or continents. Most are now naturalized and are vital components of pasture based grazing systems. Pasture lands provide many benefits other than forage for livestock. Wildlife use pasture as shelter and for food sources. Well managed pasture captures rainwater that slowly infiltrates into the soil which helps recharge groundwater. It is especially important as livestock grazers continues to experience extraordinarily high fuel and other input costs.

Overgrazed pastures can lead to soil compaction and numerous bare spots, which may then become focal points of accelerated erosion and colonization sites of undesirable plants or weeds. It is strongly advised that consultation with State Resource Conservationist and District Conservationists at local NRCS Service Centers be sought when assistance is needed in developing management recommendations or prescribed grazing practices. This grassland / pastureland state correlates with the 2013 Florida Forage Suitability Group G155XB145FL (Sandy Soils on Stream Terraces, Flood Plains or in Depressions).

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Description

The agriculture industry includes cultivated crops, aquaculture, and apiculture. Cultivated cropland includes areas used for the production of adapted crops for harvest. These areas comprise of land in row crops or close-grown crops that are in a rotation with row or close-grown crops. Primary exports from Florida consist of fruits, greenhouse and nursery products, sugar cane, and the signature export of citrus. Aquaculture includes the cultivation and maintenance of aquatic plants, aquatic reptiles, crustaceans, food/ ornamental fish, shellfish, and other miscellaneous species for harvesting. Apiculture includes the maintenance of honeybees and hives to provide beeswax, honey/ other edible bee products, crop pollination services, and sales of bees to other beekeepers. These areas have been modified resulting in land clearing practices and hydrologic management to fit the growers needs. It is strongly advised that consultation with State Agronomist and District Conservationists at local NRCS Service Centers be sought when assistance is needed in developing management recommendations.

Resilience management

Major natural resource concerns facing cropland include: (1) erosion by wind and water, (2) maintaining and enhancing soil quality, (3) water quality from nutrient and pesticides runoff and leaching, and (4) managing the quantity of water available for irrigation. For more specific information regarding cropland please contact your local NRCS office.

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Description

This state is important and used by silviculturists, landowners, land managers, and the public/private silviculture industry. The two most common species of trees that can be harvested for timber in this community are slash pine and longleaf pine. Large areas of cutthroat seeps are typically not used for managed woodlands due to the extreme wetness, plant composition, and difficulty of harvest, but may be used for silviculture management if part of a larger wooded area.

Silviculture is land used in controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society such as wildlife habitat, timber, water resources, restoration, and recreation on a sustainable basis. These are forestry practices that include thinning, harvesting, planting, pruning, prescribed burning and site preparation, for managed goals such as wildlife habitat creation or harvesting. Many managed silvicultural lands in Florida include tree plantations for growth of tropical ornamental species such as palms; and lumber, pulp, and paper species such as slash pine and longleaf pine.

Resilience management

This state is managed by silviculture prescriptions that will vary based on individual forest stand and management goals.

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Description

This state represents the dominance of one or multiple non-native or exotic species which outcompetes the native natural community and may significantly alter the composition and structure of the invaded stand by overshading the canopy and understory components and preventing regeneration of native species.

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Description

These areas include soils that were intentionally and substantially modified by humans for an intended purpose, commonly for terraced agriculture, building support, mining, transportation, and commerce. The alteration is of sufficient magnitude to result in the introduction of a new parent material (human-transported material) or a profound change in the previously existing parent material (human-altered material). They do not include soils modified through standard agricultural practices or farmed soils with unintended wind and water erosion. When a soil is on or above an anthropogenic landform or microfeature, it can be definitely be associated with human activity and is assigned to a unique taxa, usually found as an "Urban land complex" within that communities' natural soil properties (e.g., Immokalee sand-Urban land complex, 0 to 2 percent slopes).

Characteristics and indicators

Evidence of these areas include soils with manufactured items (e.g. artifacts) present in the profile, human altered-materials (e.g., deeply excavated or plowed soil) or human-transported material (e.g., fill), and position on or above anthropogenic landforms (e.g., flood-control levees) and microfeatures (e.g., drainage ditches). Detailed criteria regarding the identification of anthropogenic (artificial) landforms, human-altered materials, and human-transported material are in the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy" (Soil Survey Staff, 2014).

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