State 1
Pine Woodlands

This state depicts forested rocklands consisting of open canopied forests dominated by pine trees. Fire is used to maintain this habitat and will have an open to dense understory of diverse subtropical and temperate species. Exposed limestone rocks can be found throughout the entire area or close to the surface.

Characteristics and indicators. This site is characterized by shallow to exposed bedrock with an open pine woodland similar to pine flatwoods communities. Subtropical species will be present in the understory.

Resilience management. Fire is used to maintain community composition and structure and was historically introduced every 3 to 15 years. In areas of high density urbanization and fragmentation of this habitat, mechanical treatments such as roller chopping or hand removal can be utilized but are less effective than fire treatments.

Community 1.1
Pine Rockland

Pine rocklands are open canopied forested dominated by pines with a patchy understory of tropical and temperate shrubs and palms and a rich herbaceous layer of mostly perennial species endemic to south Florida. These communities will exist on very shallow to bedrock soils that are dominantly marl textured. This community is globally impaired and limited in distribution to Big Cypress National Preserve (Monroe and Collier Counties), the Florida Keys, and the southern portion of the Miami Ridge. The pine rocklands in the Florida Keys area will be more xeric due to lower rainfall and has a well developed sub canopy of silver palm, brittle thatch palm, and a higher percentage of tropical shrub species since many temperate species reach their southern limit on the mainland.

Resilience management. Fire is used to maintain community structure and composition with return intervals every 3 to 15 years, and without fire would allow the development of hardwood species to close the canopy transitioning to a rockland hammock. Although hardwood species are a natural component of pine rocklands, an exclusion of fire greater than 50 years will result in a succession to rockland hammock.

Community 1.2
Fire Excluded Pine Rockland

This community described a reference pine rockland in which fire has been excluded from the system for greater than 15 years but less than 50 years. This is longer than the naturally accepted fire return interval of 3 to 15 years but less than the 50 year exclusion limit where a rockland hammock gradually develops. Plant composition will be similar to the reference community, but community structure will be different. The shrubs will begin to shade out the understory and accumulate leaf litter, creating a moist environment.

Resilience management. Fire may still be carried through this community and can return to a reference pine rockland if introduced and maintained along a 3 to 15 year return interval.

Pathway 1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2

This transition is driven by the exclusion of fire from the community for 15 to 50 years, which allows the establishment of shrubs to enter the midstory and begin a gradual transition to a hammock. This exclusion of fire can be due to high urbanization and fragmentation within the Florida Keys.

Pathway 1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.1

This transition is driven by the reintroduction of fire into the system, which will assist in maintaining community structure of a reference pine rockland community. Once fire is reintroduced, to maintain a reference pine rockland community a fire return interval of every 3 to 15 years must be maintained to keep hardwoods excluded from growing into the midstory and preventing a possible hammock transition.

State 2
Rockland Forest

This state depicts forested rocklands consisting of closed canopied forests dominated by hardwood species. This is considered the successional stage of pine rocklands, characterized by long periods of time without fire in the system.

Characteristics and indicators. These rockland hammocks are characterized by closed canopy forests with a high diversity of species assemblage. These communities have shaded understories allowing for a dense assemblage of inflammable species and the creation of high moisture conditions creating a cool interior. Leaf litter accumulation will be present on the ground surface and will increase over time.

Community 2.1
Early Successional Rockland Hammock

This community describes an early successional rockland hammock in which fire has been excluded from a pine rockland for greater than 50 years, allowing for the shrubs to grow into the overstory and created shaded conditions that will no longer carry ground fires. Species composition will be similar to a rockland hammock but estimates require more than 100 fire free years to have maximum development of hammock structure and diversity. A relict overstory of slash pine may be present, representative of a transitioned pine rockland.

Resilience management. Gap succession is the main driver for this community and is often seen as windthrow during high energy storm events such as hurricanes. This community also requires time to transition to a rockland hammock and is estimated more than 100 fire free years to mature.

Community 2.2
Thorn Scrub

This community is a variant of a rockland hammock that is found only within the Florida Keys. It occurs along the ecotone of rockland hammocks or within openings of rockland hammocks. It is dominated by low-statured scrubby spiny species. It has also been referred to as "Keys hammock thicket", "transitional thorn woodland", or "cactus scrub". Much is still unknown about this community variant and requires further study on ecological stressors and successional patterns. This variant is more commonly seen in the southern Florida Keys in hammocks with lower, more scrubby, xeric species compositions.

Community 2.3
Rockland Hammock

Rockland hammocks are very diverse tropical hardwood forests and considered the successional stage to pine rocklands. Limestone bedrock is very near the surface and often exposed. These communities can have greater than 120 native tree and shrub species present, many of which are at the northern extent of their native range. Organic acids from the decomposition of leaf litter can cause dissolving in the limestone bedrock forming solution holes, which may hold water and help maintain high humidity within the hammock. These will occur in limited extent in the Florida Keys area and will be distinguished from the rockland hammocks in the Big Cypress and Miami Ridge ecoregions. The hammocks in the Florida Keys tend to be drier than those on the mainland because of increased ocean breezes and lowered rainfall. These will also have a higher percentage of tropical species due to many species reaching their northern extent on the the southern tip of Florida. In the Keys, there will be slight structural changes to hammocks varying from north to south due to changes in geology, ground water salinity and rainfall. The northern Keys will have taller, more developed tree canopies (>35 ft in height) due to more permeable limestone and slightly higher rainfall. In the southern Keys the hammocks will have lower scrubby, xeric forms with species 20 ft tall or less, and will have higher abundance of the thorn scrub variant.

Pathway 2.1A
Community 2.1 to 2.3

This transition is driven by time which causes the early succession community to mature into a rockland hammock. While the early successional community can form as soon as 50 years in the absence of fire, it is estimated to need an additional 50 years of a fire free system, for more than 100 years total of being fire free to have maximum development of structure and species diversity.

Context dependence. This often occurs when a rockland hammock is fragmented due to urbanization.

Pathway 2.3A
Community 2.3 to 2.1

This transition is driven by a disturbance event which may return a rockland hammock back to an early succession phase. Overstory mortality may create canopy gaps which would allow for the rapid growth of species as they compete for light availability. Many different factors may cause overstory mortality in a rockland hammock, including, but not limited to, windthrow, crown fires, selective logging, or tree fall by weathering limestone.

State 3
Bare Ground / Pioneer Habitat

This state depicts a community that lacks vegetation. This is most often associated with extreme fires that will cause high mortality rates within a vegetative community. This state will also describe the secondary succession pioneer habitat that will become established if left undisturbed.

Characteristics and indicators. It is characteristic of herbaceous and succulent species found on exposed bedrock with little to no soil development.

Community 3.1
Bare Ground or Exposed Soil / Bedrock

This community describes an area in which a disturbance event has cleared or killed the existing vegetative community, leaving behind the bare ground or exposed soil or bedrock. Disturbance events may include wildfires which kill existing vegetation or windthrow from storm events such as hurricanes. In the Keys, habitats which are in close proximity to the ocean may become flooded by extreme storm events, leading to die off from high salinity levels.

Community 3.2
Secondary Succession Pioneer Habitat

This community described a secondary succession pioneer habitat where a disturbance has taken place and cleared the soil, but is still able to support plant growth due to an existing or introduced seedbed. Rapid colonization will begin from herbaceous species, shrubs, and climbing species as well as seedlings from pioneer tree species. Over time it will transition into either a pine rockland or rockland hammock depending on available seedbank and if managed properly for those habitats. If left unmanaged, this community will have large amounts of invasive species throughout the community.

Resilience management. Once a seedbank is established this secondary succession pioneer community can transition to either a rockland hammock or pine rockland, dependent on what was the existing community. Maintenance of that habitat will be required to reflect natural conditions.

Community 3.3
Keys Cactus Barren

This is an open, herbaceous community with scattered shrubs on exposed limestone bedrock or areas with little soil or leaf litter in the Florida Keys. Primary vegetation are wide varieties of herb and succulent species which include cacti, agave, and several rare herbs. This is a very limited site and is only known from six sites which vary primarily in the degree of shrub and cacti cover.

Resilience management. The natural process giving rise to this community is not yet known, but it hypothesized that the thin layer of organic soil over limestone bedrock is missing, they may have formed via erosion following destruction of the plant cover by fire, storm, or artificial clearing. This is a highly endangered community and is most threatened by development.

Pathway 3.1A
Community 3.1 to 3.2

This transition is driven by seedbank establishment, in where existing seeds are present in the remaining soil and begin to grow, creating an secondary succession pioneer habitat which represents the reference communities of State 1 or 2.

Context dependence. The seedbank must be preexisting in the remaining soil or must be deposited via natural or anthropogenic means.

Pathway 3.1B
Community 3.1 to 3.3

This transition is driven by seedbank establishment, in where existing cacti seeds are present in the remaining soil and begin to grow, creating a cactus barren. Maintenance of this community is still widely unknown.

Context dependence. The seedbank must be preexisting in the remaining soil or must be deposited via natural or anthropogenic means.

Pathway 3.2A
Community 3.2 to 3.1

This transition is driven by a disturbance event which destroys the secondary succession pioneer habitat back to exposed ground. This may be from abiotic factors such as hurricane events or by wildfires which will destroy the regrowth. In the Florida Keys, habitats in close proximity to the ocean may become flooded during extreme storm events, causing die off of species due to high salinities.

Pathway 3.3A
Community 3.3 to 3.1

This transition is driven by a disturbance event which destroys the secondary succession pioneer habitat back to exposed ground. This may be from abiotic factors such as hurricane events or by wildfires which will destroy the regrowth. In the Florida Keys, habitats in close proximity to the ocean may become flooded during extreme storm events, causing die off of species due to high salinities.

State 4
Invasive Non-Native Community

This state consists of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Non-Native Category 1 Species list . More information on these species list can be found: https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/63140/file/Florida%E2%80%99s_Pest_Plants.pdf or by contacting the UF / IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/), the UF / IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas (https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/), or the FWC Invasive Plant Management Section (http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/invasive-plants/). This community will not represent every possibility of invasive species but rather the most common in these areas.

Characteristics and indicators. Non-Native species include species that exist outside of Florida's natural range and are introduced to the state via people, weather events, or any other means.

Resilience management. This state can be found as a part of any other state and can completely replace the native habitat if not properly managed. Restoration to natural communities after exotic non-native invasion includes practices such as mechanical and chemical removal.

State 5
Human Altered and Human Transported Areas

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 formed 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., Pennekamp gravelly muck-Urban land complex, 0-2% slopes, extremely stony).

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 deeply 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).

Community 5.1
Reclaimed Areas

Reclaimed areas are areas that have been modified through anthropogenic means that are restored to a natural or second-hand natural community. Areas that can be reclaimed are any intensity urban areas, and may be required to be reclaimed after urban use (e.g., active mines must be reclaimed). These practices include the identification, removal, and stockpiling soil materials before altering the land, and revegetation and replacement of soil materials after altering the land. This also applies to nearby urban areas that have been adversely affected by the anthropogenic activities.

Community 5.2
Urban

This urban community consists of development for human use. Urban areas include a variety of land uses, e.g., inner city or urban core, industrial and residential areas, cemeteries, parks, and other open spaces; the overall function which may benefit the quality of human life. These often form an urban soil mosaic, where the natural landscape has been fragmented into parcels with distinctive disturbance and management regimes and, as a result, distinctive characteristic soil properties. Within this community there are three different levels of urbanization, based off population dynamics, residential density, and intensity of development. These are labeled as low-intensity, medium-intensity, and high-intensity urban areas, which can eventually be split apart into its own separate state. Low-intensity urban areas may consist of single dwelling homes with little impact on the surrounding community which still somewhat represents the natural community (e.g., represents natural landscape, hydrology, and vegetation) , other examples of this are urban parks, cemeteries, or campgrounds with little urban development. Medium-intensity urban areas consist of larger urban dwellings with some natural features, but have been modified to meet urban needs (e.g., towns). High-intensity urban areas are areas of heavily modified areas with complete alterations of the natural landscape, hydrology, and vegetation to support a very large population, which once constructed is permanently altered (e.g., metropolis areas/ active mines).

Community 5.3
Non-Reclaimed Areas

Non-reclaimed areas are areas that have been modified through anthropogenic means that are unable to be restored to a natural or second-hand natural community. Areas that cannot be reclaimed are areas under active mining status or mined areas before the Phosphate Land Reclamation Act in 1975, which leaves shut down operations alone. These areas also include fallow mines that have been flooded and are now permanent bodies of water.

Community 5.4
Landfills

This is an anthropogenic site for the disposal of waste material. It includes manufactured layers (artificial, root limiting layer below the soil surface) that are representative of human altered and human transported sites. These layers are often alternative between natural fill material and geotextile liners, asphalt, concrete, rubber or plastic that are built up and can rise above the surrounding landscape by 30 meters or more often impeding water, gas, or roots from moving through the profile.

Pathway 6.1A
Community 5.1 to 5.2

This shift in communities is driven by clearing and developing the land for the desired community.

Pathway 6.1B
Community 5.1 to 5.4

This transition is driven by the deposition of manufactured layers along with anthropogenic waste which is consistently built upon.

Pathway 6.2A
Community 5.2 to 5.1

This transition is driven by the revegetation, reestablished hydroperiods, and replacement of displaced soil materials after altering the land.

Pathway 6.2B
Community 5.2 to 5.3

This transition is driven from heavy industrial or urban development which causes the land to become non-reclaimable. This transition is rare due to the many environmental laws and regulations that must be followed when developing.

Pathway 6.2C
Community 5.2 to 5.4

This transition is driven by the deposition of manufactured layers along with anthropogenic waste which is consistently built upon.

Pathway 6.3A
Community 5.3 to 5.1

This transition is driven by the revegetation, reestablished hydroperiods, and replacement of displaced soil materials after altering the land.

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

This state transition is driven by an exclusion of fire from the system for greater than 50 years. The absence of fire for this amount of time will allow the understory shrub species to mature and grow in the overstory. This will shade out the understory, losing species diversity and accumulating organic matter over time, creating a cool, moist interior, which helps exclude fire from the area.

Constraints to recovery. As the shrubs grow into the overstory they will shade the understory creating more moist conditions in which fire is unable to pass through. If this state is surrounded by pine rocklands which have a regular fire return interval, there will be a sharp ecotone between these two states. If fire has been excluded from the reference state then there will be a gradual transition into the rockland hammock.

Context dependence. The absence of fire from these systems are largely due to the high levels of urbanization and fragmentation along the Florida Keys.

Transition T1B
State 1 to 3

This transition is driven by an extreme fire which removes all of the existing vegetation, leaving behind bare soil or exposed bedrock.

Constraints to recovery. An existing seedbank must be present in the soil and enough time must be allowed for the establishment of the native species to grow. During the growth of these species proper management must be taken to ensure there is no undesirable invasive or exotic species that become established.

Context dependence. An extreme fire can occur due to high buildup of organic matter (leaf litter) in the understory and presence of ladder fuels into the overstory.

Transition T1C
State 1 to 4

The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as changes in natural hydroperiods or in fire regimes. Typically once a change in one of the two factors mentioned above occurs, non-native or exotic invasive species become established and begin to compete with native species for habitat and nutrients.

Constraints to recovery. Recovery from non-native or exotic invasive species may be difficult due to many adaptations which allow them to survive and outcompete in intolerable conditions. Localized knowledge for each species must be known for best removal of it without harming the native environment, and often different treatments must be applied over one given area.

Context dependence. Growth of non-native and exotic invasive species can be rapid following a change in a natural stressor such as fire frequency or natural hydroperiods which might have once kept the invasive species at bay.

Transition T1D
State 1 to 5

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.

Transition T2A
State 2 to 1

This transition is driven by the selective removal or hardwood and pine species to transition the community structure back to a pine rockland state. Once community structure and composition is to the desired criteria a regular fire return interval must be established every 3 to 15 years.

Constraints to recovery. This is a very costly and time consuming process.

Transition T2B
State 2 to 3

This transition is driven by an extreme fire which removes all of the existing vegetation, leaving behind bare soil or exposed bedrock.

Constraints to recovery. An existing seedbank must be present in the soil and enough time must be allowed for the establishment of the native species to grow. During the growth of these species proper management must be taken to ensure there is no undesirable invasive or exotic species that become established.

Context dependence. An extreme fire can occur due to high buildup of organic matter in the understory and presence of ladder fuels into the overstory.

Transition T2C
State 2 to 4

The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as changes in natural hydroperiods or in fire regimes. Typically once a change in one of the two factors mentioned above occurs, non-native or exotic invasive species become established and begin to compete with native species for habitat and nutrients.

Constraints to recovery. Recovery from non-native or exotic invasive species may be difficult due to many adaptations which allow them to outcompete and survive in intolerable conditions. Localized knowledge for each species must be known for best management of it it without harming the natural habitat, and often different treatments must be applied over one given area.

Context dependence. Growth of non-native and exotic invasive species can be rapid following a change in a natural stressor such as fire frequency or natural hydroperiods which might have once kept the invasive species at bay.

Transition T2D
State 2 to 5

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.

Restoration pathway R3A
State 3 to 1

This restoration strategy to reestablish a pine rockland community cannot be done without an established seedbank. This seedbank may be preexisting in the soil or may be planted via human restoration. Once the seedbank is established the area must continually undergo habitat management to ensure there is no presence of undesirable invasive or exotic species over time.

Context dependence. Maintenance of a pine rockland habitat includes regular fire return intervals every 3 to 15 years to prevent hardwood inclusion into the system, if fire is not present in the system this may gradually transition to a rockland hammock.

Restoration pathway R3B
State 3 to 2

This restoration strategy to reestablish a rockland hammock community cannot be done without an established seedbank. This seedbank may be preexisting in the soil or may be planted via human restoration. Once the seedbank is established the area must continually undergo habitat management to ensure there is no presence of undesirable invasive or exotic species over time.

Context dependence. Maintenance of a rockland hammock habitat includes the absence of fire from the system for greater than 50 years while the hammock undergoes development.

Transition T3A
State 3 to 4

The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as changes in natural hydroperiods or in fire regimes. Typically once a change in one of the two factors mentioned above occurs, non-native or exotic invasive species become established and begin to compete with native species for habitat and nutrients.

Constraints to recovery. Recovery from non-native or exotic invasive species may be difficult due to many adaptations which allow them to survive and outcompete in intolerable conditions. Localized knowledge for each species must be known for best removal of it without harming the native environment, and often different treatments must be applied over one given area.

Context dependence. Growth of non-native and exotic invasive species can be rapid following a change in a natural stressor such as fire frequency or natural hydroperiods which might have once kept the invasive species at bay.

Transition T3B
State 3 to 5

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.

Restoration pathway R4A
State 4 to 1

Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the non-native and exotic invasive species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for individual non-native or exotic invasive species is needed for specific management. Sometimes introduction of fire regimes may prevent or stop the growth of non-native or exotic invasive species, but many species are fire tolerant. Mechanical removal might include roller chopping, harvesting, or cutting and removal of invasive species. Chemical removal might include aerial dispersal from planes, or basal bark injection treatments.

Context dependence. Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal of non-native and exotic invasive species is a time dependent process, with both removal types taking long times to be considered effective.

Restoration pathway R4B
State 4 to 2

Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the non-native and exotic invasive species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for individual non-native or exotic invasive species is needed for specific management. Sometimes introduction of fire regimes may prevent or stop the growth of non-native or exotic invasive species, but many species are fire tolerant. Mechanical removal might include roller chopping, harvesting, or cutting and removal of invasive species. Chemical removal might include aerial dispersal from planes, or basal bark injection treatments.

Context dependence. Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal of non-native and exotic invasive species is a time dependent process, with both removal types taking long times to be considered effective.

Restoration pathway R4C
State 4 to 3

Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the non-native and exotic invasive species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for individual non-native or exotic invasive species is needed for specific management. Sometimes introduction of fire regimes may prevent or stop the growth of non-native or exotic invasive species, but many species are fire tolerant. Mechanical removal might include roller chopping, harvesting, or cutting and removal of invasive species. Chemical removal might include aerial dispersal from planes, or basal bark injection treatments.

Context dependence. Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal of non-native and exotic invasive species is a time dependent process, with both removal types taking long times to be considered effective.

Transition T4A
State 4 to 5

This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.