High Sandy Pine and Scrub on Knolls and Ridges
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Long-Term Fire-Suppression
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Transition T1B
Introduction of Non-Native / Exotic Species
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Transition T1C
Modify for Desired Land Use
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Transition T1D
Human Alteration / Transportation of Materials
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Transition T2A
Overstory Mortality
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Transition T2B
Introduction of Non-Native / Exotic Species
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Transition T2C
Modify for Desired Land Use
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Transition T2D
Human Alteration / Transportation of Materials
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Restoration pathway R3A
Removal of Undesirable Species
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Restoration pathway R3B
Removal of Undesirable Species
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Transition T3A
Modify for Desired Land Use
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Transition T3B
Human Alteration / Transportation of Materials
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Restoration pathway R4A
Landscape and Habitat Restoration
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Restoration pathway R4B
Landscape and Habitat Restoration
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Transition T4A
Human Alteration / Transportation of Materials
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Restoration pathway R5A
Landscape and Habitat Restoration
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
This state consists of xeric woodlands or shrublands found on dry infertile sandy ridges with a canopy, if present, open and consisting of pine or a mixture of pine and deciduous hardwoods.
Characteristics and indicators
No one species is charactistic of this state as similar species in scrub habitat are found throughout the state. Most scrub habitat occur with patches of bare sand with or without scattered clumps of ground lichens.
Submodel
Description
This state describes the transition from scrub to an established closed oak community with emergent pines. This state is formed when fire has been absent from the scrub community for a long period of time (>100 yr.).
Submodel
Description
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/).
These species are common in areas where natural processes are interrupted via hydrology or fire regimes. The introduction of these species pose serious threats to endangered and threatened habitats and plants within Florida as they become outcompeted for habitats and nutrients.
Description
The following communities comprise the major land uses in the United States and the land uses receiving the majority of the conservation treatment that address soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources within the USDA.
Characteristics and indicators
These land uses consist of areas that are not completely naturalized (i.e. native habitat) and have been anthropogenically altered for commodity production.
Submodel
States 2 and 5 (additional transitions)
4.2. Open Transitional Managed Communities
4.5. Silviculture
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 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., 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).
Submodel
Mechanism
This transition is driven by an absence of fire within a scrub community for a long time. This allows the establishment of woody species and over time, they grow upwards to form a canopy that shades the understory and creates a layer of leaf litter, covering open patches of sand and more mesic ground conditions.
Constraints to recovery
The natural fire return interval for scrub communities is estimated from 10 to 40 years, the absence of fire to let this community be established would be around 100 years without the presence of fire in the community.
Mechanism
The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as hydrology or changes 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 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 or hydrology which might have once kept the invasive specie at bay.
Mechanism
Modify the land for the desired land use. This may include the establishment of grazing species or the modification of land for the cultivation of crops of other desired products.
Mechanism
This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.
Mechanism
This restoration is driven by overstory mortality which will open the canopy and allow for the reestablishment of scrub species. Overstory mortality may be natural or anthropogenic, and can include extreme storm events, insect or fungal diseases, clear cutting, or catastrophic fires.
Mechanism
The invasion of non-native or exotic species can be driven by a multitude of different environmental factors such as hydrology or changes 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 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 or hydrology which might have once kept the invasive specie at bay.
Mechanism
Modify the land for the desired land use. This may include the establishment of grazing species or the modification of land for the cultivation of crops of other desired products.
Mechanism
This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.
Mechanism
Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the unwanted species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for community species composition is needed for specific management. 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 unwanted species is a time dependent process, with removal types taking long times to be considered effective.
Mechanism
Mechanical, biological, and chemical removal strategies include removing the unwanted species through various mechanisms. Localized knowledge for community species composition is needed for specific management. 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 unwanted species is a time dependent process, with removal types taking long times to be considered effective.
Mechanism
Human Alteration and / or Human Transportation of Materials for desired land use.
Mechanism
These practices include the restoration of both the hydrology and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).
Mechanism
These practices include the restoration of both the hydrology and landscape in advance of revegetating the area (if needed).
Mechanism
This transition is driven by the alteration and/ or transportation of materials via anthropogenic means.
Model keys
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The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.