Fire in Florida

And Community Succession

© Harold E. Malde

So,, What’s The Problem??

We Live in a Naturally Flammable State

Fire in Florida

Climate, Geography

andCulture

Combined, to create a landscape that has

been exposed to frequent fire

Fire in Florida

Kormorek 1964 Fire Data

•Lightening frequency•Moisture•# of Fires

•Size of Fires

Remove Fire - - - - - Plant Community Changes

© The Nature Conservancy

Terms - Ecologial Succession

Ecological Succession (Ecosystem Development):•An orderly process of community development that involves changes in species structure and ecosystem processes through time.•Results from modifications in the ecosystem physical environment•It culminates in a stabilized ecosystem until a disturbance event occurs

Sere:•A sequence of communities that replace on another in a given region with specific abiotic factors

Seral Stage:•A transitory stage of a Sere

Clements Linear Succession Model

Terms - Ecologial Succession

SUCCESSION

Pioneer Stage:•First community stage of a sere

Climax Stage:•Final community stage of a sere

Mono-Climax:•Succession sere with one “Climax Community”

Poly- Climax:•Succession sere with several potential “Climax Communities”

Succession after Fire

Common Fire-Prone/Dependent Community Types

Habitat Type Burn Interval

• Pine savannah 1 – 4 years• Sandhill or longleaf pine/turkey oak 1 – 4 years• Dry prairie 1 – 3 years• Scrubby flatwoods 8 – 12 years• Sand pine scrub 15 – 30 years• FW marsh and wet prairies 1 – 5 years

Threats to Rare Species

Florida scrub-jay

© Donna Bollenbach

© Florida Park Service

© R. Roberts

© T. Engstrom

red-cockaded woodpecker

grasshopper sparrow

gopher tortoise

pitcher plant

© T

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Arr

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ton

Florida’s Fire Regime

Our native landscape is fire-prone and fire-dependent and characterized by having:

1) a high frequency of fires (the majority of which requires a 2- to 4-year interval);

2) a low to moderate fire intensity;

3) a predominance of terrestrial upland habitats adapted and dependent on fire for ecological health; and

4) a predominance of imperiled upland species that require frequent fire for optimum habitat condition.

Three Principal Environmental ElementsAffecting Wildland Fire Behavior

WeatherFuels

Topography

Questions?

In National Forests, government policy has been to suppress forest fires whenever possible for the last century. Now some regions are starting to allow fires to burn. Based on what you know about succession, what impact do you think this might have in the area?