Upland forest community composition and structure by ecoregion in 73 Florida state parks-Insights for ongoing management

Plot based forest/vegetation data is used to establish current conditions and inform natural resources manage-ment decisions. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection - Division of Recreation and Parks (DRP) manages 175 state parks. As part of its mission, DRP strives to restore landscapes and natural communities by reintroducing dynamic natural processes such as fire. DRP also uses other methods of active management to achieve desired future conditions (DFCs) in multiple communities including those characterized by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) and native groundcover (GC) species. To meet the challenge of managing natural resources across the State, DRP initiated an objective and repeatable forest/vegetation inventory system. The primary objective of this paper was to analyze and summarize the resultant data and compare current community type (ComType) vegetation conditions. Current conditions were quantified using nested plots distributed within sample areas across 73 state parks and 15 ecoregions via the line-plot method. Over 37,000 plots were inven-toried; 36% were in pine flatwoods. Ten actively managed and dominant ComTypes were central to this paper and when aggregated by ecoregion, 76 ComType by ecoregion (CTER) groups were examined. Descriptive sta-tistics for various measurements, e.g., diameter at breast height, height, and density, were calculated for over -story, midstory and understory (vegetation layer) separately per CTER. Mean importance value index (IVI) was calculated by species or species-group per vegetation layer and CTER. Community classification was conducted via hierarchical clustering of CTERs per vegetation layer using mean IVI scores. Across CTERs, pine overstory and midstory abundance/stocking levels were generally low, non-pine overstory and midstory stocking levels were high, pine regeneration was sparse, and GC was dominated by leaf litter, pine straw, and non-pine woody seedlings. Results strongly suggest that some ComTypes were similar within certain ecoregions. Various pine species are considered dominant or one of the prominent overstory species for eight of the ten ComTypes. The ability to manage upland pine ComTypes using natural regeneration systems will become increasingly chal-lenging in the near-to medium-term given relatively low overstory pine stocking for most CTERs, and the virtual lack of young pines within midstory and understory layers. Further investigations could help identify potential causal agents concerning low young pine stocking levels, e.g., timing and frequency of prescribed fires, frequency of logging, and/or increased competition from high densities of midstory non-pines and appropriate natural regeneration systems, e.g., seed tree, shelterwood, or group selection, or underplanting longleaf pine, that would accelerate understory pine recruitment.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to analyze and summarize data and compare the vegetation conditions of different community types (ComType). Quantification was done using nested plots distributed in sample areas across state parks and ecoregions. The results showed similarities in pine overstory and midstory abundance, as well as non-pine overstory and midstory stocking levels. Therefore, the management of future pine communities may be challenging.