COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNIT, SOUTH FLORIDA/CARIBBEAN CESU

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The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC) in Ft. Lauderdale conducts ecological and hydrological research and monitoring in conjunction with its Federal, State, and local partners. Information advances understanding of the south Florida ecosystem and contributes to decision-making during restoration efforts. The Big Cypress Field Station of USGS-FISC is offering a cooperative-agreement opportunity to universities with the capability to conduct research on topics related to forest structure and long-term vegetation monitoring of pine rocklands. Biologists at the field station primarily conduct research in upland ecosystems and short hydroperiod wetlands in national parks and national wildlife refuges. Current research interests include (but are not limited to) the response of South Florida vegetation such as short-hydroperiod wet prairies and globally endangered rockland pine forests to different fire and hydrologic regimes. Pine rockland is a globally endangered ecosystem and an important habitat of the endangered Key Deer. The National Key Deer Refuge contains the largest remnants of this forest type in the lower Florida Keys. There are 18 permanently marked 1.0 ha plots on Big Pine Key in which all trees with DBH ≥ 5 cm were tagged and measured (>11,400 trees) as part of a study of prescribed fire carried out by USGS and Florida International University. Details of this study are described in Snyder, J.R., M.S. Ross, S. Koptur, and J.P. Sah. 2005. Developing Ecological Criteria for Prescribed Fire in South Florida Pine Rockland Ecosystems. USGS Open File Report OF 2006-1062.The research included in this agreement is designed to answer questions critical to restoration success. There are two related research objectives that are contained within the current cooperative program:Objective 1 – This objective will involve the mapping of trees in 10 unmapped plots and re-sampling the trees in all 18 permanent 1.0 ha plots. The objective requires data analysis and report writing, as well as a small amount of field assistance. Objective 2 – The second objective consists of developing recommendations for long-term monitoring of pine rockland vegetation in National Key Deer Refuge. The objective requires meeting with refuge managers and report writing.

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