Environmental Lands Research

Research

The mission of the Division's Research Program is to answer questions that can be used to support its land management and wild land conservation activities. Through research, the Division advances the scientific knowledge of our protected wild lands, provides opportunities of professional advancement to students and other environmental professionals, and shares its experience and knowledge with other agencies and the scientific community.

The Division's Research staff is located at the Biological Field Research Station at Brooker Creek Preserve. The Station is a member of the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS), an association of about 180 field stations and professionals concerned with field facilities for biological research and education, primarily in North America and Central America.

Photograph of Envronmental Lands Research Station

The Station shares the OBFS mission to promote the exchange of information and ideas among field station directors on such topics as management of field stations and reserves, promotion of biological field education and research, environmental monitoring, and funding opportunities.

Types of Research

Catesby's Lily Research. The ecology of Catesby's lily (Lilium catesbaei), a threatened species, is important when considering restoration of Florida's pine flatwood communities. Ecological data, collected since 1995, will help land managers understand the effects of prescribed fire and mechanical treatments as restoration tools in pine flatwood communities.

Tampa Butterfly Orchid Research. Little is known about the Tampa Butterfly Orchid (Encyclica tampensis), a commercially exploited species in Florida. In 1996, a long-term ecological study began on this species that lives on black gum (Nyssa biflora), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), and red maples (Acer rubrum). Understanding how Tampa Butterfly Orchids respond to environmental factors will assist land managers in understanding the overall health of Florida's forested wetlands.

Photograph of Anthropods display.

In order to survey and document arthropod species diversity found on Brooker Creek Preserve, the Research Staff uses general and specific searches for arthropods using a variety of collection techniques. Specimens are identified, curated and placed in the Pinellas County Collection of Arthropods housed at the Station.

Shell Key Shorebird Nesting Research. Shell Key provides critical nesting habitat for four listed species, the American oystercatcher, snowy plover, least tern, and black skimmer which were the foci of this study. Since 2000, nesting success has been monitored within both the Bird Preservation Area and the Public Use Areas. This information will assist managers in determining the success of the current management plan.

Pine Flatwoods Research. Understanding the effects of prescribed fire, mechanical roller chopping (as a surrogate to fire) and the combination of both as restoration techniques is critical to the management of pine flatwood communities at Brooker Creek Preserve. A comprehensive study designed to document the vegetative, avian, mammalian, reptilian, amphibian, and arthropod response before and after treatments was initiated in 2000 and treatments will be applied in 2002.

Cooperative Project

Through a cooperative project with St. Leo University and the University of South Florida, the response by vegetation, birds, reptiles and amphibians to wetland rehydration from ground water wells is being studied. The third year of this six year project was completed in October 2001.

In cooperation with St. Petersburg College, college students assist the Research Staff in sampling pitfall traps within a pine flatwood study site. Changes in arthropod species composition in pine flatwoods will be monitored in relation to various management strategies. The project will also enhance the arthropod species inventory.

Volunteer Assisted Projects

Volunteers assist the Research Staff in documenting large mammal use at Brooker Creek Preserve through mammal tracks along 12 predetermined routes. Indices developed from this information will assist research biologists in determining the distribution of large mammals on the Preserve and whether populations are stable, increasing or decreasing over time.

Shell Key Preserve has been identified as an important wintering and migratory shorebird area in west-central Florida. Since 2000, volunteers have assisted Research Staff in conducting biweekly counts of shorebirds along three predetermined routes. This information will assist managers in identifying specific areas important for resting and foraging shorebirds.

Weekly avian counts are conducted at Brooker Creek Preserve along five predetermined routes with the assistance of volunteers. Plans are underway to develop similar surveys at Weedon Island Preserve. Long-term data of this nature allows researchers to identify population trends of birds.

The Christmas Bird Count is a joint effort between National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Since the early 1990's, volunteers have assisted us in counting birds on this specific day between December 14 and January 5th. This information was collated and submitted to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to be included in the 101st National Christmas Count Summary.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Partners in Flight and The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center began the first The International Migratory Bird Count in 1993. This count occurs on Mother's Day each year and volunteers join the Research Staff in counting avian species seen and heard along 5-predetermined routes at Brooker Creek Preserve. Counts are also conducted at Shell Key Preserve.

Biannual counts of butterflies by volunteers along four-predetermined routes are conducted in October and May at Brooker Creek Preserve. Prior to each count, volunteers review butterfly identification through a seminar presented at the Biological Field Research Station.

Internships

The Division provides educational opportunities for students pursuing careers in wildlife, ecology, and biology through paid Management Internships with the Research Section. Students are exposed to a wide variety of field techniques and analyses that assist them in their career choices while collecting data pertinent to the Division's objectives.

The Division's Research Section promotes contact with other scientists and professional through memberships in ecologically oriented organizations.

Organization of Biological Field Stations www.OBFS.org

The Wildlife Society www.wildlife.org

Society of Wetland Scientists www.sws.org

Society for Conservation Biology www.conbio.org/scb

Society for Ecological Restoration www.ser.org

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