Betsy Purdum
Thick Palmetto in Less Frequently Burned Area
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Florida grasshopper sparrow
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Fire is a critical tool for managing the dry prairie and the mesic flatwoods on Three Lakes. The plants and animals of the prairie are adapted to and sustained by fire. The Florida grasshopper sparrow, a federal and state listed endangered subspecies, rarely nests in areas that have not been recently burned (within 2.5 years). The sparrow is usually found in areas that have been burned within 1.5 years. Wiregrass, a common dry prairie ground cover, won’t flower and seed unless it burns during spring or summer.
Historically, fires were most frequent in the spring and early
summer at the onset of the lightning season. The managers of Three
Lakes burn the prairie between January and August with a goal
of maintaining the prairie in a low, grassy condition by controlling
the encroachment of palmettos, myrtles, oaks, and other hardwoods.
The prairie is divided into small burn units that are burned at
different frequencies, although all are burned at least once very
3 years. This “mosaic” of burned and unburned units
provides a range of different habitats.
Nonnative invasive plants such as cogongrass, Brazilian
pepper, Japanese climbing fern and Old-world climbing fern are
removed using environmentally-safe chemicals.
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