Conservation Plan
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
Landowner Name
X County, Florida
February 12, 2016
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
In Cooperation with:
Florida Division of Forestry
USDA Service Center
Address
Phone Number
Name
District Conservationist
EMAIL Address
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Address
Phone Number
Name
Wildlife Biologist
EMAIL Address
Florida Division of Forestry
Address
Phone Number
Name
X County Forester
EMAIL Address
The above contacts are natural resource professionals which provide assistance to
landowners within X County and can further provide information concerning the
technical aspect of the practices scheduled for completion for this WHIP contract.
Conservation Plan of Operation
Landowner name
Address
Location: X County, Florida
Conservation Planning
The goal of the Landowner Assistance Program (LAP) is to provide assistance to private
landowners with information and planning for wildlife habitat conservation and
management. Working with our partners (USFWS, Florida DOF, NRCS, and the Wildlife
Legacy Initiative) we provide technical assistance and education, as well as administer
cost-share programs. Wildlife species are inseparable from soil, water, and plant
resources and are, therefore, integral components of all primary land and water systems.
The types and densities of wildlife species in a given area depends primarily on the
amount and distribution of food, cover, water and living space. If any one of these
elements is missing, inadequate or inaccessible, wildlife will be scarce or will not inhabit
the area. This plan attempts to consider all resources (SWAPA – Soil, Water, Air, Plants,
Animals) and involve as many resource professionals as possible during the planning
process.
Introduction
Management Objectives
The primary management objective of the landowner is to restore and manage the diverse
upland pine community while enhancing the community for native plants and wildlife.
This objective will be completed through the use of prescribed burning and the
establishment of longleaf pine.
Site Description
Location: (0000"W, 0000"N)
The X tract is approximately 108.9 acres and is located in Section X, Township XS,
Range XE, X County. Directions to the property are as follows, from the intersection of
X Road and X Ave (X), drive east on E. X Ave (X) approximately 2.3 miles to the
intersection of X Ave. and X street. Turn right (south) and continue for 0.5 miles and turn
left on X avenue (graded road). This road will continue approximately 1 mile and come
to a dead end at a cable gate, which is the entrance to the property.
The tract provides a wide range of community types. The uplands, which would likely
have been a mix of flatwoods, sandhill and upland pine communities, are currently in
poor quality due to lack of prescribed burning and hardwood encroachment. Field 1
(56.2 acres) is considered uplands and is to be managed under the WHIP contract, while
Field 2 (52.7) is a mixed hardwood community with several wetlands that will be
maintained in its natural state. No cost share funding is associated with Field 2. Remnant
patches of native grasses and scattered longleaf pine trees in conjunction with soil types
indicate Field 1 was historically an upland system maintained by fire. Recently, the
landowners have begun restoration with prescribed burning and hardwood removal on
small sections of the upland communities. The restoration activities have thus far
revealed a diverse plant community that has been dormant within the seed bank for
numerous years. These upland communities are often characterized by an overstory
dominated by pines, most often longleaf, along with a diversity of fire adapted grasses
and herbaceous vegetation in the understory. Frequent low-intensity fires during the
growing season maintained the open overstory and the diverse plant community.
Vegetation noted on the property includes; longleaf pine, slash pine, southern red oak,
myrtle oak, mockernut hickory, sand post oak, bluff oaks and an assortment of
herbaceous plants and native grasses. The landowners have taken successful steps in the
restoration of the upland community and plan to further their restoration with funding
from the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).
Summary of Management Recommendations
Timber:
The expected timber species, longleaf pine, is unfortunately primarily missing. The
landowners desire to restore this important species as time, energy and funding allow.
Open areas can be relatively easily planted to longleaf pine, if attention is paid to
adequately controlling shrub and hardwood competition. Longleaf pine, in its seedling
“grass stage” is particularly sensitive to competition from other plant species. Areas
dominated by hardwoods can also be planted to longleaf, but the hardwoods must be
killed by some combination of mechanical and herbicide treatments. This is a process
which can be handled over time, with a certain area of hardwoods being replaced by
longleaf pine as possible. For example, the edges along the firebreaks or roads can be
expanded through the removal of hardwood and shrub thickets and planted, as feasible.
In the limited areas where longleaf pine is already established, natural regeneration of the
native genetic stock is preferred. These are the trees which have proven themselves to be
the best adapted to this site over the course of time. Proper application of fire, especially
in the growing season once excessive fuel has been reduced, will clear a seedbed to catch
seed fall in good seed years. Longleaf pine produces a bumper crop of seed sporadically,
sometimes two to three years apart, sometimes 20 years between good seed years.
Monitor the mature longleaf for the appearance of a good cone crop, then burn in the
growing season if possible. Also, since pine cones take two years to mature and drop
seed, one can check the trees with binoculars for the small conelets that appear in year
one of a good cone crop. This will allow more advance time for planning the burn.
Where longleaf is absent, or too sparse, planting will be necessary. Longleaf pine
seedlings can be notoriously difficult to properly plant and achieve acceptable survival.
The containerized (or tubeling) seedling can afford a greater rate of survival than the
bareroot seedlings but comes with the disadvantage of considerably higher cost.
Containerized seedlings can also be planted almost any time of year, as long as one
avoids serious drought episodes. For this reason, April, May, and possibly the beginning
of June are not good planting times for longleaf tubelings. The best time to plant
bareroot longleaf seedlings is December and January. Late plantings of bareroot longleaf
usually do not fare well. Possibly the single most important factor in properly planting
longleaf is to plant the seedlings with the bud as near to the groundline as possible.
Seedlings planted too deep often appear to be surviving and thriving, but they will either
eventually die or take years to emerge from the grass stage and initiate height growth.
Adequate monitoring of planting crews is crucial. One trick to assessing proper planting
depth is to observe the angle of the needles. Proper planting results in needles splayed
out at about 30 to 45 degrees. Needles compressed upward are the result of the bud being
buried. Needles flopped over nearly horizontal are from seedlings planted too shallow.
However, shallow planting of tubelings is not near as detrimental as shallow planting of
bareroot seedlings.
Firebreak creation and maintenance should be a top priority of the landowner. Firebreaks
should be created and maintained around the property boundary and individual burn
units. Roadways also can serve as firebreaks if not allowed to become overgrown.
Currently, the Division of Forestry can provide assistance in firebreak creation usually
for a modest fee. After the firebreaks are plowed, the landowner should use a disc
harrow to smooth the areas for better access lanes and to help facilitate growth of
herbaceous vegetation.
Wildlife:
To improve overall habitat for wildlife on this tract, the landowner should maintain a
mixture of different native communities such as upland pine, mixed hardwood wetlands
and fire maintained transition zones between these community types. Habitat is
significantly improved by having a diverse mix of well managed communities. Focus on
land management activities that will increase habitat, such as restoring the uplands with
the use of prescribed fire, low density longleaf pine planting, maintenance of firebreaks
and removal of encroaching hardwoods.
Upland pine community dependent wildlife species such as bobwhite quail, eastern
indigo snake, Bachman’s sparrow, gopher tortoise, Sherman’s fox squirrel and tiger
salamander have greatly declined over the past few decades due to numerous contributing
factors. Loss of habitat due to conversion to agriculture and pine plantations seems to be
the factors most affecting many of Florida’s upland dependent wildlife.
Recommendations within this plan are intended to increase available habitat for many
threatened and endangered (T&E) upland species. The use of prescribed fire in particular
will have a beneficial effect on habitat needs of T&E species. Dividing fields into several
burn units and treating those units during alternating years creates a landscape with
several different stages of plant succession. Insects increase after a controlled burn,
providing an important source of protein for young turkey and quail. A majority of the
new growth after a controlled burn is considered valuable forage for wildlife because of
the flush of nutrients released from the burn. Several information sheets for T&E species
that could possibly occur on the property are included in the conservation plan.
Soil and Water Conservation:
Soil and water resources are critical components of a landscape, and therefore must be
considered when developing a management plan. No soil or water problems were
detected during the field reconnaissance, and none of the proposed management
recommendations will adversely affect these resources.
The Division of Forestry’s BMP program provides guidance to protect wetlands and
water quality when conducting silvicultural activities in and around wetlands. Filing a
notice of intent to implement BMP’s and documenting those activities entitles the
landowner to a presumption of compliance with state water quality regulations. The
BMP Manual is available at: http://www.fl-dof.com/forest_management/bmp/index.html.
This property has 7 major soil types, ranging from excessively well drained sandy soils to
poorly drained wetlands. Further questions about soil and water conservation on this
property should be addressed to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in
X at X. For more information concerning the soils types in X County, visit the web soil
survey. http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm. Additionally, a soils test
can be completed for a minimal fee through the University of Florida IFAS Extension
office. For more information concerning soil tests, contact the x County Extension office
at (352) 955-2402. A soils map for the property can be found in Conservation Plan
Folder. Table 1 contains a list of the tract’s soil types and associated information.
Table 1. Soils information for the X Tract, X County, FL.
Soil Type
(soil map unit #)
Slope
Drainage
Millhopper sand,
0-5% slopes
(8)
Nearly level to
gently sloping
Moderately well
drained
Pomona sand (14)
Nearly level
Poorly drained
Monteocha loamy sand
(19)
Tavares sand, 0-5%
slopes (20)
Nearly level
Very poorly
drained
Moderately well
drained
Pomona sand,
depressional
(25)
Myakka sand
(48)
Nearly level
Very poorly
drained
Nearly level
Poorly drained
Lake sand, 0-5% slopes
(55)
Nearly level to
gently sloping
Excessively well
drained
Nearly level to
gently sloping
Associated Plants
Live oak, laurel oak, post oak,
sweetgum, water oak, cherry
laurel, a few hickory, slash pine,
longleaf pine, lopsided
indiangrass, hairy panicum, low
panicum, greenbriar, hawthorn,
persimmon, hoary tickclover,
dwarf huckleberry, chalky
bluestem, wiregrass.
Longleaf pine, slash pine, saw
palmetto, wax myrtle, gallberry,
bracken fern, wiregrass,
blueberry, huckleberry, bluestem,
runner oak.
Cypress, swamp tupelo, pond
pine, bay.
Slash pine, longleaf pine, turkey
oak, post oak, bluejack oak, live
oak, water oak.
Cypress, swamp maple, tupelo,
bay, some pond pine.
Longleaf pine, slash pine, saw
palmetto, runner oak, gallberry,
wax myrtle, huckleberry,
wiregrass, bluestem, greenbriar,
bracken fern.
Longleaf pine, some slash pine,
live oak, post oak, bluejack oak,
bluestem, paspalum, panicum,
switchgrass, lopesided Indian
grass, wiregrass.
Tree Site Index*
Longleaf Pine – 65
Slash Pine – 80
Loblolly Pine – 80
Longleaf Pine – 70
Slash Pine – 80
Loblolly Pine – 80
Longleaf Pine – 70
Slash Pine – 80
Longleaf Pine – 60
Slash Pine – 70
Longleaf Pine – 65
Slash Pine – 80
*Site Index is the average height of the dominant and co-dominant trees of a selected species at 50 years of age. Site
index is a good “tool” to use when considering what species to plant in a particular area. Other factors, however, like
value to wildlife, aesthetic quality of trees, and management objectives should be evaluated prior to planting.
Field Specific Recommendations
Table 2: Field information for the X Tract, X County, Florida.
Field
1
2
NRCS Land Use - local land use
Wildlife – Upland mixed woodland
Wildlife – Mixed wetland hardwoods
TOTAL
Size (acres)
56.2
52.7
108.9
NRCS Conservation Practices
The following NRCS conservation practices have been designed for the fields below and
should be established according to the following implementation schedule and
specifications. The information provided below is meant to be a summary of conservation
practices needed to meet Resource Management System (RMS) standards. Any nonessential, non-cost shared elements are considered recommendations and are written in
italics. More detail can be found in the conservation plan folder (conservation plan map,
practice job sheets, supplemental practice guidance publications). Contact your local
NRCS X County district conservationist for contract modifications and to schedule
practice completion checkouts and reimbursements as practices are completed.
Remember, at least one practice must be completed within a year of the date the
contract was signed, September 15th, 2010.
Firebreak – code 394
Field 1 = 1,000 ft
12/2010
Field 1 = 2,000 ft
10/2011
Field 1 = 2,000 ft
10/2012
Firebreaks should be created and maintained around the tract’s perimeter. NRCS defines
a firebreak as a strip of bare land or vegetation that retards fire. Firebreak locations were
not planned on the conservation map to allow the landowner to choose the most
advantageous locations as their burn units are established throughout the length of the
contract. When choosing the location of firebreaks avoid placement along slopes to
prevent erosion issues. If disking or plowing firebreaks, avoid installing the firebreaks
near overstory pines and desired oak species to prevent root damage from the heavy
machinery. The Division of Forestry can provide assistance in firebreak creation for a
minimal fee. http://www.fl-dof.com/wildfire/services_fire_management.html
If the firebreaks are plowed, use a disc to smooth the areas for better access lanes and to
help facilitate growth of herbaceous vegetation. Inspect the firebreaks annually and prior
to a prescribed burn to ensure they are clear of any vegetation or downed trees.
Firebreaks can serve many purposes if properly maintained. They will 1) provide
protection from wildfire, 2) provide access to the property from the perimeter, 3) will
help control prescribed burns, and 4) will also provide transitional zones that are very
important to wildlife species that frequently use edge, such as rabbits. The edges of
firebreaks can provide excellent nesting and foraging habitat and will also provide travel
corridors for wildlife.
All firebreaks established under this agreement shall be at least twice the projected
flame length or 8 feet, whichever width is greatest. If you wish to use firebreaks for
food plots as well then they should be at least 30 feet wide. Firebreaks can be expanded
upon (~ 30') to provide an additional area for planting food for wildlife, both agronomic
and native plants.
Establish the firebreaks to coincide with the creation of at least 3 separate management
units within Field 1. This will allow prescribed burning to be completed on a rotation,
approximately 1/3 of the burnable acreage a year.
Maintenance of the lines should consist of annual disking during the winter months for
promotion of wildlife-friendly herbaceous vegetation and to maintain access throughout
the property. Disking during the winter months, usually November through February,
will promote the presence of native weeds and legumes such as partridge pea,
beggarweed, and common ragweed. Disking in April-May usually stimulates forbs and
native grasses, but also tends to stimulate species that are toxic to cattle such as
sicklepod and coffeeweed. This disking timeframe should be avoided to prevent the
growth of these undesirable plants especially since a pasture is adjacent to the property
and could potentially harbor those undesirable plants. Disking in June favors native
forbs such as Florida pusley and morning glory, which are of moderate forage
preference for white-tailed deer.
Prescribed Burning - code 338
Field 1a = 16.6 ac
Field 1b = 16.6 ac
Field 1c = 16.6 ac
5/2011
5/2012
7/2013
Field 1a = 16.6 ac
7/2013
Field 1b = 16.6 ac
5/2014
Field 1c = 16.6 ac
7/2015
For this WHIP contract, the total acreage under the prescribed burning practice will cover
the total burnable area in field 1(49.8 ac) twice, providing two rounds of fire over the 5
year length of the contract.
Historically, lightning caused fires would naturally move throughout the landscape
during the Florida storm season (May-June) and would burn until a natural barrier such as
a river, hardwood drain, or a rain storm would extinguish the flames. Fire is one of the
most effective, inexpensive and natural methods of managing Florida’s upland
communities. Prescribed burning provides numerous benefits to both plants and wildlife
that are dependent on some aspect of the fire adapted upland communities in Florida,
such as upland pine and sandhill. To promote wiregrass reproduction, conduct controlled
burns during the May-July time frame. When conducting a controlled burn, allow the fire
to burn across the landscape naturally, leaving any unburned patches as such. These
patches increase the landscape diversity and provide important cover for wildlife. Winter
burning tends to favor more weeds, legumes, and shrubby species, while summer burning
will promote native grasses and help control unwanted hardwoods. Growing season fires
are more effective in the control of hardwoods than dormant season fires. Portions of the
tract heavy in hardwood sprouts should be burned during the growing season to reduce
the hardwoods and increase the groundcover diversity.
Burning alternating compartments in a yearly rotation will create a mosaic of different
aged roughs of vegetation, which provide the different cover types, such as nesting and
escape cover, important to many of Florida’s upland dependent species. If meeting your
burning goals becomes an issue, it may help to combine several units and burn them all at
one time for the initial burn. Doing so will be a more efficient use of time and resources
for the burn crew. Due to factors beyond your control, conducting a prescribed burn
during a particular season is not always feasible. Therefore, it is important to remember
that when introducing fire back into a system, the frequency of prescribed fire can
sometimes be more important than the season when it comes to installing a certain fire
return interval and managing fuel loads. If a fire cannot be conducted during the
scheduled season, then a burn should be conducted as soon as possible to maintain a
frequent fire interval. This approach will help control hardwood encroachment and help
preserve the integrity of the upland community.
For this contract, all of the prescribed burns are scheduled for completion during the
growing season (April-October). Be sure perimeter firebreaks are installed and inspected
prior to all controlled burns. Approximately 1/3 of the burnable area in Field 1 will be
completed 2011, 2012 and 2013 during the growing season. Follow-up prescribed burns
will be completed during the growing season in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Subsequent burns beyond this contract may be conducted on a 2-3 year frequency in
early spring following hardwood "leaf-out" to better control hardwoods and promote an
open stand with a ground cover dominated by native grasses and legumes providing
forage for wildlife. After the two rounds of fire have been applied for this contract, allow
subsequent fires to burn patchy to increase the landscape diversity and provide important
escape and nesting cover for species that spend a majority of their life cycle in the
understory.
There are several remaining mature longleaf pines that are able to produce seed. To
facilitate the natural seeding of these trees, the fields that contain these trees should have
areas with little vegetation and bare soil (recently burned) from October to November
when pine seeds fall from the cones. Longleaf pine usually produce seeds every year, but
these are usually sought after by a variety of native wildlife, so a mast period of high
production usually occurs every 7 years on average to compensate for the loss of seeds
due to wildlife. Keep an eye out for these large mast periods. Conduct burns prior to
October-November to provide the best conditions for seedlings to take hold and grow
after a mast period.
General and specific planning information for all prescribed burns called for in this
Conservation Plan can be found in the prescribed burning job sheet (FL-338-JS) in the
Appendix). A copy of the Prescribed Burning Plan (page 6 & 7) of the job sheet must be
completed and returned to NRCS for each controlled burn prior to receiving cost share.
The prescribed burning evaluation sheet will be completed during the practice checkout.
We recommend that under this agreement that a certified FL prescribed burner write all
burn prescriptions and conducts all burns to reduce liability concerns for the landowner.
Contact the X County forester X at X for prescribed burning assistance or (352) 955-2010
to obtain a burn authorization from the Division of Forestry.
When living in fire dependent ecosystems, the task of maintaining a defensible space
around buildings to protect from wildfires becomes increasingly more important. When
planning a future homesite on the property, consider the Division of Forestry’s Firewise
resource at http://www.fl-dof.com/wildfire/firewise_index.html. The website describes
certain maintenance and landscaping tips that can be used to prevent damage to
buildings in fire dependent communities.
Tree/Shrub Site Preparation, Heavy – code 490
Field 1 = 15.6 ac
8/2011
Field 1 = 15.6 ac
8/2012
Field 1 = 15.6 ac
8/2013
A great deal of the uplands (Field 1) on this tract have naturally succeeded into a mixed
pine/hardwood community. To restore Field 1 to an open canopy dominated primarily by
longleaf pine (and some scattered slash) with a diverse understory of herbaceous
vegetation and native grasses, a combination of prescribed burning, chemical and
mechanical treatments will be implemented.
To prepare the site for planting longleaf pine seedlings, a majority of the hardwoods and
shrubs that dominate the Field will be removed by hand and treated using an herbicide to
kill the plant and decrease resprouting. The most effective control method for large
hardwoods (6 inch DBH or greater provide snags large enough for cavity nesting birds)
would be the hack-n-squirt method, which involves hacking into the cambium *lateral
growing layer) of the oaks with a hatchet and spraying the cuts with herbicide in the fall.
The cuts should be made downward at a 45 degree angle and then levered down with the
hatchet to form a cup. Once the cup has been formed it can be filled with herbicide. A cut
should be made for every 2 inches of tree diameter. A contact herbicide that has no soil
residual activity should be used; this will reduce the chances of any herbicide spills or
runoff negatively impacting desirable vegetation around the tree. This method allows for
individual tree selection and prevents preferred tree species from being inadvertently
eradicated. The ideal time to apply herbicides is during the early fall when the trees are
going dormant for the winter, but it can be applied with some success during the winter.
Those trees and shrubs that are to be removed and have a 3-inch DBH or less should be
cut using a chain saw or other hand tools and the stump sprayed with a contact herbicide,
it is also advisable to mix food coloring or another dying agent in to the spray mixture to
indicate which stumps have already been treated. It is important to spray the stumps
within a minute or so of cutting. If the spray is not applied quickly then the capillary
action of the tree will have shut down and the herbicide will not be taken into the root
system. Leave the cut trees and shrubs where they fall to provide ground cover, fuel for
burns, and havens for small animals. See the publication Controlling Hardwoods in
Longleaf Pine Restoration in the Conservation Plan Folder for more information on
which herbicides to use and how to execute different herbicide application methods. In
accordance with the recommendation of a consulting forester or herbicide representative,
an herbicide treatment will be applied using the appropriate herbicide for woody
vegetation control. Steps should be taken to minimize drift and runoff such as applying
on windless and rain free days, following label guidelines carefully, not applying close to
wetland borders, and not applying to areas where surface water is present (Note: All
herbicide used under this agreement shall be obtained from a qualified forester, extension
agent, or other herbicide specialist and the intended purpose, timing, application rates,
etc., shall follow labeled instructions).
Whenever possible, snags (standing dead trees) that remain from the herbicide treatment
with a 6-inch DBH or greater should be left standing. Snags are used heavily by cavity
nesting and roosting wildlife species; including woodpeckers, chickadees, bats,
flycatchers, and owls. Snags should be removed if they have decayed to the point of
posing a hazard to structures or falling across firebreaks or roads. The Conservation
Plan Folder contains more information on the importance of dead wood to wildlife.
The Mechanical removal and herbicide applications which are applied for site preparation
should be complete by August of 2011, 2012 and 2013 in accordance with their planned
planting dates. Approximately 1/3 of the total area to be planted in Field 1 should be
completed for each of the contract years. One way to begin this task is to work from
existing natural (fallen tree gaps) and/or artificial openings (trails, firebreaks, etc). Work
along the edges of these areas and expand upon one area at a time. Avoid eradicating all
hardwoods, leaving a few scattered single trees or clumps of hardwoods (live oak, turkey
oak, southern red oak and bluejack oak are species of upland oaks that can be left ) as a
source of mast for wildlife. Preserve a few larger oaks throughout the landscape to leave
nesting/roosting trees and mast since oaks typically begin producing acorns at about age
20. Once the oaks are girdled and/or cut down, it is important to utilize prescribed fire on
a high frequency (1-2 years), preferably during the growing season, to top kill new
hardwood sprouts. Avoid leaving brush piles within the drip line of leave trees, such as
overstory pines or aesthetically pleasing oaks, to prevent scorching of these trees when a
prescribed burn is conducted.
Trees selected for retention should have good growth form and mast production. In
addition trees of different age classes should be retained to ensure that as the older trees
reach the end of their lifespan they will be replaced by a younger cohort of mast
producing hardwoods. The clumps should consist of the younger trees, as they age they
will begin to compete with each other and their numbers will dwindle until one becomes
dominant. Older trees should be retained singly as they tend to influence the area around
them to a higher degree than the young ones and therefore require more room.
Follow the specifications in the tree and shrub site preparation Practice Standard located
in the Appendix of the Conservation Plan
Tree/Shrub Establishment - code 612
Field 1 = 15.6 ac
12/2011
Field 1 = 15.6 ac
12/2012
Field 1 = 15.6 ac
12/2013
Use containerized longleaf seedlings and hand plant 200-300 trees/acre or less, on 1/3 of
the plantable acreage (46.8 ac) in Field 1, December 2011, 2012 and 2013. Up to 500
trees per acre can be cost shared under WHIP.
Since overstory hardwoods will be left in the planting area this will have to be a hand
planting. The planting crew should avoid placing any seedlings within the drip line of
larger trees. Longleaf pine is very shade intolerant and needs full sunlight to grow
properly. The shade caused by a larger tree can cause the seedlings to either die outright
or to remain in the grass stage indefinitely.
The two types of seedlings typically offered by local nurseries are containerized and
bareroot. Containerized have a much higher cost than the bareroot seedlings but also have
a much better survival rate.
The trees should be planted from late November to January and it is recommended that
containerized seedlings be used. Due to the low density of the planting, having a good
survival rate will outweigh the extra expense of the containerized seedlings. While a
summer planting can be accomplished with a good survival rate it can be a riskier
proposition because of the unpredictability of summer rain patterns. If the landowner
desires a summer planting the X County Forester should be contacted to help assess the
conditions that year and advise on the feasibility of this undertaking.
The planting crew should be supervised to ensure that the seedlings are not planted too
deep, too shallow, or j- rooted. J-rooting occurs when the planting hole is not deep
enough and the root system of the seedling is bent as it is planted. With a hand planting it
is crucial that the seedling are not planted too deep. The soil around a hand planted
seedling will not settle as it will around a machine planted seedling. This will result in the
seedling staying in the grass stage or dying.
Seedlings should be ordered at least several months in advance of the anticipated planting
date to ensure the nursery will have an adequate number of seedlings to meet your stand
size goals. For a 15 acre planting area, the landowner should order approximately 4600
seedlings. The seedlings should be planted as soon after delivery as possible, preferably
the same day. If necessary, they should stored in a cool dry place protected from sun and
wind until they are ready to be planted.
Follow the specifications in the tree and shrub establishment job sheet (FL 612JS) and the
Practice Standard located in the Appendix of the Conservation Plan.
Other Wildlife Recommendations
Seasonal wetlands and cypress swamps – Field 2. These areas on the property provide an
important habitat component for wildlife. Wildlife frequently found using seasonal ponds
are great blue heron, oak toad, water snake, pinewoods treefrog, little grass frog, tiger
salamander, snowy egret, gopher frog, Great egret, American alligator, bronze frog,
cricket frog, white-tailed deer, barking treefrog, wild hog, mud turtle and eastern
narrowmouth toad. Seasonal (ephemeral) ponds are temporary, drying seasonally
(summer and fall) and filling again during the rainy seasons (winter and spring). It is the
temporary nature of these ponds that eliminates fish and other aquatic animals that prey
on amphibian eggs and tadpoles. It is for this reason the ponds are required by
amphibians for reproduction. Some amphibians spend the majority of their life buried in
burrows and beneath logs in the upland habitat surrounding these temporary ponds.
During the breeding season, they move down from the uplands, to temporary ponds,
sometimes dispersing as far as 1 mile for reproductive purposes. To manage these ponds
for wildlife, minimize soil disturbance. When possible, avoid constructing roads within a
1.5 mile distance of the pond to avoid road mortality of wildlife traveling to and from the
ponds. Avoid disking the wetlands or placing firebreaks around the edges as it has the
potential to disrupt the flow of water within this community and break any clay hardpan
that may exist within the pond basin. Any seasonally wet areas should be protected from
disturbance by heavy equipment by leaving a 5 foot stringer (i.e., strip) of trees
surrounding them, particularly where logging operations are scheduled. Florida Best
Management Practices (BMPs) should be acknowledged and understood before any
forestry operations take place near a wetland. Allow dead trees and woody debris to
decompose naturally. Many amphibians and reptiles nest, forage or shelter inside or
underneath rotten logs. Leave tip-ups and stump holes because they are critical
hibernation habitats for most pine forest-related amphibians and reptiles.