Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Elevation Promotes Long-Term Survival Of Pinus Elliottii Var. Densa, A Foundation Species Of The Endangered Pine Rockland Ecosystem In The Florida Keys, Grant L. Harley, Justin T. Maxwell, George T. Raber

Faculty Publications

The pine rockland community in southern Florida, which supports numerous state- and federally listed flora and fauna species, is considered endangered. Without its foundation species, Pinus elliottii var. densa, habitat and species diversity are lost to tropical hardwood hammock. Here, we investigate the landscape factors that contribute to the long-term persistence of pine rocklands on the 2 islands that contain the largest remaining habitat in the Florida Keys: Big Pine Key and No Name Key. Plot-level biophysical data and island-scale remotely sensed vegetation data were collected from pine rockland savannas and examined with multi-dimensional analysis. On both islands, vegetation …