A Geospatial Database of Tree Islands within the Mustang Corner Fire Incident of 2008
The general loss of tree islands in some parts of the Everglades due to flooding is well documented and understood (Patterson and Finck 1999; Avineon 2002; Hofmockel et al. 2003; Sklar et al. 2004). However, the loss of tree islands due to fires within the marl prairies of the Everglades has yet to be properly documented or studied. Anecdotal evidence suggests that tree islands within this pyrogenic landscape usually recover from a fire after several years. However, little is known about the successional sequence of tree islands following an intense fire and how that relates to the general distribution of woody species within this landscape and individual islands. At the same time, a paucity of information exists on how fires affect tree island biogenesis, if it occurs at all under current environmental conditions. To properly address these ecological questions, now or in the future, a comprehensive inventory of tree islands within this landscape is fundamentally necessary.
2010-03-15
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