South Florida Rocklands
Gigi Palladino
Description
Rockin in the Rocklands
The Florida Rocklands are also known as the Pine Rocklands. Subtropical to tropical hardwood hammock soils are largely organic. The topography of the land is upland. The area is 800 square miles, but it's status is endangered. There is only 2% of it remaining. It is located at the southern tip of Florida. There are at least 137 species of trees and shrubs, 18 species of vine and scandent shrubs, and 7 species of palms. Some say that the tree flora is similar to the Bahamian forest flora, but it has been isolated long enough to be a distinct population.
Abiotic Factors
The FL Rocklands are a terrestrial ecosystem. There are shallow soils and the rocks are made of limestone. The soils may be subtropical or tropical hardwood hammock soils. The average temperature for the air is 82 degrees fahrenheit. There is fresh groundwater. The average humidity level for that area is 73%. The ecosystem is dependent on fire. Most of the species have adapted to the periodic fires. Fire is essential for the survival of some species in this ecosystem. The area has been replaced with buildings and overcrowded by human population growth. Only 2% of the habitat remains because of urbanization.
Cuban Yellow Warbler
There are many different species of birds in the South Florida Rocklands.
Florida Panther
The Florida panther is the main Apex Predator in this ecosystem.
Fire in the Rocklands
Fire is essential for plants and animals to live in this ecosystem.
Biotic Factors
Consumers
- Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit
- Big cypress fox squirrel
- Silver rice rat
- Lower keys cotton rat
- FL Black bear
- Key vaca Raccoon
- Key west raccoon
- FL Panther
- Key Deer
- Northern Bobwhite bird
- Swallow tailed kite
- Bald Eagle
- Southeastern American Kestrel
- Mangrove Cuckoo
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Red-cockaded woodpecker
- Gray Kingbird
- Loggerhead shrike
- Black-whiskered vireo
- Brown-headed Nuthatch
- Cuban Yellow warbler
- Eastern Meadowlark
- Key mud turtle
- FL box turtle
- Gopher tortoise
- FL Keys Mole skink
- Lower Keys brown snake
- Lower Keys Ribbon snake
- Key ringneck snake
- Eastern Indigo Snake
- Rim Rock crown snake
- Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
- FL tree snail
- Robinson's Anomala Scarab Beetle
- Atala Butterfly
- Miami Blue
- Bartram's Hairstreak
- FL leafwing
- Kirtland's warbler
- Blolly
- Bromeliads
- Cabbage Palm
- Fragrant Prickly apple
- Gumbo Limbo
- Joewood
- Key Thatch palm
- Poison ivy
- Saw Palmetto
- Brazilian Pepper
- Silver thatch palm
- Pond cypress
- Pond apple
- Buttonbush
- Willow
- Elderberry
- Buckthorn
- Beauty Berry
- Varnish leaf
- Locust berry
- Pinland croton
- Stagger bush
- Dwarf live oak
- Running oak
- Shiny Blueberry
- Florida Tree Snail
Florida Tree Snail
The Florida tree snail is the main decomposer in this ecosystem.
Robinson's Anomala Scarab Beetle
This beetle is the main insect of the ecosystem.
Saw Palmetto
The saw palmetto provide food and shelter for many organisms in this ecosystem.
Food Web, made with Mindmaps
Human Impacts and Ecotourism
Unfortunately, the South Florida Rocklands are endangered due to humans. Only 2% of it remains today. The cause is urbanization. Constant buildings, home, and shopping outlets that are being built ruin the ecosystem by removing plants and causing animals to move away. Humans have also caused multiple fires in the ecosystem. Luckily to fix that though, multiple conservation partners have helped preserve and reserve the ecosystem. Conservation partners include Conservation and Recreation Lands Program (CARL) of the state of Florida, The Nature Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy of Florida, Florida Natural Areas Inventory.
Fire
Humans help to control the fire, so it doesn't get too out of hand.
Conservation Partners
Everyday, people are told about the importance of the endangerment of the ecosystem and they go and help it.
Urbanization
In the background you can see a building. This is an example of urbanization. It affects the ecosystem as a whole. You can see the rest of the area even looks cleared out and has patches of missing vegetation.
Apex predator taxonomy
The Apex Predator is the Florida Panther.
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Tribe: Felini
Genus:Puma
Species:Puma Concolor Coryi
Main Resources Used
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Florida_rocklands
- https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0164
- http://www.miamidade.gov/environment/pine-rocklands.asp
- http://www.savethepinerocklands.org/
- http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/extension/florida_forestry_information/forest_resources/south_florida_rocklands.html
- http://myfwc.com/media/134664/Legacy_Pine_Rockland.pdf
- http://webworldwonders.firn.edu/eco/upland/rock.html
- http://www2.fiu.edu/~serp1/home/index_files/page0005.html
- http://www.landscope.org/florida/ecosystems/featured_ecosystems/disappearing_landscapes/pine_rocklands-rockland_hammocks/
- http://www.whateats.com/
- http://citadel.sjfc.edu/students/naa07113/e-port/decomposers.html