A collaborative call to action for a thriving future
This three-day conference was held on October 28, 29, and 30 and included a half-day virtual session, a full-day of in-person programming at Fairchild Garden, an evening social and poster session at FIU's International Center for Tropical Botany, and three field trips.
Link to 1/2 Day virtual session
Includes talks by Clifford Shaw, Nick Gilmore, Christina Stocking, and students from three Miami-area high schools
Link to recording of live session - coming soon
State Wildlife Grants: Supporting Pine Rockland Conservation in Florida
Sarah Almassri, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, sarah.almassri@myfwc.com
State Wildlife Grants (SWG) are an available resource for conserving Florida's Pine Rocklands, a unique type of pine flatwoods found exclusively on limestone substrates in the Florida Keys and the Miami Rock Ridge. This presentation will review recent SWG-funded projects focused on habitat restoration and species monitoring within these imperiled ecosystems. This presentation will highlight efforts to preserve rare plant species and support Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) such as the Miami tiger beetle (Cicindelidia floridana). By sharing the successes and challenges of these projects, we aim to inform and enhance future conservation strategies for the preserving pine rocklands in Florida.
Reestablishing and Protecting Pine Rocklands for the Long-Term
Elise Bennett, Center for Biological Diversity, ebennett@biologicaldiversity.org
Lauren Jonaitis, Tropical Audubon Society, conservationdirector@tropicalaudubon.org
Mylea Bayless, Bat Conservation International, mbayless@batcon.org
Bastions of biodiversity and globally critically imperiled, the few remaining fragments of pine rocklands are under threat from urban development, invasive species, climate change, and more. Pine rocklands protected within Everglades National Park and National Key Deer Refuge are highly vulnerable to sea level rise and storms of increasing intensity driven by climate change. While higher elevation pine rocklands in urban Miami-Dade County are more secure from rising seas, they are at risk of being swept under the tide of urbanization. The stakes are high, and local communities value these ecosystems, as highlighted by recent, overwhelming public opposition to a waterpark development proposal among the Richmond Pine Rocklands. This panel will briefly review the ecological, social, and economic importance pine rocklands; summarize current threats and regulatory mechanisms to address them; and explore opportunities for strong, long-term protection that would rally resources and enhance collaboration to protect and manage these shining green gems of urban Miami-Dade.
Wildlife Investigations using Trail Cameras & AI
Kinga Brihammar, BioTECH High School, 0618820@students.dadeschools.net, Imani Douglas, BioTECH High School, 1005795@students.dadeschools.net, Emily Sanchez, BioTECH High School, 0478643@students.dadeschools.net
As South Florida becomes increasingly more populous and urban sprawl continues to take away green spaces, native fauna faces decreased refuge, suitable habitats to forage in, and smaller fragments not conducive to stable populations. Often time, small to medium mammalia, for example, need to be on the move to find mating partners and suitable safe spaces in which to raise young. This puts them at risk of vehicular collisions and human-wildlife conflict. Using trail cameras and identification software in multiple preserves, we can learn movement and behavioral patterns to better understand their needs and make appropriate civic decisions. By taking measures to ensure their safety, these native animals can traverse to and from the Everglades by utilizing suitable fragmented green spaces as “stepping stones”.
What a Difference Two Years Makes! (POSTER)
Megan Clouser, U.S. Coast Guard, Civil Engineering Unit Miami, Megan.L.Clouser@uscg.mil
Two years ago, the USCG came to the symposium asking for ideas/suggestions on how to manage a pine rockland that had suffered through years of benign neglect. To date, we have come so far due to a surprise grant, a surprise fire and the removal of over 1000 lbs of hurricane debris left over from Hurricane Andrew. Yes, that Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Now we have to come up with a laundry list of what will happen in the next two years.
An Update on the USFWS Pine Rockland Multispecies Recovery Plan
Nikki Colangelo, Heather Hitt, Emily Bauer, Sam Hermann, Kevin Kalasz, Tanna Dittmar, Holly Ferreira, and David Bender, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Ecological Services Field Office; nikki_colangelo@fws.gov and heather_hitt@fws.gov
We will provide an update on our recovery planning process for 20 federally listed species, including the Miami tiger beetle, Bartram’s scrub hairstreak butterfly, Florida leafwing butterfly, rim rock crowned snake, Key ring-necked snake, and 15 plants, that occur in pine rockland habitat in South Florida and the Florida Keys. Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is charged with developing recovery plans for listed species. Typically, recovery plans are written on a species-by-species basis. However, because these species are entirely or primarily dependent on pine rockland habitat and face the same threats, we are taking a novel, three-pronged approach to the ecosystem conservation needed to recover these pine rockland-dependent species. Our approach includes working with our partners to develop three complementary documents to guide recovery: 1) Pine Rockland Multi-Species Recovery Plan; 2) Pine Rockland Recovery Implementation Strategy; and 3) Pine Rockland Business Plan. Additionally, species status assessments for each species are currently being developed using the best and most current data available to inform the recovery planning process. With our partners, we will implement these plans synergistically to move the ecosystem and its species to recovery as quickly as possible, reducing regulatory burden on the local community and our partners.
Fire and flooding interact to affect survival of Croton linearis, a rare pine rockland plant (POSTER)
Raelene M. Crandall, Ph.D., School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, raecrandall@ufl.edu, Aerin Land, Everglades National Park, Ben Baiser, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Jennifer Fill, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Owen Schneider, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida
Hydrologic regimes strongly influence plant population dynamics over time in seasonally flooded environments, such as those in Everglades pine rocklands. Aspects of the hydrologic regime, such as the seasonal timing, magnitude, and frequency of flooding, should be considered when managing populations of endangered plant species with prescribed fires. The hydrologic regime can modify fire regimes (e.g., frequency, intensity, and severity) and postfire recovery of plants. It is unknown how human-induced changes in fire-flooding interactions affect rare and sensitive species along hydrologic gradients in pine rocklands. For instance, Croton linearis populations have significantly declined after some fires but not others, which concerns Everglades National Park ecologists because C. linearis is the host plant for two endangered butterfly species. We used plant monitoring data collected by Everglades National Park from 2005-2018 to determine how the timing of fire and flooding affects the population viability of C. linearis. The Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) was used to determine daily water surface levels for each plant population, and fire effects data was used to estimate fire severity. For the five fire and flooding events we examined, C. linearis survival was high when fires occurred well in advance or at least a month after the wet season onset. When C. linearis was burned shortly after the wet season onset, its survival declined significantly. As the wet season began, water depth increased drastically and then fluctuated until rains became more frequent and consistent, moving into late June and July. Thus, C. linearis populations burned shortly after the wet season onset might have experienced large and immediate fluctuations in water depth, likely inundating the resprouting individuals. Flooding events soon after fires have caused mortality in other species, such as sawgrass, particularly if the plants could not begin regrowing before their meristems became inundated. Our results demonstrate that the interactive effects of human-modified fire and hydrologic regimes can have unanticipated impacts on rare plant populations along hydrologic gradients.
Restoring pine rocklands on EEL preserves with a legacy of impacts
James Duncan, Miami-Dade County DERM and EEL, james.duncan@miamidade.gov
County pine rockland preserves have legacy impacts and in some portions have 100% invasive cover. This led to a realization that “expanding the footprint” can start within existing protected lands. Starting in 2019, the Environmentally Endangered Lands Program took initiative in various preserves to develop the ecological, financial, community, policy and contractual tools necessary to expand the footprint of pine rockland on public land. The scope of work is focused on approximately 70 acres over nine preserves that had little or no characteristics of a pine rockland. Presented is an overview of the journey to reclaim the forest footprints and the existing challenges that remain.
Utilizing ecological restoration standards to define targets and improve outcomes for pine rockland restoration
Liz Dutra, The Institute for Regional Conservation, ldutra@regionalconservation.org
George Gann, The Institute for Regional Conservation
Following a history of dramatic fragmentation and degradation, South Florida’s globally imperiled pine rocklands require ecological restoration to increase their footprint and to support native biodiversity. While the threats to pine rocklands, like extensive urban development, agricultural expansion, lack of periodic fire, and the proliferation of invasive species, are well known, the path forward for pine rockland ecological restoration is an area of active work. Utilizing global guidance developed by the Society of Ecological Restoration, a highly collaborative effort has been underway to draft a framework of ecological and social visions, goals and objectives for pine rockland ecological restoration. This framework defines targets and monitoring metrics that seek to improve outcomes for the pine rockland ecosystem. The Institute for Regional Conservation (IRC) has gone on to employ this framework in our Pine Rockland Initiative restoration work. In this talk we will discuss the process used to develop this ecological restoration framework, the pine rockland specific calibrations that were required to successfully craft the framework, and the in-field testing of the framework the IRC has been performing since 2021.
Homestead Air Reserve Pine Rocklands: Changing Minds and Changing the Environment
Josh Friers Natural Resources Manager, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Joshua.Friers.2@us.af.mil
Homestead Air Reserve Base in the last 10+ years has been involved in slowly restoring Pine Rocklands. 20 acres that were once areas of Burma Reed and a wide variety of invasive plants has been transformed into an area with dozens of native Rockland species. In ten years HARB learned education and partnerships are key. This talk will address some of the issues the base has faced and the goals for the future.
Characterization of a Pine Rockland fragment adjacent to BioTECH school (POSTER)
Allie García, 0404482@students.dadeschools.net, Arisai Rodríguez, 0425915@students.dadeschools.net, Camila Recalde, 0725990@students.dadeschools.net, Cristopher Rozas, 0540785@students.dadeschools.net, Fabio Fernández and Cristina Whelan, 0418126@students.dadeschools.net, Biotech High school teacher, cristinawhelan@dadeschools.net
Biotech prides itself as the only conservation magnet school in the US. Adjacent to our campus is a 1 ha pine Rockland fragment at ZooMiami which has not been burned in at least 30 years. The close access to our campus, and student participation in research courses allow teachers the opportunity to teach authentic projects that encourage hands on experiences. The goals of our project were to introduce students to using forestry techniques and learn about our native pine rocklands; but ultimately assess certain forest parameters such as frequency of plant species (native and exotic), leaf litter depth, percent canopy cover, and pine tree DBH. These factors can provide land managers a baseline of this parcel of forest. We sampled 120 points systematically along 12 50 m transects, sampled every 5 meters. At each point we identified the plant species intercepting the line, vegetation height, canopy cover at 4 compass points using a densiometer, and leaf litter depth. If pine trees occurred along the transect, we measured the DBH at 1.4 meters. We found 34 species. The most common species were Saw and Sabal palmetto, followed by Dade County Pine, and Poisonwood. Although a few exotics were found, most of the species found were native. The Leaf Litter Depth, primarily of pine needles ranged from 0 to 65 cm. Canopy cover ranged from 0 to 90%. The Subcanopy dominated by palms was quite dense. DBH ranged from 10-27 cm, No seedlings or saplings were found, perhaps due to the dense canopy cover.
This fragment is going to be burned this summer. This provides Biotech students the opportunity to learn authentic ecological techniques and their applications in a critically endangered ecosystem before and after a fire. We hope measuring these variables can also inform land managers on the health of this small parcel. By maintaining a healthy pine rockland we preserve habitat for a variety of plants and pollinators. Involving students helps make them more aware of our natural areas and why and how we should preserve them.
Connecting the Pines: Increasing Pine Rockland Awareness through Art
Nick Gilmore, artist and educator gilmoreworks@yahoo.com gilmoreworks.com
How can we expand social awareness of our shared goals to conserve/preserve/restore the Pine Rocklands? One potential avenue is through art. This talk will feature one artist’s journey of utilizing salvaged Dade County Pine lumber as an artistic medium for increasing awareness of the Pine Rocklands. Additional emphasis will be put on collaboration with other cultural and environmental organizations.
An Update on the Pine Rockland Business Plan
Kevin Kalasz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service kevin_kalasz@fws.gov
Sarah Kittredge, Chris Bergh, and Kathy Freeman, The Nature Conservancy
George Gann, The Institute for Regional Conservation
Jennifer Possley, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden
Janet Gil, Miami-Dade County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program
We will be providing an update to the Pine Rockland Business Plan. A natural resources business plan in the context of pine rockland conservation will provide the decision support to implement the Pine Rockland Multi-Species Recovery Plan and the Pine Rockland Recovery Implementation Strategy. This will bring efficiency to both pine rockland conservation and species recovery within this system. This plan quantified the condition of existing pine rocklands, accumulated rare species spatial information, and identified areas of prior converted lands that could be used to expand the footprint. These are all critical components to recovering the ecosystem. These data were then applied with decision analytic methods to prioritize actions to achieve the best outcome to get the pine rockland ecosystem on the Miami Rock Ridge into the best condition as possible as quickly as feasible. If the actions that are developed and prioritized are implemented, we should improve the extent and condition of pine rocklands and substantially and help with the recovery of the many pine rockland dependent species.
Tetrazygia bicolor Germination
AP Statistics students of Andrew Kearns, Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy akearns@dadeschools.net
We studied germination of Tetrazygia bicolor (Miconia bicolor) in three different experiments over two years in our AP Statistics classes at Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy. The purpose of these experiments was to determine treatments or factors to most effectively increase germination rates and have fewer mean days to germinate, as Tetrazygia bicolor is a threatened pine rockland species.
The first experiment tested different soil substrate mixes (limestone, clay, & compost) compared to commercial seed-starting soil mix and examined both germination proportions (categorical data) and mean days to germination (numerical data). Our constants include water LED lights, and ambient temperature. First, we de-pulped fruits to extract seeds and randomly sampled them, putting 4 seeds per cell in 50-cell trays. We watered them regularly and observed until the first signs of germination. Results indicated that the limestone substrate had the highest germination rate and the fewest days to germination. The reason the limestone mix was most effective may reflect the prevalence of limestone in pine rocklands.
The next experiment compared germination of seeds that floated and seeds that sank during the depulping process. It is a common practice to use only seeds that sink in propagation, but the due to the small size of the Tetrazygia bicolor seeds we decided to experiment with the germination rate and speed of both floaters and sinkers. While the germination rate of sinkers was greater, a significant proportion of floaters also did germinate.
The final experiment took place this year, where we maintained soil substrate conditions as a control and compared germination rate and speed of fresh seeds and one-year-old seeds. We found that there was no significant difference between the germination rate or speed age of fresh and one-year old seeds.
Flower visitors to Pine Rockland Clustervine and its south Florida congeners
Suzanne Koptur, Prof Emerita, FIU, kopturs@fiu.edu
Bright, white stars climbing up vegetation in pine rocklands, the flowers of Jacquemontia curtissii attract a wide variety of visitors to collect nectar and or pollen. Some of these visitors serve as pollinators, important as flowers that are not visited do not set fruit. Pine rocklands in the Lower Keys have the brilliant blue flowered Jacquemontia pentanthos. The endangered Jacquemontia reclinata is native to coastal strand, a habitat mostly lost, but its populations have been augmented thanks to efforts of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and collaborating scientists and agencies. We have collected visitors to flowers of these three species and examined their bodies for pollen. While the rosters of visitors to flowers of Jacquemontia species show that they are generalists, are the bees exclusive and faithful or are they also generalists?
Recovery Update for Turks and Caicos Islands Pine Yards
B Naqqi Manco, Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, Turks and Caicos Islands Government mbryan@gov.tc
Dodly Prosper, Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, Turks and Caicos Islands Government, dprosper@gov.tc
Junel Blaise, Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, Turks and Caicos Islands Government, jblaise@gov.tc
The Caicos Pine Recovery Project, led by the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources in the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, has been executing components of the National Tree Restoration Strategy 2016-2036. There has been considerably better species and habitat recovery on Middle Caicos than expected, while Pine Cay and North Caicos pine yards have demonstrated that predictions made in the Strategy were correct for their populations, but are still slowly recovering. Recruitment in wild populations is higher than expected while ex-situ conservation continues, and is being renewed and expanded.
MAST Pine Rocklands
Alexia Mohammed, President of MAST Academy’s Environmental Club (Mrs. Ann Martinez: teacher club sponsor)
MAST Academy maintains 2 pine rocklands. One that was made approximately 6 years ago and one that was created this school year. The pine rockland gardens in our school help students learn more about and care more about this unique, globally imperiled habitat. In order to have a successful school garden, there are several things that are needed. The following is a list of things that will be included in the powerpoint:
· Obtaining permission from administration and making sure school gardeners and custodians know which areas are maintained by the club.
· Having a school club that helps to monitor and maintain the garden
· Having lesson related to the garden that relate to competitions and to standards
· Researching and planting only native plants to the particular area using the IRC website (this will allow for plants that do not need water once established)
· Having proper signage marking the garden and discussing its importance.
· Having clear borders showing where garden begins and ends
· Having flags of different colors to show which plants may need attention/water and other flags of a different color marking smaller plants.
· Weeding garden every two weeks
· Having student made videos that inform people about the habitat and the plants
· A plan of how the garden will be maintained over the summer.
· Taking pictures of the garden so that
· We have 2 pine rockland habitats one was designed as it would look naturally, one as a more landscaped look.
Crenulate lead plant: A look back at 30+ years of collaboration, an overview of where are we now, and musings about what the future holds for this federally endangered, Miami pine rockland-endemic plant species.
Jennifer Possley, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, jpossley@fairchildgarden.org.
Conservation staff at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami have been working collaboratively with partners throughout South Florida and beyond since the mid-1980s to conserve the rarest plants of our region, both in situ and ex situ. The Garden’s first pine rockland focal species was Crenulate lead plant (Amorpha crenulata). Our 1995 reintroduction of Crenulate lead plant to the Deering Estate is one of the oldest still-living plant reintroduction projects in the United States! This presentation will review efforts to rescue populations from development, establish new populations, bank seeds, and encourage Miami residents to grow this species in their home gardens. It will also describe how we have worked with the EEL program and many volunteer groups to improve the habitat for this species, what we have learned about its habitat needs, and will discuss some predictions about the taxon’s fate if those habitat needs cannot be met. This will include a call-to-action to increase support for habitat management of Miami’s last remnants of transverse glade habitat.
Forgotten Historic Fire Towers
Cliff Shaw, retired Metro-Dade Urban Forester
alpheus674@gmail.com
Imagine for a moment there once was once enough pine rockland forest to warrant the construction of four fire lookout towers in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties outside of Everglades National Park, and enough concern that fire was “the most deadly enemy of the park” to merit the construction of three fire towers within Everglades National Park. The rise and fall of these fire towers, as well remembering their “fire watchers” who were among the first to become familiar with and help protect our pine rocklands from uncontrolled wildfires, are an important historic legacy of our once abundant but now imperiled pine rocklands.
The Effects of Smoke water on Germination and Growth of Ipomoea microdactyla (POSTER)
Sarahi Suarez, Biotech@Richmond Heights High School, 0440573@students.dadeschools.net and Cristina Whelan, Biotech@Richmond Heights High School, cristinawhelanAdadeschools.net
Ipomoea microdactyla, is a state endangered vine that grows in the critically imperiled Pine Rocklands of South Florida. Because this species grows in a fire dependent ecosystem, I wanted to investigate if smoke water would increase the seed germination and growth. My experiment is to see how different concentrations of smoke water will affect germination and the growth after germination of Ipomoea microdactyla. I grew nicked and unnicked seeds under 0% 2.5 % (2.5 g/1000 ml water) and 5% (5 g/1000 ml) smoke water. The smoke water was made using ash from Dade County Slash Pine needles. I expected to see more germination when using a higher concentration of smoke-water on the Ipomoea seeds. I also continued measuring growth for over two months of the same plants. I expected the plants with higher concentrations of smoke water will grow faster than the ones with a lower concentration and no smoke-water because of its natural habitat being in the Pine Rocklands. I found the most germination occurred with nicked seeds grown with smoke water compared to the control (unnicked /nicked 0% smoke water). Most growth occurred under 5% smoke water. If smoke water improves germination, this may be useful for conserving this species.
The Camp Choee Preserve, A Case Study of Conservation Through Regulation (POSTER)
Christina Stocking, Miami-Dade County -DERM, Christina.Stocking@miamidade.gov, Brian Diaz, Miami-Dade County -DERM, Brian.Diaz@miamidade.gov
Miami-Dade County’s Tree and Forest Resources Section (TFRS) at DERM has long been involved in preserving pine rockland habitat on private properties through regulation, specifically though its Natural Forest Community (NFC) and Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Covenant programs. For the first time, however, TFRS has recently acquired a 12.8-acre parcel of pine rockland called “Camp Choee” by utilizing funds from the Miami-Dade County Tree Trust Fund (TTF). TFRS has assumed the responsibility for its restoration and management. This presentation will detail the process by which the Camp Choee preserve was acquired as well as the plans for its restoration.
Save it, Don’t pave it. The fight to save the Richmond Pine Rocklands
Al Sunshine, the pine rocklands coalition, sunshinenews@comcast.net
This will be a discussion of the collaboration between various groups and the need for continued cooperation to guarantee our gains are not lost. The discussion will also address the need for a committed plan and future funding for the preservation of the Richmond pine rocklands and options for protecting this globally imperilled habitat for future generations. Some options for discussion include an annexation to the Everglades national park or designation of a national wildlife preserve.
Development of Habitat Protection Plans for Miami Dade County’s Natural Areas (POSTER)
Lauren Trotta PhD, lbtrotta@gmail.com, Jennifer Possley, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, James Duncan, MDC EEL, DERM, RER, Joy Klein, MDC MDC EEL, DERM, RER, Janet Gil, MDC MDC EEL, DERM, RER
Habitat management plans are an essential tool for clearly defining goals and objectives as well as communicating standards and expectations for the cooperative processes of managing and restoring natural areas. Natural area management and restoration does not occur in isolation, so well-crafted plans need to consider both the ecological and social context of the area of focus. Miami Dade County’s Environmentally Endangered Lands Program has recently undertaken a process to update Natural Areas Protection Plans for many parks that are essential pieces of the pine rockland habitat outside of Everglades National Park. This effort has focused on comparing and harmonizing information from multiple existing pine rockland habitat management plans as well as global standards for adaptive management best practices. The result of this process is a generalized adaptive management structure that can be tailored to the diverse needs of individual habitats and parks. Tropical Park Pineland Preserve – 5 acres of remnant pine rockland habitat that exemplifies many of the multifaceted challenges faced by urban fragments of native habitat – is the first natural area to receive an updated Natural Area Protect Plan following the new framework. Here we will review the process we undertook to draft an updated Natural Area Protection Plan, and discuss our application of this plan to the Tropical Park Pineland Preserve.
Sabal miamiensis: New Insights and Discoveries (POSTER)
Daniel A. Tucker, FIU & Montgomery Botanical Center, Dtuck019@FIU.edu
Sabal miamiensis (Arecaceae) is a critically endangered, Florida endemic palm species found exclusively in the Pine Rockland and Pine Scrub habitats of Southeastern Florida. Since its discovery, it has been theorized to be nearly extinct in the wild. To pinpoint any remaining wild populations, we developed a protocol that utilizes open-source citizen science, remotely sensed imagery, and LiDAR to generate a map of sites to search that have the highest probability of containing extant populations. Additionally, historical collections, observations, and maps were used to define the historic range, lending further confidence to the selected sites. The outcome revealed numerous promising discoveries, including an area on the fringes of its range that harbors a thriving, albeit small, population of this remarkable palm species. This intersection of technology and botany offers a renewed sense of optimism for the conservation of S. miamiensis and the importance of Pine Rockland conservation.
Understanding the Genetics and Morphology of Casuarina (Australian Pine) Species and their Interspecific Hybrids (POSTER)
Danielle Wahl, PhD student in Biological Sciences (soon to be PhD candidate), Florida International University, dwahl006@fiu.edu
My research aims to investigate the ecological impact and proliferation of the highly invasive tree genus, Casuarina, commonly known as Australian Pine, within the ecosystems of Florida, specifically C. equisetifolia, C. glauca, and C. cunninghamiana and their interspecific hybrids. Casuarina’s fast growth rate, salt tolerance, and nitrogen-fixing capabilities, combined with its resilience to grow in diverse soil types, have facilitated its widespread colonization, particularly in coastal and disturbed environments. These traits contribute to Casuarina’s ability to invade and dominate various regions, especially in coastal and disturbed areas. I seek to understand how Casuarina populations are changing over time genetically, morphologically, and spatially to determine key environmental factors and historical disturbance events are contributing to the vigor and spread of Casuarina species and their interspecific hybrids and how it impacts native ecosystems. My project seeks to describe the genetic population of Casuarina species in South Florida, describe the morphological traits of these different genotypes and their hybrids, and determine whether these novel interspecific hybrids are colonizing in a more aggressive manner than the genotypes that were originally introduced in the late 19th century through the mid 20th century.