A FLORISTIC SURVEY OF FORT MATANZAS NATIONAL MONUMENT, ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA

2004·11 MB·English

by  Wendy B Zomlefer

AFLORISTICSURVEYOFFORTMATANZASNATIONAL
MONUMENT,STJOHNSCOUNTY,FLORIDA
WendyB.Zomlefer David E.Giannasi
DepartmentofPlantBiology DepartmentofPlantBiology
UniversityofGeorgia UniversityofGeorgia
2502PlantSciences 2502PlantSciences
Attiens,Georgia30602-7271,USA. Athens,Georgia30602-7271,U.S.A.
WalterS.Judd LisaM.Kruse
DepartmentofBotany DepartmentofPlantBiology
UniversityofFlorida UniversityofGeorgia
P.O.Box118526 2502PlantSciences
Gainesville,Florida32611-8526,U.S.A. Atfiens,Georgia30602-7271,U.S.A.
KellyA.Bettinger
DepartmentofPlantBiology
UniversityofGeorgia
2502PlantSciences
Athens,Georgia30602-7271,U.S.A.
ABSTRACT
FortMatanzasNationalMonument,administeredbytheNationalParkService,US.Departmentof
theInterior,comprises127ha(313acres)thatincludesportionsoftwobarrierislandsinSt.Johns
County,Florida:northernRattlesnakeIsland,wherethehistoricFortMatanzasislocated,andsouth-
ernAnastasiaIsland.AlloristicsurveywasconductedtoprovideParkServicepersonnelwitha
voucheredchecklistofvascularplantspecies,supplementedwithsalientmlormationsuchasrela-
tiveabundance,localitydata,andcommunitytype.Fourintensivecollectingtripsconductedin2003-
2004yielded237speciesofvascularplantsin189generaof73families.Thefourlargestfamiliesare
Poaceae,Asteraceae,Fabaceae,Amaranthaceae,andEuphorbiaceae.Amap,descriptions,andphoto-
graphsofthevariousplantcommunitiesarealsoprovided.
RESUMEN
ElMonumentoNacionalFucrteMatanzas,administradoporelServiciodeParquesNacionalesdel
DepartamentodelInterior,tieneunaextensionde127haeincluyedosislasdebarreralocalizadasen
elcondadodeSt.Johns,Florida:alNortelaIslaRattlesnakedondeseencuentraelFuerteMatanzas,y
alSurlaIslaAnastasia.FuerealizadounmonitoreofloristicoporelpersonaldelServiciodeParques
Nacionales.utilizandounalistadeespeciestestigo,quepresentainlormacionsobreladescripcion,
abundanciarelativa,localidadyeltipodecomunidadfloristicadelasespeciesdeplantasvasculares
delazona.Serealizaroncuatroviajesdecolectaintensivaentre2003y2004,deloscualesse
obtuvieronuntotalde237especiesdeplantasvasculares,pertenecientesa189generosy75familias.
LascincofamiliasmasrepresentadassonPoaceae,Asteraceae,Fabaceae,Amaranthaceaey
Euphorbiaceae.Sepresentanmapas,descripcionesylotograliasdevariasdelascomunidadesde
plantasmuestreadas.
SIDA21(2):1081-1106.2004
1082 BRIT.ORG/SIDA21(2)
INTRODUCTION
StudyArea
FortMatanzasNationalMonument,administeredbytheNationalParkService
(NPS;U.S.DepartmentoftheInterior),islocated14mi(22.5km)southofSt.
AugustinealongStateRoad(S.R.)AlAinSt.JohnsCounty,Florida(Fig.lA).
Theparkcomprises313acres(127ha;Fig.IB):thesoutherntipofAnastasia
Island(138acres,56ha)andthenorthernthirdofRattlesnakeIsland(175acres,
71ha;NPS2004).BothislandsareseparatedfrommainlandFloridabythe
MatanzasRiverandtheIntracoastalWaterway.Theselinearshapedbarrieris-
landsol quartzsandparallelthegentlyslopingAtlanticcoastlineandoccur
onunderlyingcoquina(theAnastasiaformation),asoftwhitishlimestone
formedprimari1yofcoarselybrokenshelIsnaturallycementedtogether(Water-
bury1993).ThehistoricFortMatanzas(discussedbelow),builtfromquarried
coquinastone,issituatedonnortheast RattlesnakeIslandoverlookingthe
MatanzasRiverAcomprehensiveandvoucheredsurveyofthevascufarflora
hadnotpreviouslybeenconductedforthisNPScontrolledland.
—
AnastasiaIsland. TheAnastasiaIslandportionofthepark[1.0mi(1.6km)
long;minimumwidth0.02mi(0.03km),maximumwidth0.4mi(0.6km)l
consistsofstabilizedbeachdunesrisingasmuchas27ft(8.2m)aboveseafevel
andisbisectedbyS.R.AlAthatbecomesabridgeoverthesouthernmosttipof
theisland(Fig.IB).ParkpropertybordersalongAlAare50ft(15.2m)fromthe
centerlineofthehighwayoneachside(eastandwest).Theparkishemmedin
bydensebeachfronthousingdevefopmenttothenorth,andtheSummerHa-
vencommunityacrosstheS.R.AlAbridge,tothesouth.
MostNPSlandhereisaccessibletothepublic.AlongsouthwestS.R.AlA
aretwoentrancepointstotheMatanzasRiver(mainvisitorcenterandadune
boardwalk,numbered1and4,respectively,inFig.IB),andacrossS.R.AlAto
theeast,twopointsoleasyaccesstotheAtlanticOcean[beachramp(2inFig.
IB)andduneboardwalk(5)].Thevisitorcenterencompassesaparkinglot/gift
shop/picnicarea,parkheadquarteroffices/maintenanceareas,boatdock,and
anaturetrail/boardwalk[throughdenseforest(3)].Asmallparkinglotfora
boardwalk(4)throughthedunesouttotheMatanzasRiveris0.35mi(0.56km)
furthersouthalongwestS.R.AlA.Directlyacrossthehighwaytotheeastis
anotherparkinglotforthethird,muchlongerboardwalk(5)overthefragile
dunesystem,whichterminatesinanoverlookoftheAtlanticOcean.Another
parkingareaoppositethevisitorcenterentrance(2)cutsthroughthedunes
andallowsvehicleaccesstotheAtlanticOcean.Thispopularbeachevenhas
traffic"lanes"alongtheshore(speedlimit10mi/hr)policedbyNPSpersonnel;
however,onlyfour-wheeldrivevehiclesareallowedalongthesouthwest"hook"
oltheislandborderingMatanzasInletwherethesandislesscompactedand
whereLeastTernsnestlorpartoftheyear
ZOMLEFERETAL.,FLORISTICSOFFORTMATANZASNATIONALMONUMENT 108B
Fig.1.LocationandboundariesofFortMatanzasNationalMonument.A.GenerallocationofFortMatanzas,ca.14mi
(22.5km)southofSt.Augustine,Florida.B.FortMatanzasNationalMonumentparkproperty(shaded),comprisingthe
northernthirdofRattlesnakeIslandandthesoutherntipofAnastasiaIsland.ModifiedfromNPS(2004).
1084 BRIT.ORG/SIDA21(2)
RattlesnakeIsland.—WhenFortMatanzaswasbuiltin1740,theislanditoc-
cupiedtotaled lessthantwoacres,andasoldieronthegundeckcouldlook
directlyoutovertheocean.Erosionandshiftingtidaldepositshavealteredthe
inlet,andthefortisnowabout0.5mi(0.8km)fartherfromtheAtlanticOcean
(Fig.2).Intheearly1900'stheArmyCorpsofEngineersdugthechanneltorthe
IntracoastalWaterwaywestofthefort(Fig.IB),andthelittleislandwasjoined
withotherislets,creatingamuchlargerislenowcalledRattlesnakeIsland
(Chandler2002).
TheRattlesnakeIslandparkarea[1.28mi(2.1km)long;minimumwidth
0.03mi(0.05km),maximumwidth0.31mi(0.50km)]isborderedtothesouth
byexclusivewaterfronthomes.Thenorthernandsouthernendsofthepark
havebeencreatedmainlybydredgedspoilfromtheIntracoastalWaterway,
andtidalcreeksandalabyrinthofmosquitocontrolditchesfragmentthelow-
lyingcentralportion(Fig.3).Mostoltheislandislessthan5ft(1.5m)abovesea
level,althoughthecentralfillareaatthenorthernendrisestoca.17ft(5.2m).
ThemajorityofNPSlandonRattlesnakeIslandisclosedtothepublic.Fort
Matanzasonthenortheastcoastisaccessiblelorbriel(ca.45min.)guidedtours
viaaforty-twopassengerboatthatcrossestherivereighttimesdailytromthe
visitorcenteronAnastasiaisland.Annually,over50,000touristsvisitthefort
(N1^S2004).Aparkingareaatthesoutheasternparkborder(6inFig.IB)allows
accessforfishing,althoughwenotedverylittleactivityalongthejetties,espe-
ciallyincomparisontothepopularsouthwesternbeachesofAnastasiaisland
alongtheriverandinlet.
BriefHistoryofFortMatanzasNationalMonument
SpanishcolonialhistoryinFlorida(mid-sixteenthtoearlynineteenthcenturies)
involvedcrucialeventsaroundtheMatanzasInlet(Manucy1943;Schesventer
etal.1980;Chandler2002).ThenameMatanzas,theSpanishwordforslaugh-
ters,reflectstheviolenthistoryofthearea-specifically,themassacreof245
Frenchsoldiersin1565undertheordersofPedroMenendezdeAviles.Ontwo
occasions,soldierstryingtoreachFortCaroline(nearpresent-dayJacksonville)
hadshipwreckedintheinletandsurrenderedtotheSpanish.As"heretics"(Hu-
guenotsorProtestants)andathreattoCatholicSpanishcolonizationinFlorida,
theyweresubsequentlyexecutedbehindthedunesonAnastasiaIsland.
AsentrypostatMatanzaswithnoarmamentwaserectedby1569aspart
oiaseriesoflookoutsalongtheuninhabitedMatanzasInlet.Thewoodenwatch-
towerwasnotoptimalforweatheringthewarmtemperaturesandhighhu-
midity.Thewellpreservedstone-masonryfortstandingonpresent-dayRattle-
snakeIsland(seephotographin lowerrightof Fig.3)wasconstructedin
1740-1742.FortMatanzas,designedbyengineerPedroRuizdeOlano,isasimple,
two-story,squarestructure:49.5ft(15.0m)oneachsidewitha12ft(3,7m)
gundeckwithtwo4ft(1.2m)tallparapets(eastandwestsides)and30ft(9.1
ZOMLEFERETAL,FLORISTICSOFFORTMATANZASNATIONALMONUMENT 1085
N \ RATTLESNAKE\
ISLAND
t
0.3km r\
I 'i 0.3mi \
1740'sboundaries \ /
Currentboundaries
Fig.2.PerimeterchangesofRattlesnakeandAnastasiaIslandsover250years.Islandboundariesinthe1740's(when
FortMatanzaswasbuilt)modifiedfromSchesventeretal.(1980);present-dayboundariesbasedonSt.JohnsCounty
GISDivision(2002;alsoseeFig.3).
m)tower(northside;Schesventeretal.1980).Thefoundationoriginallycom-
prisedasystemofclosely-setpinepilings,drivendeeplyintothemarshysub-
strate.Thewallsarecoquinablockscomprisingnativeshellstone(mainly
Donaxvariabilis)probablyquarriedfromElPenon(withinpresent-daySum-
merHaven)andoriginallywerecoveredwithmortarmadeoflimefromburnt
oystershells,mixedwithsandandwater
FortMatanzaswasarmedwithfivecastironcannonandusuallymanned
bysevento10soldiersbutcouldaccommodateaplannedmaximumof50sol-
diers.Themenwereassignedtothefortforone-monthdutytoursaspartof
theirregularrotationamongtheoutpostsandmissionsnearSt.Augustine.They
hadtobringsuppliestolastthewholemonthonsmallboatsfromSt.August-
ine;drinkingwaterwaseithertransportedbyboatorcollectedintoacisternas
rainwaterfellontheobservationdeckofthefort.
ThestrategiclocationofFortMatanzasatthemouthofMatanzasInlet
helpedmaintainSpanishcontrolofthewaterwayandservedasasentrytowarn
garrisonsatSt.Augustineaboutpotentialenemiesapproachingfromthesouth
1086 BRIT.ORG/SIDA21(2)
OpenBeach
Foredune
HerbaceousBackdune
^tSiSI ShrubbyBackdune
MaritimeForest
SaltMarsh
CanalsandTidalCreeks
BorderingFlats
DisturbedAreas
Fig.3.GeneralvegetationmapofFortMatanzasNationalMonumentbasedonsatelliteimagery(St.JohnsCountyGIS
Division2002)andfieldobservations.Lowerright:photographofeastfaceofFortMatanzas.Photocredit:WendyB.
Zomlefer.
ZOMLEFERETAL.,FLORISTICSOFFORTMATANZASNATIONALMONUMENT 1087
viatheMatanzasRiver.Thefortalsofunctionedasareststop,coastguardsta-
tion,andaplacewhereSpanishvesselsheadedtoSt.Augustinecouldbead-
visedonnavigatingtheriverTheinletvv'ascloseenoughtoFortMatanzasthat
shipstryingtoentertheinletcamev/ithinrangeofthefort'sguns.However,
soldiersfiredthefortcannonsinbattleonlyonce,in1742,thwartingtwoBrit-
ishvesselsattemptingtogaintheinlet.
Overthenexthundredyears,Floridabecameadiplomaticpawn(Gold
1969).FortMatanzassufferedperiodsofneglectduringsubsequentBritish
(1763-1784)andsecondSpanish(1784-1821)occupations.Theagingfortposed
seriousmaintenanceproblems(Krakow1986).Bythelate1700's,theeastfoun-
dation,facingtheMatanzasRiver,waseroding.BythetimeSpaindeededFlorida
totheUnitedStatesin1819,thefortwassobadlydeterioratedthatsoldierscould
nolongerliveinside.
TheUnitedStatesformallytookpossessionin1821butneveroccupiedthe
fort.AtthistimeFortMatanzasbecametheadministrativepropertyoftheWar
Departmentasanationalmilitarypark.Bytheturnofthetwentiethcentury,the
fortwasovergrownwithvegetation,includingmatureshrubsandtrees,suchas
Jumperusvirginiana,Myricacerijera,andQuercusvirginianagrowingfromthe
gundeck(Bryant1872;Schesventeretal.1980).Thewallswerecracked,andthe
southsideleanedprecariouslyonaweakenedfoundationunderminedbythe
tides.In1916,fundsweregrantedbyCongressformanagementandstabilization
ofthestructureunderacontractbetweentheWarDepartmentandtheSt.Augustine
HistoricalSocietyandInstituteofScience(Krakow1986).In1924PresidentCalvm
CoolidgeproclaimedFortMatanzasanationalmonument(ExecutiveProclama-
tionNo.1713),andthreeyearslaterthelandaroundthefortwasassignedtothe
DepartmentofAgricultureasabirdrefuge(ExecutiveOrderNo.4704).
PresidentFranklinD.RooseveltissuedExecutiveOrderNo.6166m1933,
transferringFortMatanzas(andothermilitaryparksandcemeteries)tothe
NationalParkService,DepartmentoftheInterior.Overthepastseventyyears,
theNPShasoverseenextensiverestoration,includinginstallationofstainless
steelrodsthatholdtheupperportionoftheforttogether(Schesventeretal.
1980;Chandler2002).Asaresultofthesepreservationefforts.FortMatanzas,a
uniquerelicofmilitaryarchitectureintheUnitedStates,retainsitsbasichis-
toricstructure.Shorelinestabilizationalsorequiresconstantvigilance.Theorigi-
nalnationalmonumentsiteconsistedofonlythefortonRattlesnakeIsland,
butthroughtheyears,NPShasacquiredadditionallandonbothRattlesnake
andAnastasiaIslands(seeKrakow1986),therebypreservinganintact(and
imperiled)barrierislandecosystem.
MATERIALSANDMETHODS
Thefirstauthors,PIGiannasiandcoPIZomlefer,leadfourintensivefieldtrips
in2003(28-30May29-31July26-27September)and2004(12-13April)to
1088 BRIT.0R6/SIDA21(2)
collectvascularplantspecimenvouchersintriplicateusingstandardfieldand
herbariumtechniques(underNPScollectingpermit#FOMA-2003-SCI-0005)
vv'ithassistanceofthecoauthorsandotherpersonnellistedintheacknowledg-
ments.Plantassociationswerealsoassessed.Acompletesetofvouchersisde-
positedatGA,andoneduplicatesetatFLAS.Thesecondduplicatesethasnot
yetbeendistributedpendingresolutionofissuesconcerningNPSownershipof
voucherspecnneris.TheflorasofWunderhn&fianscn(2000,2003)werepri-
marysourcesforplantidentification,supplemented byGodfrey&Wooten
(f979,f981).ThemajorityofplantswereidentifiedbyWBZandDEG;coauthor
LMKidentifiedmostierns,grasses,andsedges;andcoauthorWSJconfirmed
otherproblematicdeterminations.
RESUITSANDDISCUSSION
Florislics
The485numberedcollections(194fromRattlesnakeIsland,291fromAnasta-
siaIsland)comprise237species(plustwovarieties):125speciesfromRattle-
snakeIslandand197fromAnastasiaIsland(seeannotatedciieckijstoespi-cihs
below).Includedinthelistare14speciesplantedaroundparkheadquarter
buildingsonAnastasiaIsland(indicatedas"cuit");Zamiapumila,anativespe-
cies,occursnaturallyintheparkandisalsocultivatedthere,andScverinia
buxijoliaiscultivatedandhasalsoescapedtothenearbyhammock.Thelarg-
estfamiliesarePoaceae(32spp.),Asteraceae(28spp.),Fabaceae(14spp.),
Amaranthaceaes.l.(9spp.),Fuphorbiaceae(9spp.),andRubiaceae(8spp.).With
completionofthissurvey,wehavevouchered57newcountyrecords(53spe-
ciesandtourvarieties)forSt.JohnsCounty,Florida,accordingtoWunderhn
andHansen(2004).NoFloridaendemics(Wunderhn&fiansen2003)norany
state/federallylistedendangered/threatenedplants(Coile&Garland2003;U.S.
FishandWildlifeService2004)werefound.Flowevcr,Zamxapumila(Florida
arrowroot,coontie),whichoccursnaturallymthebackdune/maritimeham-
mockhabitats(alsoplantedaroundparkheadquarters),isastatelisted"com-
merciallyexploitedplant"(Coile&Gadand2003).Inaddition,harvestingUniola
paniculata(seaoats)isprohibitedbyFloridaStatute370.041(StateofFlorida
2004)becauseofthisspecies'crucialroleasadunebuilderandstabilizer.
Excludingthe12cultivatedexotics,theremaining46introducedspecies
represent20.4%ofthetotalandincludelivelistedasinvasiveexotics(FLEPPC
2004).Four(Asparagusaethiopicus,Cmnamomumcamphora,Ncphwlcpis
cordijolia,Lantanacamara)arcrankedasCategoryI(invasiveexoticsaltering
nativeplantcommunitiesbydisplacingnativespecies,changingcominunity
structures/ecologicalfunctions,orhybridizingwithnatives),andone,Picris
vittata,asCategoryII(invasiveexoticsincreasinginabundance/frequencybut
notyetalteredFloridaplantcommunitiestotheextentshownbyCategoryI
ZOMLEFERETAL.,FLORISTICSOFFORTMATANZASNATIONALMONUMENT 1089
plants).Inaddition,SchinusterehinthifoHus(Brazilianpepper),anotherCat-
egoryIplant,hadrecentlybeenextirpatedbyNPSpersonnelfromthesouth-
ernportionofRattlesnakeIsland;reinvasionispossible,however,fromfruiting
plantsobservedbytheauthorsnearsomehomesadjacenttotheparkbound-
aryTheonecolonyofNephrokpiscordifolia(tuberoussvv^ordfern)growingon
theedgeoftheforestnearparkheadquarters(AnastasiaIsland)wassprayedby
parkpersonnelwithherbicidethedayafterwecollectedvouchers;aggressive
effortstoeradicateAsparagusaethiopicusiSprenger'sasparagus-tern)fromthe
boatdockareawerealsounderway.TherelativelyfewplantsofLantanacamara
(lantana)occursporadically indisturbedareasandoccasionallyin the
backdunecommunity.TheonecultivatedtreeofCinnamomumcamphora
(camphortree)isnearmaintenancebuildingsadjacenttothehammock.The
clifffernPterisvittata(Chineseladderbrake),asignificantarsenichyperaccumu-
lator(Maetal.2001),growsontheouterwallsofFortMatanzasandwould
requirecareful,probablymechanical,removalsincetherhizomesdeeplypen-
etratethepreciouscoquina.
PlantCommunities
Thesixmajorcommunitytypesofthestudyarea(openbeach,foredune,
backdune,maritimeforest,saltmarsh,anddisturbedareas),discussedbelow
anddepictedinFigs.3to5,arebaseduponsatelliteimagery(St.JohnsCounty
CISDivision2002),ourfieldobservations,andclassificationsofsimilarareas
byFNAI(1990),JohnsonandBarbour(1990),MontagueandWiegert(1990),and
EasleyandJudd(1993).Barrierislandsaredynamichabitats:zonationofspe-
ciesfromthecoastinlandiscontrolledbythetoleranceofplantgrowthhabits
tosaltsprayandsandburial,aswellaswave-drivenerosionandoverwash
(Leatherman1988;Johnson&Barbour1990).Overallspeciesdiversityislow,
andseveralspeciesmayoccurmmorethanonecommunity.Thesemaritime
habitatsarefairlyuniformbutmayintergradeinthestudyarea.We,therekore,
havealsodesignatedseveralhabitatsubcategoriestoaccommodatecertaineco-
tones(Fig.3):herbaceousbackdune,shrubbybackdune/maritimeforest,and
borderingflats(ofthesaltmarsh).
OpenBeach.—Thisarea,alsoreferredtoasupperbeach(e.g.,Johnson&Bar-
bour1990),comprisesexposedsandybeachuptothehightideline.Highen-
ergywavespoundtheshorelineanddepositsandgrains,formingthebeach.
AnastasiaIslandhasawell-developedopenbeachalongtheAtlanticOcean,
MatanzasInlet,andthesouthwesterntipborderingMatanzasRiver(Figs.3,4A).
TheopenbeachalongRattlesnakeIsland,however,ismorelimitedandisbest
developedalongthesoutheasternshorealongtheriverCoastalperimeterand
sandbardevelopmentvarieswiththetidesandsanddeposition,especiallyalong
thesouthernhookofAnastasiaIsland(Fig.3).Thishabitatisgenerally
1090 BRIT.ORG/SIDA21(2)
FiG.4.PlantcommunitiesofFortMatanzasNationalMonumentPark.A.Openbeach(easternAnastasiaIsland):ramets
ofIpomoeapres-capraeand/.imperatigrowingperpendiculartotheoceanshore.B.Foredune(easternAnastasiaIs-
land):Ipomoeapes-capraeandChamoecristafasckulata(below);Cmtonpunctatus,Heterothecasubaxillaris,andUniola
pankulata(above).C.Herbaceousbackdune(westernAnastasiaIsland)atboardwalkentrance,westS.R.A1A:Oaillar-
diapulchella,Helionthus(lebilis,Muhlenbergiacapillaris,andPolypremumprocumbens(foreground);shrubbybackdune
vegetation(background).D.Shrubbybackdune(easternRattlesnakeIsland):IvafrutescensandSerenoarepens(fore-
ground);;u/j/peAU5Wrij/mo/ioand//e;fTOm/f()rt"a(background).Photocredits:A,DavidE.Giannasi;B-D,WendyB.Zomlefer.