THE FLORA OF CHICKEN KEY, DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA: BEFORE AND AFTER HURRICANE ANDREW

8 Pages·1993·4 MB·English

by  Gerald F Guala

DADE
CHICKEN
THE FLORA OF
KEY,
AND
AFTER
BEFORE
COUNTY,
FLORIDA:
ANDREW
HURRICANE
GUALA
GERALD
R
II
Department Botany
of
220
Bartram Hall
Unwersity Florida
of
USA.
PL
3261
Gairmvtlk 1-2009,
ABSTRACT
Key Dade County
Chicken
Complete of the species of vascular plants in the flora of in
lists
were generated during sun^ys of the key on five occasions over a period of five years,
Florida
and Hurricane Andrew (which impacted the
including surveys conducted just before just after
Aug Although term on the species richness of the key was
key on 24 1992). the short effect
wtU
within
dramatic drop from 72 to 65 species), the post hurricane species richness is still
(a
composition
known long term on the species
the range for the island, indicating that tlie effects
may
not be significant.
RESL'MCN
"Chicken Key" (Cayo Polio) en condado
compk'ta deplantas vascukires del el
Se hsta
realize) ki
de Dade de Florida. Flic elaborada en cinco visitas, durante un perfodo de cinco ahos, e incluyen
reconocimientos ilevados a cabo inmediatamente antes e inmediatamente despue del huracan
A
Andrew (que afecto cayo 24 de agosto de 992). pesar de que el impacto inmediato en el
el el
1
numero de especies fue dramatico (una reduccion de 72 a 63 especies), la diversidad despues del
huracan esta aun dentro del rango norn^al para ia isla, indicando que los efectos a largo plazo sobre
composicion de probablcmente no sea significativo.
la flora,
la
INTRODUCTION
and 17'9
25''37' "N.
Chicken key a natural sand ishind k)cared at 5 lat. SO""
is 1
W,
ifM
mound made by
on northern half
than a typical sand key due to a large oolite Its
This
from dredging of nearby canal in the 194()s.
the deposition of spoil the a
from one
and
changed the substrate from sand to bare oolite the relief
operation
(Babb 99 thereby allowing
meter to just over two meters above sea level et al. 1 1),
more
by number of non-native and native plant species found often
colonization a
nearby pine
rocklancls.
in
state-owned property
Deering
The key part of the Charles Estate, a
is
Department.
Metro-Dade County Park and Recreation
administered by the
There no permanent structures on the island and although it has beenp»opular
are
permanent
campsite since settlement of the area, has never sustained a
as a it
519-526.
SiDA 1993
15(3):
520
SiDA
1993
15(3):
The
domicile. Deering no
Estate has plans to develop the island beyond the
possible construction of a small docking and
facility has posted ds a no
it
trespassing area since 1987 (Babb
et 1991).
al.
The
mangroves on
the west side of the island are a major roosting area and
rookery for several species of birds. Those observed roosting there included
several
herons {An/d/
hem/ias, Ploru/a amriika, Hydranassa ^nd
tricolor Butoricks
striat?/s),
egrets
{Ccismerod'n/s albiis Egretta pelicans {Fekcanin and
thi/Li), ocadenUdis),
cormonints The
{Phcdctcrocoraxaimtui). key bordered on by submerged
is the east a
sand bar and on the west by bottom
soft shallows. 'Vhcdassia testmfirimn Koenig.,
Uidodiik u right Aschers and common
II Cymodoceafdifortiiis (Kuetz.) Correll are the
m
marine angiosperms found
the shallows.
This began
project simple From
as a floristic treatment in 1987. treatment
this
a preliminary manual was produced
(Guala 1991 However, from
clear the
). it is
data presented here that the composition of of Chicken Key dynamic and
flora
is
only long term
studies such the one presented
as here can truly describe the nature
of the
flora.
METI
lODS
In 987 were made
several trips to the key during the week of and
1 last July a
complete
plant was The
species list generated. key was then on 2G Apr
revisited
Mar
1988, 24 1989 and 22 992 and
Jul resurveyed,
for species previously
1 first all
On
found
the and then
in flora, for additions. 14 Sep two weeks
1992,
after
Hurricane Andrew,
a prehminary postduirricane trip was made the key and
to
on 24 Oct 1992 a complete resurvey was done.
All of the species found in 1987 and subsequent
all additions to the flora are
vouchered the herbarium
at of the Fairchild Tropical Garden (FTC) and
a
duplicate set of the 1987 collections deposited Michigan
is at State University
(MSC).
Species nomenclature Wunderlin
follows and
(1982) updates (Wunderiin
et
1985, 1988) except where noted
al. (see footnotes 1-10). Family circumscriptions
and nomenclature
used here are primarily of
tho.se Lellinger 985) for the ferns
(1
and Thorne
992) for the flowering
(1
J
(submitted) has shown some
that modifications
are necessary in order to achieve
monophyletic
strictly family circumscriptions. They have shown Moraceae
that
areparaphyletic without
the inclusion of Urticaceae and, two
therefore, the
s.s.
must
be combined Thorne The
same
(as in 1983). holds true the Apiaceae
for
Araliaccae
pair, the Araliaceae being paraphyleric and Umbelliferac
s.s. (Api-
aceae) polyphyletic. Celtidaceae now
are recognized here because
it is clear,
through work
the of Grudzinskaia
967) that this group shares no synapomor-
(1
phies with Ulmaceae
the although hoxh The
are individually monophyletic.
s.s.,
Celtidaceae, according Judd may
to et (submitted) be more
al. closely related to
Urticacreae than to the Ulmaceae
s.l.
s.s.
Key 521
GuALA, Chicken
Flora or
RliSLJLTS
The actual numbers of species encountered on the 87, 88, 89 Jul 92 (hereafter
were
and Oct 1992 designated 92II) surveys 60, 62,
designated 921) (hereafter
One was and
65, 73, and 62 respectively. species^ Sapindus saponaria, lost three;
and Stenotaphanwi secundatmn were gained
Melothria pendula, Phytolacca rigtda.
between 1987 and 1988 Between the 1988 and 1989 surveys, four
the surveys.
and
species, Ficm alt'mima^ hysilomu latisiliqua, Sperinacoce verticillata, Trenia
mkrantha, were gained and only Spartina spartinae was lost. During the three years
preceding the 1992 survey only three species, Blechum hrownei, Catharanthus
first
and were but Baccharis Boerhavia
wsem, Phytolacca rigida, lost 12, halimifolia,
Desmodium Ipomoea
Dalbergza incanum, Vicus microcarpa, pes-
ecastophyll/mi,
diffusa,
Phyllanthm Psilotmn nudum, Setaria genkulata,
caprae, Passiflora suberosa, temllus,
and were gained Eleven species, Baccharis halimifolia,
Stda acuta, Vttis rotundifolia
.
Canavalia Chamaesyce Dalbergia ecastophyllum,
huxifolia,
Borrichiafructescens, rosea,
hahamense, Stenotapharurn secundatum,
Ficus microcarpa, Ipomoea pes-caprae, Pteris
Suriana maritima, and Urechites lutea were found in the pre-hurncane (921) survey
The
percentage of non-native species in
but not the post-hurricane (92II) survey.
both of the 1992 surveys about 23 ^'^.
is
Appendix contains a of species encountered over the course of the study.
list all
I
number and
Each followed by the collection of the author in brackets
species
is
The two and
which was encountered. trips in 1992, 921 92II, are
the years in
it
two surveys completed before and after the hurricane. Also included at
the
full
the end a designation of native or non-native. Native is defined as putatively
is
European
occurring in South Florida before colonization.
DISCUSSION
&
most dynamic (MacArthur
The of Chicken Key, like that of islands,
flora is
Wilson The been subjected to numerous catcistrophes, both
1967). flora h^is
human induced and which must have significantly altered the floristic
natural,
burned
composition over the years. In 987 (before the first survey) a fire for three
1
mound
much
on
on and destroyed of the vegetation the oolite
days the island
which the product of major disturbance. Although impossible to
itself it is
is
Andrew, which
know Hurricane
of previous disturbances.
the entire effect
passed over the key on August 24, 1992 (4 weeks after the first 1992
directly
survey) provided a rare opportunity to observe the impact ofa catastrophic natural
on composition of the
disturbance the key.
floristic
storm
During the hurricane the key experienced the harshest part of the
extrapolating from the maps in Rapaport (1992). It Wcis on the subjected to
sustained winds of nearly 250 kph with gusts of 280 kph and a storm tide of over
m
from Rapaport Every on the key was defoliated and
(estimated 1992). tree
5
60%
More
showed some structural damage. than of the larger trees,
at least
snapped below
including mangroves, were at least partially uprooted or the
crown.
522
Sjda
1993
15(3):
It is surprising that only 1 ofrhe species recorded in July were not found again
1
after the storm. All the species that survived the storm, except Conlia
of^ sebestena
with a single remaining individual, were represented by at least three apparently
Many
healthy
Individuals. of the Including^, mass
species, sehesteuaw^r^'m flower
on October
24th.
Although numbers
exact of individuals ofeacli species were not recorded inany
ofthe surveys, notes on theapproximatenumberofindividuals were kept most
for
common
of the less native species and newly introduced non-natives. As one
might most
expect, of the species putatively extirpated by the storm were only
represented on the key by few
a individuals before the storm.
Furthermore, would
it not be surprising if several of the putatively extirpated
species returned from the seed bank, dormant subterranean organs or redispersal
to the island. There was an influx of organic matter and devegetation of
several
which would
areas probably
aid the majority of
lost species in their
re-
establishment.
Before the luirricane the island gained an average of about four and
species
lost
one every year This net gain may show that the species richness of the Island was
some
recovering from past degradation (most and
still likely the that three
fire)
We
species per year Is a reasonable recovery rate to use for extrapolation. can then
maximum
propose the Island should regain known
tliat its diversity in about four
The
unique made
years. substrate changes the creation of the oolite mound,
[-)y
the island small and everchanging and unknown
the between
s size, difference
actual and effective distance from land make nearly Impossible
to accurately
it
maximum
what
calculate the would
possible diversity
be.
m
In conclusion, the massive destruction and reduction standing biomass
imposed by Hurricane Andrew
wiis certainly significant. However, because the
known
species richness of the island within the long term range with
is still
no change
virtually in the percentage of exotics that the long term
^ipj^ears
it
on composition
effects the of the be minimal.
flora will
Ac:KN()wrnix;Mr.NTS
who
wish to thank the following generously provided me with much
1 their
appreciated assistance: Robert Bertram, Debra Cunningliam,
Carr, Saul Peter
J
(D
Carol Lippincott, Gabriela Romano, Mark
The
Scluilze, Carhcrinc Sweeney,
Alexander and
School, the staff of the herbaritim of the Fairchikl Tropical Garden
(FTG).
9
GuALA, Chicken Key 523
Flora or
Apphmmx List of the vascular plant species on Chicken Key.
I.
Name
Voucher No. 87 88 H9 921 92II Native
ACANTHACEAE
hrowmi 33 + +
Bk'i'Lv/m Jiiss.
-h
AIZOACEAE
710 + + + + +
Imrtalacastriim L. 4-
Si's//r}/nii
AMARANTIIACEAE
Mears 709 + + + +
Bliitiiparon veyniicuhire (L.) 4-
AMARYLLIDACEAE
Roem. 678
Hymenoccdlii latijolia (Mill.) + 4-
ANACARDIACEAE
&
Krug Urban
Metopiuni 7 +
toxiferiini (L.) 4-
1
tarhintbiJoliNs Ratldi 20 + + + + +
Sch'ni/iS
APIACEAE
Harms
act'niophylLi (Endl.) 679 + + + +
Schcfflera
APOCYNACEAE
Don
G. 713 + + +
CdtharantbiiS rosens (L.)
687 + + + + +
Echites nuibellaki Jacq. 4-
24
+
Urechites h/tcci (L.) Britt. 4-
-f-
ASTERACEAE
Baah^ns 1187 +
ba/zwi/o/h^ L.
DC
Bh/cm
cilhu (L.)
var. yaduna (Sch.-Bip.) Bail, ex Meich 691 + + + +
DC
702 + +
Bovrichla arhorescem (L.) + + 4-
DC
Bornchia 705 + + +
fr/ictesans (L.) 4-
Conyza Cronquist
ccuhukfu'n (L.)
w'dv. pNsilLi (Nufc.) CroncjLiist 706, + 4- + + 4- 4-
serothuiui Michx.. 707 + + + + 4-
Vjipittor'inui
G. Don" 728 + +
Fliicbea anvl'niensis (Jacq,) 4-
AVICENNIACEAE
Avkennia 676 + + +
gen/i'maus (L.) L. 4- 4-
BORAGINACEAE
Cord a sehestena 722 + + + 4-
L.-^
I
Murray 690
Hdiotrophnu angtospi^rnuini + + 4- 4-
712 + + +
Ud'wtrop'uini L. 4-
ciirc4iSiivlcii))i
BURSERACEAE
Bursera srnhnubci (E.) Sarg. 737 + + + 4-
-f-
CASUARINACEAE
681 + + +
Ccisnarinci t'cpasetifolia L. -f
CELTIDACEAE
Blume
Trenia nucrantha (L.) 1156, 178 + + 4-
1
COMBRETACEAE
Conocarpiis L. var. erectNS 1480 + + + +
erecti/s
Lcignncidarut raamosa Gacrtn. 685 + + + + 4-
&
1 This species not included in Wunderlin (1982, 1985, 1988). See Eong Eakela 197 for reference.
( 1 )
1
Howard
Plmbea Mill.) Gillis not valid, see (1988) for a discussion.
syfNpbytifoiici (P. is
^D.B. Ward (pers. comm.) has expressed doubc about the native status of this species and is currently
studying the question.
524
SiDA 1993
15(3):
Afpfnoix List of tlu- vascuhir plant species on Chicken Key (conriniied)
1.
Name
Vouclier No. 87 88 89 921 92II Narivc
CONVOLVIILACEAE
Ipomoiii nhUcd (Burm. Merr. 699, 700 + + + +
f,)
735,738
IpoffiOL'ii vioLiCt'ci L. + + +
Ipomocii pvs-aipnic (L.) R.Br.
Van 14A 88
siibsp. hvinihus'is (L.) ()()srr. +
CUCURBTTACEAE
745
i\Uli)ibvhi paiihii! L. + + +
DENNSTAEDTIACEAE
Maxon
715
VteruriNni I'tuaLiiii})! (L.) + + + + + +
EUPHORBIACEAE
(En^elm.
^hjff/iiesyce hliklgcttii ex Hitchc.)
Small 726
+ + + +
Chiinumya Small 725
bi(xiJoHj (Liini.) + + + + +
Ml
CLimjcsyce 697
hypi-riiijoliij (L.) lisp. + + + + +
PhylLiNthj/s Koxh, 1485
ti'ut'Uus + +
736
Ponisett'm cycithoplwra (MiiiTay) + + + + +
c^Gke
Kl.
FABACEAE
Acdi'ui A. Ciinn.
ttiiruiilijiirmt:^
Benrh.^ 708
c^ + +
Roxb. 732
Ciii'Siilpinii! boiidiii (L.) + + +
4-
DC
727
Ciirhn'iilhi rosea (S\v.) + +
Tanh. 1476
Dc/I/jcfiji/a ecastophyll/(fN (E.) +
DC
DcsmoiUiifN 'niunno/i 1490 + +
Bench. 1477
J.ysilonhi liifisiliq/iii (E,) + + +
EAMIACEAF
CiiUh\npa iinurtCiina E. 739 + + + + + +
MALVACEAE
6S0
HthiscNS
tUiiia'iis + + +
1,.
Shid Biuni.
186
dciitii + + +
f.
I
Tbaspcsu} populned (E.) Solaiuler
ex Correa 6S3
+ +
NYCT'AGINACEAE
Bocrhdvid
diffiisd E. i8-i + + +
1
PASSIELORACEAE
1475
Piissijlovd s/iherosd E, + + +
PIIYTOEACCACEAE
FhytoLnr.i rigidd Small 743
+ + +
POACEAE
BSP
Auihvpogoii gluuievdins (Walt,) 723 + + + + f +
Ceuchrns a'bindlKS E. 692 + + + +
Chlitrn SwLirtz 717
pi'tn-d + + +
^
I accept the more consen^ative argument of Webster Burch (1967) rather than recognizing the later
combination Chd/fumyce
Dui^and.
fuesciuhridnthi'fiiifolid (Jacc].)
^This species is not included in W\inderlin (1 982, 1985, 98S). See Correll c^ Corrcll (1982) for reference.
1
'^^Ibid.
1 find no synapomorplu- for Chlvris if sect. Eustdchys is removed from it.
525
Key
GuALA, Flora or Chicken
on Chicken Key (concmucd)
Appendix of the vascular plane species
List
I.
Narive
Name Voucher No. 87 88 89 921 92II
684 + + +
DcKtylocten'iitm acgyptium (L.) Beauv. 4-
(Kunth) 677
Neyycnnlici re^naiidtana
Keng Hirchc/ 1158, 1159 + + + +
ex
Michx. + + + +
Paspal/ON satiicenm
Aisron 694 + + + + +
Schizdchyr'uim sangn'meiwi (Retz.)
+
1479 +
(Lam.) Beauv.
Setarta gentculata
sparUnae (Trin.) Merr.
Spartniii
729 + +
ex Hitclic.
+ + +
+
Sporohoh^s niclina (L.) R. Br. 69:
(Walt.)
Stenotaphariini seainJcnani
+ + +
Kuntze 7-14
POLYGON ACE AE
682 + + + +
Coccoloha Nvijera (L.) L.
PSILOTACEAE
489 + + +
nndinn Sw.
Psilol/nu (L.)
PTERIDACEAE
714A + + + +
?terh hahamtnse (Agar,) Fee
RHAAINACEAE
Brongn. 716 + + + + +
asiatka
Coliibyhia (L.)
RIIIZOPHORACEAE
+
730 + + + +
Rhizophora mangle L.
RUBIACEAE
688 + + + + + +
Mornichi royocl..
+ + +
115:
L.
SperniiiL'oce vertic'ilUita
SAPINDACEAE
698 + + + + + +
Dodonciea viscosa (L.) Jacq.
734 +
sdpmarui
Sapiudns L.
SLJRIANACEAE
+
721 + + + +
maritmci L.
Siiriinhi
URTICACEAE
1482 + + +
Bkimc^ 160,
FicKs ciltissiwa
1
+ + + + + +
Nutt.
F'n/is Liiirea
+
1481
mkroccirpa L.f.
r'lais
VERBENACEAE
704A + + +
iMiitcDUi Cttuuira L.
Greene 731 + + + + +
Phylci nodiflora (L.)
689 + + + + + +
Vahl
Stachytarphcla janh/icensis (L.)
VrrACEAE
Parihenocissns qninqnefolia (L.)
+ + +
695 + + +
Planchon
1483 + + + +
Michx.
4-
rotnndijidia
Vitis
Wunderim 982, 1985, 1988). See Guala (in review) for reference
species not included in
^"^This IS ( 1
Howard
mcluded Wunderhn (1982, 1985, 1988). See (1988) for reference.
^This species not in
is
l^^Ibid.
526
SiDA
1993
15(3):
RCFERtiNCES
G.,
BAiiii, DiigiJHSNiiL, GATi'Wc^on, R. and
J. S. Lini- C. Lippinco'it 1991. Tlic Charles Dccring
Esrareat ClicIct: Natural Areas Management Plan. Metm-Daele County &
Park Recreation
Department, The
Nacnre
C:onservancy,
^^ Fairchild Tropical Garden.
CdRKi
LL, D.S. and LB. Corrhll 9S2. Flora of the Baliama Archipelago (IncUuhng
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1
and Caicos Gantner Vehig KG,
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Grudzinskaia,
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reasons for distinguishing Celtidoidcae
as a separate
family
Celtidaceae Link. Dot. Zhurn. (Leningrad) 52:1723-1749
from
(transhirion die
original Russian by Karen Rosucck,
1990).
G.F A
Gljala, 991 prehminary manual
of the vascular plants of Chicken Key G. Babb,
in
1
.
J.
Duquesnek
Garewood,
S. R. Line, C. Lippincott The Charles Deering
^Sc Estate at Cutler;
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.
taxonomic and nomenclatural
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_
B.E. Hansi-n and DAV,
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,
taxonomic and
nomenclatural
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