Around the state, researchers are working to restore historic
native flatwoods communities.
The FWC is the lead manager of approximately 1.4 million acres
of land that are part of the FWC's Wildlife Management Area system.
Within the system are large patches of formerly agricultural and
pasture lands. On many of these lands, the native plants were
replaced by exotic grasses, such as bahiagrass and bermudagrass,
which provided feed for cattle.
Around the state, FWRI Habitat Research biologists are working
at 24 individual locations to restore the historic native flatwoods
communities that covered these areas prior to human alteration.
Biologists prepare the site for reseeding by removing exotic
grasses and preparing the soil for planting. To collect the native
seeds, researchers visit other Florida flatwoods communities and
use a specialized piece of equipment called a Woodward Flail-Vac™
to remove seeds from the plants. Back at the restoration site,
researchers use a Grasslander Seeder™ pulled behind a tractor to
deposit the seeds into the soil.
By eliminating the exotic groundcover and replacing it with a
functional native groundcover that is typical of a flatwoods
ecosystem, researchers hope to enhance wildlife habitat and
ecosystem functions. Habitat Research staff members will monitor
each site for five years in order to track changes in the plant
community and to evaluate the site with respect to the restoration