What Did Our Rare Plant Conservation Team Do Last Month?

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On November 25th, Rare Plant Conservation Program staff, Whitney Costner (not pictured), Thomas Burney and Jessica Brown, along with volunteer David Marentic (center), visited an area of Florida Scrub in Auburndale, FL, home to the rare, endangered, and central Florida endemic Scrub Lupine, Lupinus aridorum.

This visit was focused on collecting vegetative data within quad areas as part of a comparative management study to investigate the response of L. aridorum to fire and tree-removal. Scrub lupine requires sand and canopy gaps for growth and recruitment, along with a diverse understory of native Scrub vegetation. Data collected in November is part of a long-term microhabitat studies on this species, and will provide pre-treatment data prior to the prescribed fire planned for this site in upcoming weeks. Understanding the different ecological responses and impacts of this species to different microhabitats is necessary for long-term conservation management planning.