PS 66-93
Management of the Sawmill Slough Preserve, University of North Florida
The Sawmill Slough Preserve is 382 acres of natural area located on the University of North Florida campus in Jacksonville, Florida. Historically, the land was used for logging and turpentine production but was donated to UNF, and officially designated as a Preserve in 2006 by UNF President John Delaney. The Preserve is vital for the biodiversity and habitat it protects, as well as the educational, recreational, and scientific research opportunities it offers. Management on the Preserve includes pest plant control, prescribed burns, and species inventories. Pest plant control efforts help mitigate invasive species such as tallow, camphor and chinaberry. Prescribed burns restore habitat, encourage growth of unique understory plant species, and reduce fuel loads which may be potential liabilities for the University. The Campus Natural Assets Inventory (CNAI) is an on-going project to document the presence/absence of all flora and fauna species on the Preserve through both observation and trapping methods. The inventories act as historical benchmarks and guidelines for future research, and may also help determine potential candidate species for reintroduction projects. To increase regional and national awareness about the Preserve, inventory lists and photo-documentation are used to create a digital archive and interactive website.
Results/Conclusions
As a result of the CNAI, species documented on the Preserve include over 550 plants, 163 birds, 61 reptiles/amphibians, 180 insects/invertebrates, 21 mammals, 12 fishes, and 14 lichens. Additionally, 11 plant species have been newly vouchered for Duval County. The Preserve contains ten types of natural communities, as described by the Florida Natural Assets Inventory (FNAI), and is home to numerous threatened species, such as the gopher tortoise. Threatened plant species include the pine lily (Lilium catesbaei), crested yellow orchid (Platanthera cristata), hooded pitcher plant (Sarracenia minor), blueflower butterwort (Pinguicula caerulea), yellow butterwort (Pinguicula lutea) and small butterwort (Pinguicula pumila). Prescribed burns began in 2009 and are administered to selected areas of the Preserve every 2-10 years depending on habitat type. The Preserve is also used by UNF faculty and students for classwork and scientific research. Published research includes studies on the gopher tortoise and hooded pitcher plant, as well as tick associated pathogens. A road-kill study has also shown less vertebrate mortality where wildlife crossings are installed on campus. The Sawmill Slough Preserve not only protects wildlife and habitat, but is also an essential aspect of campus life and an excellent resource for scientific research and education.