Final Report 2003: Status and Conservation of the American
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Status and Conservation of the American Crocodile in Florida: Recovering an Endangered Species While Restoring an Endangered Ecosystem Frank J. Mazzotti and Michael S. Cherkiss University of Florida, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center 2003 Technical Report FINAL REPORT Volume 1 Status and Conservation of the American Crocodile in Florida: Recovering an Endangered Species While Restoring an Endangered Ecosystem Prepared by: Frank J. Mazzotti and Michael S. Cherkiss Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center University of Florida 3205 College Avenue Davie, FL 33314-7799 Prepared for: National Park Service 2003 RECOMMENDED CITATION: Mazzotti, F.J. and M.S. Cherkiss. 2003. Status and Conservation of the American Crocodile in Florida: Recovering an Endangered Species While Restoring an Endangered Ecosystem. University of Florida, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center. Tech. Rep. 2003. 41 pp. ii Summary The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is Florida Bay. Preliminary results support the primarily a coastal crocodilian that is at the northern importance of a more natural pattern of freshwater end of its range in South Florida. In Florida, habitat flow into the estuary for crocodiles. This underscores loss due to expansion of a rapidly growing human the flagship role that this endangered species has for population along coastal areas of Palm Beach, protecting the integrity of estuarine ecosystems. Broward, Dade, and Monroe counties has been the Crocodiles live in a variety of habitats in South primary factor endangering the U.S. crocodile Florida. These habitats range from physically population. This loss of habitat principally affected undisturbed but hydrologically degraded in Everglades the nesting range of crocodiles, restricting nesting to a National Park to artificial and managed at the Turkey small area of northeastern Florida Bay and northern Point Power Plant site. All crocodile habitat can be Key Largo by the early 1970's. When crocodiles were characterized by low wind and wave action and a listed as endangered in 1975, scant data were available tendency towards lower salinities (< 50% seawater). for making informed management decisions. Field Creation of nest sites incidental to dredge and fill and laboratory data suggested that low nest success, activities has, to some extent, compensated for loss of combined with high hatchling mortality, provided a nest sites to development elsewhere in Florida. dim prognosis for survival. Results of monitoring The maximum number of crocodiles known to programs conducted over the last 30 years by the nest in South Florida has more than doubled from an National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, estimated 20 in 1975 to more than 50 today. Most of Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (now the increase in nesting can be accounted for by Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission), and crocodiles nesting on artificial substrates. Nests at the Florida Power and Light Company focused on nesting Turkey Point Power Plant site are most successful, ecology and growth and survival of crocodiles. These nests in Everglades National Park have intermediate programs enabled managers to improve conservation success, and nests on Crocodile Lake National efforts, to which crocodiles have responded positively Wildlife Refuge are most likely to fail. Desiccation resulting in a more optimistic outlook for crocodiles in causes failure of nests at Crocodile Lake National South Florida. The purpose of this project was to Wildlife Refuge and desiccation, flooding and collect and summarize data from those monitoring predation affects nests in Everglades National Park. projects and to make comments on recovery, Fire ants have caused nest failure at Turkey Point. restoration and the future of crocodiles in Florida. Absolute growth and minimum number known to Data on captures, nests, and models relevant to the survive were used to estimate growth and survival of American crocodile in Florida were collected from crocodiles. Crocodiles grow slowest and survive least individuals and agencies responsible for conducting often in Everglades National Park. Hatchling research and monitoring on crocodiles since they were crocodiles survive best in Crocodile Lake National listed as endangered in 1975. Most of this work has Wildlife Refuge and grow fastest, with more centered on the main nesting colonies in Everglades variability, at the Turkey Point Power Plant site. National Park, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Survival is inversely correlated with distance that Refuge, and Florida Power and Light Company’s hatchling crocodiles have to disperse to find nursery Turkey Point Power Plant site. Only recently have habitat. Lower growth rates have been spatially and surveys systematically extended beyond these core temporally associated with patterns of higher salinity. areas. In addition, collection of data on crocodile Minimum survival does not distinguish between mortalities, unusual locations, and relocations has been death, dispersal, and wariness. Crocodiles have ongoing. The compilation of these data allows for dispersed from all three natal sites to other sites. comparisons between the three nesting colonies, Although fewer hatchling crocodiles are marked at affording us the opportunity to make determinations of Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, most of the long term trends in population parameters, such as hatchlings that successfully dispersed from their natal nesting, and to monitor exchange and movements of area came from there. No hatchling crocodiles have individuals between and within study areas. dispersed from Everglades National Park since 1986. Crocodile models have been developed to assess There are more crocodiles in more places today effects of alternatives for delivery of freshwater to than there were in 1975 when crocodiles were declared iii endangered. Crocodiles now occur in most of the swamp that extends well into the dry season. Mid-to- habitat that remains for them in southern Florida. late dry season discharges of freshwater that cause a Most of the remaining habitat is currently protected in reversal of water levels in the receiving body are public ownership or engaged in energy production. In hypothesized to cause a dispersal of prey items, these areas, destruction of habitat has not been an making them less available to crocodiles and should be issue. However, questions of potential habitat avoided. Shifting water delivery from Biscayne Bay modification through continued alteration of to Florida Bay would degrade the quality of habitat in freshwater flow due to upstream development and Biscayne Bay for crocodiles. potential curtailment of the range of crocodiles need to The American crocodile has been identified as be addressed. Although the ecological condition of having the potential to provide a quantifiable measure crocodiles in Florida has improved, existing regulatory of restoration success. Determination of trends and mechanisms do not protect crocodiles from year-to-year variations in population parameters are a intolerance, relocation or adverse modifications to critical part of an expanded monitoring program to their habitats. support development of ecological indicators and Patterns of nesting, relative abundance and success criteria for the restoration effort. The relevant distribution, growth, and survival of crocodiles can biological factors of this endangered species are well provide insight into restoration of coastal ecosystems understood and existing databases afford good records in Southeast Florida. For both Florida Bay and of past and present population parameters. This Biscayne Bay, restoring a more natural pattern of provides us the unique opportunity to integrate freshwater flow would provide the most benefit. endangered species recovery and conservation with Characteristics of flow patterns into Florida and ecosystem restoration and management in South Biscayne Bays that are beneficial for crocodiles Florida. include sheet flow through the fringing mangrove Acknowledgements The data compiled and summarized in this report is the result of more than 25 years of research and monitoring of the American crocodile in Florida sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Power and Light Company. We are indebted to their cooperation in providing the results of those studies. We are especially grateful to Paul Moler and Joe Wasilewski. This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Critical Ecosystem Studies Initiative in collaboration with the U.S. National Park Service. In particular, we thank Skip Snow and Sonny Bass for their long dedication to studying crocodiles. Geoff Cook assisted in compiling the databases. Jocie Graham and Alicia Weinstein provided editorial assistance. iv Table of Contents List of Figures .................................................................................................................................................................vi List of Tables..................................................................................................................................................................vii List of Appendices.........................................................................................................................................................viii Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................