Vascular Plant Species of Management Concern in Everglades National Park Final Report March 2, 2015 George D. Gann, Chief Conservation Strategist The Institute for Regional Conservation 100 East Linton Boulevard, Suite 302B Delray Beach, Florida 33483 Submitted to Jimi Sadle, Botanist Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks Executive Summary This document compiles and summarizes existing published and unpublished literature, collection records and observational data on rare plant species that are currently or were previously reported as naturally occurring in Everglades National Park (EVER). It also serves as a framework for implementing National Park Service policy concerning the management of threatened and endangered species and other species of special management concern, identified herein as vascular plant Species of Management Concern (SOMCs). This document provides a baseline list of plant SOMCs that are a known part of the EVER flora, historically and in the present. Because of the overwhelming number of rare vascular plant species protected in EVER, the intent of this report is to use the SOMC designation to focus attention and resources on the most vulnerable plants in the region and those species of regulatory interest to the federal government. However, gaps in knowledge and vulnerabilities of other rare plants not designated as SOMCs are also discussed. A review of the entire native flora of Everglades National Park (762 taxa) is presented, divided into ten logical groups (e.g., trees, ferns, graminoids). Areas of special geographic interest for each group are indicated (e.g., a special concentration of species limited to the Long Pine Key area) as well as the general distribution of rare plants within EVER for each group. Potential vulnerabilities to sea level rise are indicated where relevant. Species accounts for 59 SOMC plants are provided, including background, conservation status, history in EVER, and a summary of recommendations for research and management. Forty-six percent of the orchids in EVER are SOMCs. This group has been most impacted by human activities during documented history. Orchids are followed by ferns (24%) and other epiphytes (18%), and these results are consistent with those published for all of South Florida in Rare Plants of South Florida (Gann et al. 2002). The monocot forb group was the only group with no classified SOMCs, and all of the taxa in that group have at least some wetland affinity. SOMCs found exclusively in wetlands account for only six taxa (10%), and these are scattered in a variety of vegetation types. SOMC populations are found in several areas in the park, but there are three areas of primary concentration. The Long Pine Key area has the greatest number of documented taxa (35), followed by the Flamingo area (10) and the northwestern coastal regions (6). Estimated numbers of plants for SOMC species ranged from zero (extirpated or extinct) to more than 1 million. Two taxa apparently extirpated from the park, one terrestrial orchid and one grass, may represent global extinctions. Historical damage to rare plant populations in EVER is primarily linked to poaching and/or over collecting (e.g., orchids) and to hydrological modifications, especially drainage (e.g., ferns). Although poorly documented, habitat destruction related to charcoal making may have contributed to population declines in the Flamingo area, fire may have contributed to historical declines of populations in Long Pine Key hammocks, and hurricanes may have negatively affected some species in the Flamingo area and elsewhere in the park. Past concerns about fire management causing harm to rare plants in EVER do not appear to be valid at this time. Yet, current threats abound. Poaching (or over collecting) is still a potential threat for some orchid and fern species, as well as the long-term results of drainage. Of increasing concern are threats ii from sea level rise (including storm surges) to coastal populations and competition from invasive exotic species. More than one-half of the remaining SOMCs have populations so small or localized that they are inherently at higher risk of localized extinction. Much has been learned about rare plants in EVER in the last decade, but significant works remains. Some plant groups (e.g., grasses and other herbaceous plants) are not well documented in the park and more scientific vouchering is needed. Additional surveying work is also needed in large, remote areas of the park. The mitigation of threats to SOMC plants is a major management challenge. Most pressing in the short term is enhanced invasive species control, especially in the coastal and backcounty regions of the park. Poaching and collecting also has the potential to significantly affect a subset of these imperiled species and needs to be prevented, reduced or eliminated. Priority should be given to species where these threats overlap. Dealing with historical population losses and long-term threats such as sea level rise and historical modifications to regional hydrology will require even more thought and planning. In some cases, the restoration of extirpated populations and the augmentation of depleted populations has already begun, but it will be years before the outcome of these efforts will really be known. For ferns and other hammock plants in the Long Pine Key area, the theory is still that more water delivery, which would provide both more water and higher humidity, would be desirable. Only one fern may just now be experiencing a shift in regional water delivery, but its long-term response is not yet known. Similarly, efforts to plug canals and restore the historic freshwater hydrology of the southern coastline in advance of sea level rise would almost certainly have benefits for many rare plants in that region. While there are many challenges to managing and even restoring populations of rare plants in EVER, many opportunities also present themselves. What is needed is to elevate the issue of plant biodiversity conservation to a level equivalent to that of other concerns, such as the restoration of regional hydrology and depleted wildlife populations or invasive animal control. In fact, achieving the goal of protecting this unique and diverse ecosystem requires it. iii Acknowledgements This document could not have been prepared without the extraordinary collaboration of EVER Botanist Jimi Sadle, who worked with IRC on the methods and structure of this project, provided critical review, collaborated on fieldwork, and supplied observational and herbarium specimen data, photographs and general support. Thanks also to former EVER Ecologist Thomas Armentano, who first invited IRC to submit a joint CESI proposal for the Long Pine Key rare plant work, from which many other projects sprang. IRC Research Associate Sonali Saha and former IRC biologist Keith Bradley helped design the project, worked on early drafts of this report and conducted a preliminary literature search. Saha and former IRC biologist Jesse Hoffman are to be acknowledged as filling the Everglades vegetation biologist position and conducting many of the rare plant surveys, especially in the coastal areas of the park. Saha also was the lead scientist (2010-2013) for IRC’s sea level rise project, which first evaluated the potential vulnerability of rare plants to sea level rise in the park. From 2013 to 2014, IRC CEO Craig van der Heiden filled the role of lead scientist for that project, while IRC biologists James Johnson and James Lange conducted field work. Johnson, Lange and van der Heiden also assisted with fieldwork specific to this report. From 2003 to 2008, numerous individuals assisted with IRC’s rare plant study on Long Pine Key (see Gann et al. 2009), but of special note were Jimi Sadle, Emilie Verdon Grahl, Kirsten Hines, Stephen Hodges and Steven Woodmansee. Woodmansee and Keith Bradley were coauthors both on IRC’s book Rare Plants of South Florida (Gann et al. 2002) and Floristic Inventory of South Florida Database Online (Gann et al. 2001-2014), without which this project would not have been possible. Bruce Hansen at the University of South Florida readily supplied herbarium label data and helped resolve confusing historical and taxonomic problems. Alan Franck, also at USF, and Mark Strong at the Smithsonian Institution, also provided herbarium label data, scans of images and other taxonomic assistance. The FNPS herbarium database online, which is managed by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and the National Park Service, was indispensable to the project. Brett Jestrow at Fairchild provided label data and a review of specimens at FTG, and Fairchild interns Kristen Finch and Brittany Harris helped with rare plant ranking using the new NatureServe methodology, literature searches, and other tasks. Special thanks to Anne Frances and Amanda Treher of NatureServe and Amy Jenkins of FNAI for helping to normalize and update global, national and state ranks of rare plants. Jennifer Possley of Fairchild was of particular help working through some of the fern accounts. Celio Moya assisted with obtaining updated rare plant data from Cuba. Keith Bradley, James Johnson, Jennifer Possley, Roger Hammer, Keith Buttry, Sarah Martin, Paul Craft, and Shirley Denton supplied much needed additional images. Lindsey Nieratka and Robert Heinzman from IRC provided editorial review of the introductory sections, and Amy Jenkins of FNAI reviewed the orchid accounts for data sensitivity. Tim Pinion, Wildlife Biologist and Endangered Species Coordinator for the National Park Service, Southeast Region, and Joyce Maschinski, Conservation Ecologist at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, reviewed the final draft. Of special note is the collaboration between IRC, EVER and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens to continue the work on restoring rare plant populations in the Long Pine Key area despite the lack of direct funding to support this effort. Bruce Holst and his team from Selby have continued to iv curate rare plants, assist with fieldwork, organize outplanting and monitoring events, and generally moving things forward on this important front.