Sea-Level Rise Impacts to Florida Key Deer Nova J. Silvy and Roel R. Lopez Florida Key Deer . Diminutive race of white- tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium). Listed as endangered in 1967. Endemic to the Lower Florida Keys, primarily BPK and NNK. Key Deer Range Key West (15 miles) No Name Big Pine Urbanization • Increase of human residents from 500 (1968) to 5000 200 (present) pre-1970 post-1970 150 • Impacts - habitat loss, 100 fencing, domestication, and roadkills. LossesArea (ha) 50 0 PL HM FM BW MG VegetationTypes Mortality Causes (%) 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Disease Drowning Entanglement Roadkill Other Vegetation Types • Vegetation types are influenced by tides • With increasing elevation, maritime zones transition in hammocks and pinelands Vegetation Types Key Deer Habitat Preference 2.00 . Key deer – prefers Point-Study Area upland areas Range-Study Area (pineland, hammock, 1.50 Point-Range developed). PREFER 1.00 AVOID . Uplands = Deer Ratio Habitat 0.50 0.00 PL HM DV FM BW MG Vegetation Sea Level Rise Big Pine Key ~1,988 acres pineland/hammocks No Name Key ~517 acres pineland/hammocks 1 ft. sea level rise Big Pine Key 400 acre loss (20%) No Name Key 164 acre loss (32%) 2 ft. sea level rise Big Pine Key 1,235 acre loss (62%) No Name Key 291 acre loss (56%) 3 ft. sea level rise Big Pine Key 1,678 acre loss (84%) No Name Key 393 acres loss (76%) Hurricane Wilma • Vegetation loss • With warming temps more hurricanes • With warming temps stronger hurricanes Pine loss converts to Hardwood hammock No Name Key Big Pine Key 126 waterholes No Name Key 16 waterholes ½ ft. sea level rise Big Pine Key 20 waterhole lost (16%) No Name Key 7 waterholes lost (44%) 1 ft. sea level rise Big Pine Key 54 waterholes lost (59%) No Name Key 9 waterholes lost (100%) 1.5 ft. sea level rise Big Pine Key 9 waterholes lost (66%) Short-term Adaptations • Move to high ground • Roadways • Filled lots • Consequences • Human conflicts • Increased roadkills Long-term Adaptation Mount Trashmore in Key West and Landfill on Cudjoe Key Short-term mitigation Clean out waterholes Add water sources Thin hardwoods Long-term mitigation Captive breeding (zoos) Translocation to safe refuge Translocation to safe refuge Nova’s Ark Problems Human priorities To where? .