Link to join virtually (requires a brief registration first)
https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eJQ4ccU3Q527s0Vm5n7zig#/registration 

The presentations will be recorded and posted here after the conference for viewing

Altered Fire Regimes Influence Plant-Pollinator Networks in a Subtropical Pine Forest

Brittany Harris, Suzanne Koptur, Florida International University

Pine rockland is one of the most imperiled fire-dependent ecosystems in the world, and maintaining its biodiversity depends on consistent prescribed fire management. While species richness is the most common metric used to evaluate fire management outcomes, it may not capture the full ecological cost of fire exclusion. We examined how time since the last fire and historical fire frequency influenced flowering-plant diversity, pollinator diversity, and plant-pollinator network structure across a 40-year fire-history chronosequence on Big Pine Key, Florida. Time since fire was the strongest predictor of network structure: network modularity, specialization, and interaction diversity all declined continuously with increasing time since fire, while pollinators converged on fewer shared floral resources in long-unburned sites. Pollinator species richness, however, was decoupled from fire history, illustrating that species lists alone can underestimate the ecological costs of fire suppression. Reintroducing fire to long-suppressed units produced measurable gains in network complexity even after decades of exclusion. Our results suggest that recurrent short-interval prescribed fire is needed to sustain both floral resource diversity and the complexity of plant-pollinator interaction networks in pine rockland. Managing for a spatial mosaic of burn ages, rather than burning all units simultaneously, may also help stabilize regional pollinator communities by supporting resource shifting across the landscape

Plant flammability predicts landscape-scale fire intensity across Long Pine Key, Everglades National Park

Owen Schneider, Ben Baiser, Raelene Crandall, University of Florida

Fire helps maintain the botanical diversity of Long Pine Key, where a subtle elevation and hydrology gradient structures the transition from marl prairie to pine rockland and, with it, the composition and flammability of the fuel bed. Whether the flammability of individual species scales up to predict how these communities burn, however, has remained untested. We combined a historical record of plant composition and prescribed-fire intensity across Long Pine Key with contemporary shoot-level flammability measurements, functional traits, and plot-level environmental variables (time since fire, elevation, and water depth on day of burn). Using an ensemble random forest framework, we compared a full model against separate models built from community-weighted flammability traits, functional traits, and environmental variables. Community-weighted flammability traits predicted fire intensity as well as the full model, but time since last fire was the single strongest predictor overall, underscoring how the interval between prescribed burns shapes fire behavior in this system. Understanding how the flammability of individual species interacts with fire-return interval offers a practical, trait-based framework for guiding management in urban pine rocklands, where prescribed fire is difficult to apply consistently and invasive species dominate fragment edges. By linking species-level flammability to landscape fire intensity, this work points toward tools for anticipating how altered burn regimes and shifting community composition may reshape fire behavior in one of south Florida's most imperiled ecosystems.

Using Fire Festivals to Build Community Support for Prescribed Fire

Raelene Crandall, Jennifer E. Fawcett, Sarah A. Cain, Christian R. Fernandez, David R. Godwin, Southern Fire Exchange

Prescribed fire is essential for maintaining fire-adapted ecosystems, reducing hazardous fuels, protecting biodiversity, and supporting safer communities. However, public concern about smoke, safety, and escaped fires can limit its use. Fire festivals offer a practical and engaging way to build understanding and support through community-based education and outreach. Across the nation, these rapidly expanding events bring together families, fire practitioners, land managers, scientists, educators, agency partners, elected officials, landowners, and community members in a welcoming, interactive setting. The featured event at any fire festival is a narrated, live prescribed fire conducted safely in view of attendees. Equipment displays, children’s activities, guided walks, landowner resources, and informal conversations create space for people to ask questions and learn directly from trusted messengers. Just as importantly, fire festivals succeed because they are celebrations, not just educational programs, that bring people together through food, music, shared experiences, and the memorable sight of fire used safely and intentionally. This presentation will discuss the benefits, opportunities, and considerations for hosting fire festivals, with attention to cost, partner coordination, site selection, safety planning, permitting, outreach, staffing, messaging, accessibility, and evaluation. Fire festivals require careful planning around weather, liability, emergency response, burn permits, public expectations, and long-term sustainability. When successfully executed, fire festivals are more than outreach events. They are opportunities to build trust, reduce fear, strengthen partnerships, reach new audiences, and help communities celebrate prescribed fire.

Using Art For Conservation

Kim Heise

I’ve been painting Florida native plants and animals with the intention to help conserve local habitats for about 10 years now. For the first few years I painted primarily Pine Rocklands plants and animals. My goal is to paint these species in a beautiful way in order to help people connect with and love them. I've used my art in workshops, shows, presentations, educational materials, and collaborations. I don’t have universal advice for how to make art useful for Pine Rocklands or other conservation, but I’ve identified a few things that seem to work for me and would be happy to be part of an open and evolving discussion. Topics could include: when scientific accuracy matters and when it doesn't, my past collaborations and what seemed to work, making social media posts, what types of art or art applications seem to have a good impact, art workshops and other events, weaving art into things you wouldn't expect, when AI is useful and when it's not, ways to work with artists and what to expect, and more! 

Avian Richness in Green Spaces and the Richmond Tract

Alyssa Nunez de Villavicencio, Steffanie Munguia, Zoo Miami

Using passive acoustic monitoring, we recorded and analyzed avian species that reside in different parts of Zoo Miami's green spaces and in sections of the Richmond Tract Pine Rockland preserve. By gathering this information during the fall migratory months, we examined how habitat fragmentation may affect species richness in birds and determined if there are differences in bird richness when comparing the data collected from the AudioMoths placed inside Zoo Miami to those placed in the Richmond Tract. The data was processed through Chirpity and the remaining outliers were verified with Merlin Bird I.D. While interpreting the data in R, we conducted several tests such as Morans I, Mantel, and NMDS. We found the distances between AudioMoth locations were not statistically significant. However, once the PERMANOVA test was conducted and we considered site type, latitude and longitude, we found that all the factors combined are statistically significant with a p value of 0.04. These indicators may explain differences in community composition within the different sites; green spaces located within Zoo Miami and the Richmond Tract. Considering there is a significant research gap in bird monitoring in South Florida, there is a need to further analyze the difference of avian richness throughout different pieces of fragmented habitat in a longer and more extensive range throughout South Florida to understand what we can do to further promote their population numbers.

Bridging Policy, Science, and Adaptive Management: The EEL Program and Fairchild’s Collaborative Vision 

Janet Gil, Miami-Dade County, Environmentally Endangered Lands Program; Jennifer Possley,  Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Part 1: The EEL Program’s Management Framework and Regional Role.  As pine rockland ecosystems face increasing pressure from climate change, habitat fragmentation, and surrounding urban development, science-backed management serves as the bedrock of long-term conservation. Miami-Dade County’s Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program plays a crucial role in acquiring, preserving, and restoring these globally critically imperiled habitats. This portion of the presentation outlines the overarching framework of EEL management plans, highlighting how adaptive strategies, public-private partnerships, and programmatic oversight maintain ecosystem resiliency across Miami-Dade’s network of pine rockland preserves. Finally, it examines the EEL Program's role in translating management goals into field-level execution and measurable success.

Part 2: Fairchild’s Contractor Role.  Building on this management framework, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden serves as a primary scientific partner and contractor for EEL in rare species monitoring, rare plant reintroductions, and management plan development. This section highlights Fairchild’s historical role in crafting the original Natural Area Protection Plans for many of the County’s most ecologically significant preserves, as well as development of the Richmond Management Plan and current efforts to complete the Tropical Park Pineland Preserve Management Plan.

Bridging the Gap: The Inaugural Southern Fire Exchange Pine Rockland Fire Science Workshop

Christian Fernandez, Sarah A. Cain, Raelene M. Crandall, David R. Godwin, Kevin M. Robertson, Southern Fire Exchange

Delays in applying fire science can leave fire practitioners feeling disconnected from emerging research, tools, and management approaches. The Southern Fire Exchange (SFE), a regional fire science communication program serving 13 southeastern states, works to close this gap by helping practitioners apply science to the management of fire-dependent ecosystems, including pine rocklands. Pine rocklands, unique to southeastern Florida and a few Caribbean islands, are one of the most critically endangered ecosystems worldwide. Remaining fragments are threatened by development, severe fragmentation, and decades of fire exclusion, which have led to fuel accumulation and difficult prescribed fire conditions. These challenges are especially pronounced in highly populated Miami-Dade County, where many pine rockland remnants occur within the wildland-urban interface. To address these challenges, SFE hosted the inaugural Pine Rockland Fire Science Workshop. Over three days, participants learned about the latest science related to duff, fuel accumulation, and the reintroduction of prescribed fire in long-unburned pine rocklands with consideration for surrounding communities. Presentations were reinforced through field tours, small-group activities, and panel discussions. Participant comments and evaluation data showed that the workshop met its learning objectives while also generating new ideas, strengthening professional connections, and rebuilding relationships among fire practitioners working in this challenging ecosystem.

Rare Plants of South Florida 20 year Review: A Pine Rockland Perspective

Lauren Trotta, George Gann, The Institute for Regional Conservation

The Rare Plants of South Florida, published in 2002 by the Institute for Regional Conservation (IRC), has served as the definitive baseline for ranking imperilment of rare species in South Florida. In the period since this work was first published, standards for ranking species imperilment have been developed and implemented at a global, national, and state scale by NatureServe. To align the IRC ranking with modern NatureServe Standards and document any changes to the ranks of South Florida’s most imperiled species, a collaborative team of regional experts conducted a 20 year review.

As one of South Florida’s most iconic and critically imperiled habitats, pine rocklands were assessed to host 74 presumed extirpated (eight SFX), potentially extirpated (one SFH) or critically imperiled (65 SF1) plant species. During our review process 31 species from the pine rockland flora that were previously unranked or ranked as imperiled or vulnerable were reranked to critically imperiled. Many of these species, such as Rockland Morningglory (Ipomoea tenuissima) and the Deltoid Spurge complex (Euphorbia deltoidea), are found in many preservation areas across the Miami Rockridge due to habitat fragmentation, but have a very narrow extent of occurrence. The past 20 years has also marked the rediscovery of six species belonging to the pine rockland flora in South Florida and the notable absence of 19 species historically documented in pine rocklands that can still be found elsewhere in South Florida. 

Assessing Mycorrhizal Identity Influence on Fabaceae Species Growth

Oscar Valverde Barrantes, Carissa Keen, Jada Tha, Alexa Merino, Florida International University

Root architecture can vary greatly between species, including differences in length, root diameter, and even color, even among species within the same family. In this study, we worked with two species the family Fabaceae (the legume family) that exhibits considerable diversity in root systems. In our study we hypothesized that legumes predisposed to rely more on microbial symbioses will display thicker root diameters and lower branching intensity, since the size of the cortical tissue in roots is usually associated with habitat quality for symbionts. Therefore, we expected that species with thicker roots should have a stronger growth response to the presence of symbiotic microbes. Conversely, species with thinner roots will allocate more resources belowground on root exploration via increasing root length. Alternatively, we expect that species may have a preferential affiliation to symbiotic fungi with contrasting foraging strategies. In this case, we expected that species in the genus Glomus, that tend to form hyphae inside root tissues, will be more beneficial to species with a thin root system that would be more vulnerable to infections. In contrast, species with thick root systems will benefit more for fungus in the genus Gigasposra, which tend to produce more hyphae outside roots and maximize nutrient capture. 

Effects of Seed Age on Germination of Pine Rockland Understory Plants: Croton linearis and Angadenia berteroi 

Andrew Kearns, AP Statistics students, Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy

Students studied effects of seed age on germination of Croton linearis and Angadenia berteroi in AP Statistics classes at Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy in 2024. The purpose was to determine the effects of age on seed viability to guide seed banking procedures for these threatened pine rockland species. The first experiment compared germination of Croton linearis seeds freshly harvested in 2024 and seeds that had been banked for one year; students examined both germination proportions and mean days to germination. Five different groups of students conducted these experiments yet maintained controls including water, LED grow light, and ambient temperature in the school’s botany lab. Each group of placed the two ages of seeds in separate 50-cell trays, observing and recording first signs of germination. Results indicated there was not a statistically significant difference in germination proportion nor germination speed for these two different age seeds of Croton linearis.

The second experiment compared seeds of Angadenia berteroi that were harvested in 2024 and seeds banked for four years; students examined both germination proportions (categorical data) and mean days to germination (numerical data). Again, five different groups of students used the same procedures as with Croton linearis. Results indicated there was not a statistically significant difference in germination proportion nor germination speed for these two different age seeds of Angadenia

Using Remote Sensing to Understand Landscape Drivers of Nest Site Selection by Bahama Parrots

Demonica Brown, Brittany Harris, Cara A. Rockwell, Caroline S Walker, Florida International University

The endangered Bahama Parrot (Amazona leucocephala bahamensis) has been extirpated across its historic range and is now restricted to two islands. On Great Abaco this population includes the only parrots in the western hemisphere known to nest in underground limestone cavities and have adapted to nesting in the fire-dependent pine forest ecosystem (Pinus caribaea var. bahamensis). The landscape characteristics driving their distribution and nest site selection on the island, however, are unclear. Using logistic regression, I examine the effects of topography (elevation, slope, and terrain roughness), vegetation density (NDVI), and fire history (time since fire and fire frequency) on nest site selection using a multi-scale approach. This study utilizes nesting data collected over seven breeding seasons. Nesting surveys in 2025 revealed a significant decline in nesting since 2012. Preliminary results imply elevation and fires play an important role in parrot nest-site selection. Findings will inform habitat and species management practices such as fire regimes, predator control, and additional habitat protection needs.

Turks and Caicos Islands Pine Rocklands as Globally Significant Tropical Important Plant Areas

B Naqqi Manco, Dodly Prosper, Junel Blaise, Christopher May, Luc Clerveaux, Deja Charles, Lormeka Williams, Stuart Cable, Colin Clubbe, Marcella Corcoran, Sara Barrios, Tom Heller, Juan Viruel, Amy Barker, Tim Wilkinson, Elloise Budd

The Turks and Caicos Islands Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, in partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK), has completed the Darwin Plus 114 project Tropical Important Plant Areas and Important Plant Species in the Turks and Caicos Islands 2022-2025. This project focused on three achievements: 1) Identification of Tropical Important Plant Areas (TIPAs) in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI); 2) Completing and updating IUCN Red Data List assessments for endemic and near-endemic species; and, 3) Resolving taxonomy for Turks and Caicos Islands populations of species in the genera Encyclia, Agave, and Euphorbia. Through review of historic geospatial data and herbarium specimens from TCI, and fieldwork carried out under the project, 19 sites qualifying as TIPAs under the three criteria were identified throughout ten islands. This is an extension from the 6 IPAs identified in prior assessments (Hardman el al, 2012), which had a narrower taxonomic focus. Two of the 19 areas are pine ecosystems (Conch Bar Pine Yards, a pine rockland; and Pine Cay Pine Yard, a unique sandy pineland). 172 species were assessed or reassessed for the IUCN Red Listing (of which three are awaiting taxonomic clarification); 54 species assessed are potentially threatened with extinction and require conservation action. The TCI native plant species master list was updated from 490 to 543 species. A TIPAs guide and site interpretation panels were designed. Six sites originally identified as IPAs (Hardman et al, 2012) were expanded by 13, mostly smaller in size. A DECR-RBG Kew TIPAs Steering Group was established, and TIPAs Monitoring and Evaluation Plan was created to include TIPAs in new and existing legislation (Biodiversity Protection Bill, Environmental Management Bill, National Parks Ordinance), to help TCI meet commitments under national priorities outlined in TCI Vision 2040, and international agreements, such as the Caribbean Plant Conservation Strategy (notably target 8) and CBD’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (particularly Target 3 to conserve 30% of terrestrial areas by 2030). TCI is currently using the project outputs to apply in partnership with RBG Kew and the other Caribbean UK Overseas Territories and Bermuda on a new Darwin Strategic project that will interpret the outputs into active management and habitat restoration, including controlled burning and the restoration of a 1.5 hectare former pine rockland within Conch Bar Caves National Park. 

Conference Closer: Degradation and recovery: how to save a collapsing ecosystem

George Gann, The Institute for Regional Conservation

Numerous global, national, and local agreements, laws, rules, and initiatives assert that preventing the collapse of native ecosystems and the mass loss of biodiversity from local to global scales is imperative. This recognizes the intrinsic value and rights of nature and that the survival and wellbeing of humanity depend on it. However, this requires us to fully acknowledge and embrace the reality of the situation. And it is grim. Responding to this, Target 2 of the Global Biodiversity Framework aims to bring 30% of the world’s degraded ecosystems under effective restoration by 2030, defining effective restoration as standards-based restoration underpinned by agreed principles that results in appropriately balanced sustainable net gain that benefits and enhances biodiversity, ecosystem integrity and human well-being.
 
The ideas of conservation alone (i.e., putting a fence around it) and managing nature (i.e., maintaining the status quo) no longer work. Like many native ecosystems around the world, the pine rockland ecosystem is collapsing along with its constituent species. Ongoing land conversion, fire exclusion, invasive species, and numerous other degradation drivers continue to pummel pine rocklands toward death by a thousand cuts. This, despite the concerted actions of many. Why is this and how can this situation be reversed? This talk places pine rocklands into the context of emerging global consensus on the actions needed to halt and reverse ecological degradation leading to ecosystem recovery for people and nature. Key topics include shifting baselines, legal reform, nature as infrastructure, and appropriate restoration finance, training, and monitoring

Panel Discussion: Protection, Conservation, and the Future of Pine Rocklands: A Prescribed-Fireside Conversation

Lauren Jonaitis, Tropical Audubon Society; Elise Bennett, Center for Biological Diversity
George Gann, The Institute for Regional Conservation
Kevin Kalasz, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Raquel Regalado, Miami-Dade County Commission
Theresa Pinto, University of MIami

Pine rocklands are among the most endangered ecosystems in the world, yet they continue to face mounting pressures from development, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, altered fire regimes, climate change, and shifting regulatory and management frameworks. This session will provide attendees with an overview of recent federal, state, and local developments influencing pine rockland conservation.

The session will feature a moderated fireside conversation with conservation practitioners and decision-makers exploring the future of South Florida's pine rocklands. Panelists will discuss emerging challenges, opportunities for protection and restoration, the role of science in guiding land management and policy decisions, and strategies for building long-term ecosystem resilience. The conversation will also highlight the ecological, economic, and community benefits of investing in the conservation and restoration of one of the world's most imperiled ecosystems. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the current conservation landscape for pine rocklands; the practical implications of recent federal, state, and local actions; and the opportunities for researchers, practitioners, and advocates to contribute to ecosystem protection and recovery. The session is designed to foster meaningful dialogue and provide actionable takeaways that can help strengthen science-based conservation and management of pine rocklands across South Florida and beyond.