More Than Trees: Caribbean Pine Woodlands in Belize

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More Than Trees Caribbean Pine Woodlands in
Belize
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Caribbean pinelands in Belize
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• forest products
• recreation
• watershed protection
• tourism
• carbon sequestration

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Caribbean pineland Biodiversity is a globally
unique resource
Biodiversity depends on the ground layer
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We know little about ground layer of MPR
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Belize flora 3,400 species

• 12 grasses sedges
• Significant but unknown proportion of flora
  restricted to MPR/pinelands
• Majority of MPR plant diversity
• appears to be in ground layer

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Ozarks Ecoregion
Ozarks
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• Hilly
• Acidic rocks/poor soils
• Watershed for extensive
• river cave system

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• Open woodlands
• Pines/broadleaved trees
• Diverse ground layer (400)
• Prominent grass presence

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• Fire-dependent
• Frequent dormant season fires
• Fires carry through ground layer
• Trees generally survive

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Mountain Pine Ridge vs. Ozarks

• similar vegetation structure
• high ground layer diversity
• similar topography
• prominent grass/sedge presence
• fire adapted
• similar soils/rocks

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A ground layer dominated by a diversity of
well-rooted perennial plants
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Ground layer losses occur below 10 light
intensity
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Why is ground layer important?

• Water
• - infiltration
• - watershed health
• - runoff/erosion

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Why is ground layer important?

• 2. Soil
• - soil carbon
• - thermoregulation
• - long-term fertility
• - mycorrhizal dynamics
• - canopy regeneration

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Why is ground layer important?

• 3. Biodiversity
• - plant diversity
• - invertebrate diversity
• - food/structure for wildlife
• - resistance to invasive species
• - reduced pathogen impacts

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Why is ground layer important?

• 4. Fire
• - fire severity
• - fire behavior
• - spotting potential/distance
• - post fire vegetation response

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Recommendations for managers

• Manage for system, not the trees
• Emphasize native diversity
• Think below the ground
• Pay attention to water (on off site)
• See the light
• Be comfortable with uncertainty
• Monitor effects across system
• Learn locally (unique system)
• Manage for dynamics within limits

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