CASE STUDY #7
Restoring wetlands following agricultural expansion: Lake Wales Forest Restoration, Polk County, Florida USA
Much of the world’s existing agricultural lands are con- verted native wetland and upland habitats that for a variety of ecological and economic reasons should be considered for ecosystem restoration. The 400 acre Lake Wales For- est Mitigation and Net Ecosystem Benefit Site (LWF) suc- cessfully restored a complex mosaic of hardwood swamp forests, freshwater marshes and xeric scrub habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge to compensate for impacts related to the installation of a gas pipeline by Gulfstream Natural Gas Systems in near-by sections of the state.
The Ridge is one of the most distinctive natural regions in the US forming a north-south oriented area of sandy up- lands at the center of the Florida peninsula. It is a series of relict dunes, reflecting its origins 2 million years ago as a shoreline feature during pre-Pleistocene sea level rises, and at times it was an archipelago. This isolation contributed to the evolution of the numerous, rare endemic plant species and animals of the Ridge, many of which are now on state and Federal endangered species lists. Native xeric uplands are dominated by pines, shrubby oaks, and hickory with bare open sandy areas. This property was selected for restoration due to its location on the Ridge and the rare xeric scrub habi- tat intermixed with wetlands that once existed on the site.
The site was systematically drained, cleared and put into improved pasture in the 1950’s and 60’s, eliminating na- tive habitats and reducing wildlife utilization as a result. In 2001, Kevin L. Erwin Consulting Ecologist, Inc. imple-
mented multiple restoration and management methodolo- gies to accomplish the parameters required by the complex diversity of target habitats once found on the property. The historic ground and surface water levels were restored by strategically placing a series of water control structures in the drainage canal system raising levels 2 to 3 meters. Once appropriate hydrology had been achieved, native habitats were restored through plantings and direct seeding of na- tive vegetation. In total, approximately 143 acres of wetland forests, 34 acres of freshwater marsh, and more than 220 acres of uplands (including approximately 170 acres of rare xeric scrub habitat) have been restored on this site which now includes 20 species of listed plants. Ecologists have documented 97(8 listed), 18(3 listed), 33(4 listed) and 18, bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species respectively, all utilizing the restored habitats including 8 listed bird spe- cies, 3 listed mammal species, 4 listed reptile species, and 20 listed plant species. In addition to funding the restora- tion Gulfstream will establish a long term management fund and then transfer the restored property to conserva- tion entity for long term protection.
Lake Wales Forest demonstrates that agricultural lands can be successfully restored to native ecosystems provid- ing biodiversity conservation for rare or threatened habitats and species while providing appropriate compensation for unavoidable ecological impacts to similar areas.
Source: Kevin L. Erwin Consulting Lnc.
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