Florida Keys National Wildlife

Refuges. Name: Kakembo Ismail

Course: Environmental & Ecosystems Management

Date: 25th Sept 2012

Background and location

The three national wildlife refuges of the Lower

Florida Keys are;

1. National Key Deer

2. Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)

3. Key West NWR

Background and location cont’d

County: Monroe County (Keys)

Size: 6688.04 acres

Latitude : 25.27083º Longitude: -80.32111º

Sections: 19,20,21,22,23,24,26,27,

Townships: 59 Range: 40

Managing Agency: United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Background and location cont’d

Located in Monroe County, Florida

Above refuges extend from East Bahia Honda Key west to Marquesas Keys.

Ownership

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

State of Florida

Federal Government

Philosophy

To protect wildlife of the Lower Florida Keys without imposing unnecessary restrictions on boaters.

To curtail incompatible or illegal public use activities, such as camping on refuge islands, through education and law enforcement efforts.

To prevent human disturbance at bald eagle nest sites, particularly at nests near the edges of islands where interference by boaters has been documented.

Management Authority

Provided by congressional Acts

Congressional Acts include

Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918

Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929

Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act of 1934

Bald and Golden Eagles Protection Act of 1940,

Environment

The climate of the Lower Florida Keys is tropical

(Jordan 1991)

1. The mean annual temperature is about 25 degrees C

2. The mean annual rainfall is 99.1 cm

Environment cont’d

The geology of the Lower Florida Keys

Two limestone formations

1. Miami oolite

2. Key Largo limestone

Predominant land uses of the lower Florida

keys

Recreational and commercial fishing

Scuba diving and snorkeling

Photography, bird watching

Sightseeing

Resources and products

Beaches on Woman, Marquesas, and Boca Grande

Keys

Wetlands include freshwater, salt ponds, Red mangrove

forests

Resources and products cont’d

Endangered and Threatened Species

Birds such as bald eagle, piping plover, and peregrine falcon.

Mammals such as Key deer, silver rice rat, Lower Keys marsh rabbit, West

Indian manatee, and sperm whale

Reptiles and amphibians such as Atlantic Ridley turtle, Atlantic loggerhead

turtle among others

Primary Management Problems cont’d

Human Disturbance of Wildlife:

1. Expanding development of coastal areas

2. Recreational activity increases

3. human interactions with wildlife

Law Enforcement problems

Camping on islands

Problem with camping

Campfires

Cutting of trees

Trash pits

Management actions

Specific law enforcement programs such fines

Camp guides

Tailored signs and remote sense monitoring

Management actions cont’d

Land conservation programs

Federal and state land conservation programs

Tax laws

Regulations for example, Endangered Species Act, Wetlands permits

Atsena Otie Key Island

Date Taken: 05/20/2010

Sensor: Aerial photography

Photographer:

Tom J Smith, III , U.S. Geological Survey

Southern Florida Keys

Date: 11/15/2000

Source: NASA/GSFC/JPL, MISR Team

Sensor:

Multi-angle imaging Spectro-radiometer

Description: The top image is composite of blue, green, and red band imagery. At the bottom, the color is comprised of green, red, and near-infrared data.

Key West National Wildlife Refuge

Description: Mangrove islands in the Key West National Wildlife Refuge provide valuable habitat for nesting birds and sea turtles.

Location: Key West, FL, USA

Date Taken: Jun 23 2010

Photographer by

Paul Nelson, U.S Geological Survey:

Florida Keys

Date: 12/02/2003

Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, NASA/GSFC

Sensor: MODIS

Description:

Turbid waters and the Florida Keys in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Date:

Sensor: Aerial photography

Photograph by Emory Kristoff

Description: Aerial photo

Showing marine protected

Areas of the refuge

Marquesas Keys

Date: 11/18/2006

Source: NASA

Description: Shows the

Extension of a lagoon and water

areas with connection

to the open sea

Images and their uses in refuge

management

Images Use for refugemanagement

Mangrove islands in the Key West used for show forest extension

Used for monitoring climate changes around refuge region

Aerial view of the refuge keys used for

Images and their uses in refuge

management cont’d

Images Use for refuge management

Used in monitoring water color changes as

well as aquatic animals

Can be used in locating and managing

marine protected Areas of the refuge

Images and their uses in refuge

management cont’d

Image Use for refuge management

NASA screen shot can be used to show

the Extension of a lagoon with the

refuge and where water areas connect

to the open sea. This gives management

the ability to focus on given parts of the

refuge.

Summary

The goals for this refuge is to protect wildlife. Most important parts of this

action includes nesting, feeding, roosting birds and access restrictions to the

public.

Many tools are used in managing Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges.

Among these tools include remote sensing, law enforcements, zone restrictions

among others.

References

FWS. (2012). Management Agreement. Retrieved from http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/review/backcountryplan.pdf

FWS. (2012). Welcome to Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge Retrieved from

http://www.fws.gov/cedarkeys/

References

Randolph, J. (2011). Environmental Land Use Planning And Management. (2 ed.). NW, Washington: Island Press.

Campbell, J., & Randolph, W. (2011). Introduction to Remote Sensing. (5 ed.).

New York: A Division of Guilford Publication, Inc.

References

USGS. (2010). 2010EmployeePhotoContest. Retrieved from http://gallery.usgs.gov/tags/2010EmployeePhotoContest/thumbettes/_/2