Pine Rocklands Traditional Cache
FLKeysNWRs: Container and location damaged from hurricane Irma.
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This Geocache is located on The National Key Deer Refuge, which was established in 1957 to protect and preserve Key deer and other wildlife resources in the Florida Keys. The refuge consists of approximately 9,200 acres of land that includes pine rockland forests, tropical hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh wetlands, and mangrove forests. These natural communities are critical habitat for hundreds of endemic and migratory species including 17 federally-listed species.
On your way to this geocache you will walk through Pine rocklands and pockets of freshwater marsh. There are mangrove communities nearby as well. This is a great area to see the subspecies of Slash Pine that is endemic to the lower Florida Keys (Pinus elliottii var. densa).
I suggest you print out a google earth image of this area to take with you since there are many trails and a couple different access points. You can either park at the brown refuge gate off of Key Deer Blvd, or take Key Deer Blvd to Gulf rd, then take a left on Pompano and park at the end by the yellow gate.
PLEASE STAY ON ESTABLISHED TRAILS. There is no need for "bush whacking" to get to the cache. Please remember you are in a sensitive habitat, so please respect it. Thank you!
You will first notice that many of the pines are dead. This was caused by storm surge from hurricane Wilma in 2005 which was then followed by a severe drought. You will also notice many fire scars and scorch marks on the remaining pines. That is because this area is managed with prescribed fire by USFWS, the most recent control burn was September 2011. Fire is often used as a land management tool to enhance the health of the forest. Fire is a natural process within the Pine rocklands, in fact, the slash pine has coevolved with fire and not only withstands fire, it thrives with it! As the underbrush of palms and hardwood hammock species are burned away, the soil is recharged with carbon and space is created for new pine seedlings to come in and young saplings to grow.
Fire also benefits other rare species, like the Bartram's Scrub Hairstreak butterfly because it's larval host plant (Pineland croton) relies on fire to keep the canopy open and the understory clear of brush.
On your walk you may also see many butterfly species, Key deer, and birds including ospreys. If you are very lucky you may see a Lower Keys marsh rabbit!
PLEASE BE ADVISED: ONLY REFUGE STAFF MAY PLACE CACHES ON REFUGE LANDS. ANY ILLEGAL CACHES WILL BE REMOVED.
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Treasures
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