#pine rocklands

[aspacefor3-blog]

This is a short narrative video to inform and help raise awareness about this beautiful yet endangered habitat of South Florida's Eco-system. The Pine Rocklands. Please like, subscribe and share this video with everyone who loves our mother earth. Thank You all.

[rjzimmerman]

Judge Stops Walmart Shopping Center From Being Built on Endangered Florida Forest

Environmentalists cheered after a Miami district court judge issued an emergency injunction on Friday to stop bulldozers from razing a stretch of endangered pine rocklands—one of the world's rarest forests, and home to species found nowhere else on Earth ...

Excerpt:

Environmentalists cheered after a Miami district court judge issued an emergency injunction on Friday to stop bulldozers from razing a stretch of endangered pine rocklands—one of the world's rarest forests, and home to species found nowhere else on Earth—to make way for a Walmart shopping center near Zoo Miami and Everglades National Park.

Judge Ursula Ungaro's decision was made only hours after the Center for Biological Diversity, Tropical Audubon Society, Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition and South Florida Wildlands Association sued the Trumpadministration for approving the proposed Coral Reef Commons.

"Plaintiffs will suffer immediate and irreparable injury arising from the destruction of the pine rocklands, and the loss of threatened and endangered species that depend on such habitat for their survival absent issuance of this [temporary restraining order]," Ungaro's ruling stated, adding that "the public interest favors the entry of such an order."

The proposed development, which was approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just last week, would make way for a sprawl of big box stores, chain restaurants and 900 apartment units. Construction started a day after the department's green light and ceased Friday after the judge's order.

The Fish and Wildlife Service also allowed Cummings' environmental consultants to develop their own formula for calculating the amount of damage that might occur. The untested method, the lawsuit said, had not been peer-reviewed and could set a precedent for use on other projects. About 3,000 people submitted comments on the plan, most opposing it.

The environmental groups also warned that the project threatens 20 endangered plants and animals, including the eastern indigo snake, gopher tortoise, Florida brickell-bush and two butterflies, the Bartram's scrub-hairstreak and Florida leafwing.

“This mega-development will wipe out some of South Florida's last ecological gems and diminish quality of life for nearby residents by worsening traffic and sprawl," said Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “Losing the Florida bonneted bat, the rare Florida leafwing butterfly or the incredibly striking Miami tiger beetle is a tragedy that can't be undone."

[botanytoo]

Butterflies visit more frequently, but bees are better pollinators: the importance of mouthpart dimensions in effective pollen removal and deposition Pollination studies often use visitation frequency of potential pollinators as an indicator of their importance, but this is only one component and may not reflect actual pollen-transfer rates.

[keithcurrypochy]

Pine Rocklands at Long Pine Key 

The Atlantic Ridge goes down Florida’s East coast and begins to taper off around Miami. This has formed islands or keys that tend to stay dry while being surrounded by swamp. On these islands there are many species of plants and butterflies that adapted to the unique conditions found there and as result many of those life forms became new species and are now found nowhere else on Earth. Unfortunately these islands usually stay dry during the wet season and where some of the first area developed as Miami began to grow. Today there are a few spots where this ecosystem exists and even those are in danger of development. 

Everglades National Park, FL