Natural Resources Management

The UWF Conservation Program aims to manage the University’s Conservation Areas as a natural resource through working with Facilities Management. The UWF Living Lab: Forest is a Fire-Dependent Ecosystem and regular exposure to fire is crucial to a longleaf pine system’s health. Fire suppression is one of the leading causes of longleaf pine ecosystem loss. Historically, fears of destruction wrought by wildfires have led to fire being completely removed from the system. However, fire is a natural process important to this region’s health, and completely depriving our forests of fire leads to buildup of underbrush and fuel, significantly increasing the risk of dangerous wildfires. By regularly introducing fire to the land in a controlled manner, this risk can be mitigated.

Controlled burns consume low-to-the-ground biomass and reduce the number of hardwoods in a system, leading to a more open, savannah-like environment in which native species like the threatened gopher tortoise thrive. The University of West Florida has partnered with the Florida Forest Service through a Wildfire Mitigation Grant to reintroduce fire to the entirety of our longleaf pine system. After this initial work is done, the Argos Conservation Corps will form its own controlled burn team to utilize prescribed fire in long-term restoration of this habitat.