(130) DISTURBED

Disturbed areas are characterized by large stretches of bare soil usually in areas that are well drained.  These areas appear to have been cleared recently or have been severely affected by human influence.  After a period of time these cleared areas are grown in with a mix of opportunistic species.

Typical plants that are found in disturbed sites in the City of Rockledge include pepper vine, air potato, ragweed, saw palmetto, southern sumac, and verbena shrub.  Other typical plants of these areas include cabbage palm, china berry, castor bean, Brazilian pepper, southern red cedar, wax myrtle, and in wet areas, willows are abundant.

Disturbed sites are usually xeric sandy habitats.  Within the City of Rockledge, 29.5% of the landscape is disturbed.  The best form of management would be the removal of all exotic species from these areas.  These areas can also be used for revegetation projects, and could serve as connecting "corridors" for different community types to eliminate fragmentation.

The above is an excerpt from the Rockledge Conservation Study,                                                                 Prepared by the Conservation Biology Graduate Class                                                                             Supervised by Hilary Swain, PhD.                                                                                                                 Department of Biological Sciences                                                                                                                 Florida Institute of Technology                                                                                                                             150 West University Blvd. Melbourne, FL 32901