Specifications

Section 2 Existing Conditions/Affected Environment
EAA Storage Reservoirs Revised Draft PIR and EIS February 2006
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such as the rough green snake, eastern indigo, water moccasin, and southern
toad are often found in these areas.
2.10.3.3 Uplands
Upland communities consist of relatively open, herbaceous habitat such as dry
prairie to forested communities of varying vegetation composition such as
hardwood hammocks, pinelands, and a mixture of hardwoods and pine. Dry
prairies provide habitat for raccoon as well as the wide-ranging Florida panther.
Birds typical of this open habitat include common ground dove, eastern
meadowlark, and crested caracara.
2.10.3.4 Disturbed and Urban/Extractive Communities
Wildlife species that may be found in agricultural, urban or mining lands are
typically tolerant of open conditions, a certain amount of human activity, and
are not restricted to specialized habitats. Species found in these habitats
include: raccoon, boat-tailed grackle, bobwhite, cattle egret, black vulture,
turkey vulture, crested caracara, eastern meadowlark, northern mockingbird,
red-winged blackbird, white ibis, box turtle, and green anole. Some species that
require open habitat, such as burrowing owls, may make use of this habitat in
addition to dry prairie.
2.10.4 Water Conservation Areas
The WCAs as a whole contain a number of important species whose existence,
population numbers, and sustainability are markedly influenced by water levels.
The American alligator, a keystone Everglades species, has rebounded in terms
of population numbers since the 1960s when the reptile was placed on the
endangered species list by the USFWS. Alligators, it is believed, play an
important ecological function by maintaining "gator holes", or depressions, in the
muck which are thought to provide refuge for aquatic organisms during times of
drought and concentrates food sources for wading birds. High water during
periods of nest construction, which occurs from June to early July (Woodward, et
al., 1989), decreases the availability of nesting sites. If conditions become too
dry, either naturally or through water management practices, water levels may
fall too low to maintain gator holes, forcing the animal to seek other areas to
survive.
Other important reptile species commonly encountered within the Study Area
include a number of species of turtles, lizards, and snakes. Turtle species
include the snapping turtle, striped mud turtle, mud turtle, cooter, Florida
chicken turtle, and Florida softshell turtle. Lizards such as the green anole are
found in the central Everglades, and several species of skinks occur more
commonly in terrestrial habitats. Numerous snakes inhabit the wetland and