Wildlife and Its Refuge

Date: June 9th, 2016
Location: The National Key Deer Refuge


Hidden in a small shopping center you will find the small National Key Deer Refuge center. Established in 1957, the refuge works to protect and preserve Key deer as well as other important wildlife resources in Florida.

National Key Deer Refuge

The refuge sits on about 9,200 acres of land which also includes the pine rocklands, the tropical hardwood hammocks, the freshwater and saltwater wetlands, and finally the mangrove forests. The pine rocklands are made up of canopies of slash pine. The slash pine and other palm communities are adapted to fires and depends on the fires for survival. The refuge helps provide periodic fires to help keep the pine rocklands healthy. The tropical hardwood hammocks are located 2 to 8 feet above sea level and they have a wide diversity of shrubs, evergreens, and semi-deciduous trees. Some examples of plant life are the gumbo-limbo, Jamaican dogwood, and pigeon plums. Since the hammocks are located high above sea level they can avoid salt water intrusions when there are major storms. Most trees in the hammocks produce small berries that provide as a food source for the animals that live in the hammocks. Located in the lower keys is the freshwater wetlands. The freshwater wetlands provide a habitat that has rich diversity in organisms. Key deer, alligators, and raccoon's are a few examples. Plant species that can be found in the wetlands are saw grass, buttonwood, leather fern, spikerushes, and white-top sedge. 

Pine Rockland

 23 endangered and threatened animals and plants live and inhabit the refuge. The Key deer, the lower keys marsh rabbit, Bartram's Hairstreak Butterflies, and birds such as Osprey, White Ibis, Peregrine Falcon are a few examples of the many types of different species that live throughout the refuge. The lower keys marsh rabbit is the smallest of the subspecies and can grow up to 15 inches. They live in the grassy areas of the salt and freshwater marshes. They are endangered due to the degradation of their habitat. The Bartram's Hairstreak Butterflies are located primarily in the pine rocklands and they are distinguished by the two white spots on the wings. They are threatened because they depend on the plant, pineland croton, and due to human development and the lack of burning the butterflies cannot adapt to the environment that is changing around them drastically.

Bartram's Hairstreaked Butterfly

Unfortunately with human development, the habitats within the refuge are being reduced. The National Key Deer Refuge three different strategies to help the environment and they are habitat management, education, and law enforcement. Conducting controlled burns, teaching the community about saving the environment and having law enforcement to help maintain and have the community respect the refuge and the wildlife are the first steps to help save the beautiful refuge lands of Florida.

If you want to learn more about the Refuge and plan a visit check out The National Key Deer Refuge

Want to learn more about the Florida National Wildlife refuge system check out this link