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-' auhpopulodnnx i|they are located within umutdxofSurrounding habitats that call <br />[� <br />be safely negotiated by dispersing scrub -jays (Fitzpatrick ov e/ 1994a). Brushy <br />[� <br />pastures, scrubby corridors along railway and Country road ,iUht-of-vvayo' and open <br />habitat types allow for foraging arid provides links for colonization among oorub-jay <br />muhpopu|miona(Fitzpatrick e/a/ 1994a). Expansive bodies o/water, dense forest, <br />[ urban development, suburban residential areas, shopping malls, major highways, <br />and tmn\oau, wide-open pastures inhibit dispersal movement o/ scrub. -Jays <br />(Fitzpatrick n,a/1S94a>. <br />� <br />— <br />The vegetative oompoutinn arid suu*mm| femmmm characterizing optimal Florida <br />anmh-jay hxa| koWmt, as defined above, represent native oak oomb habitat <br />conditions; conditions which are created and maintained by pedudio, high intensity <br />— <br />fires (N1yom 1990; BminioAor et a{ 1995, 1998b). The fire regime in scrub habitat <br />, <br />types uextremely variable (Myers 1930; Adminuod Fahnotd 1995). It is dependent <br />upon both the productivity (ram of huo| accumulation) of /he ocrub site and the <br />surrounding matrix habitats (Myers 1990; Adrninnnd Fahnoni 1985>. Accumulation <br />of fuels is slower in oak dominated oomb occurring on weU'dm|nmd, infm,h|o nuUs o/ <br />the sand ridges (K8vem 1990). in addition, Um hnhznn:x| distribution of fuels in oak <br />scrub on sand ridges is patchy due to the p,voonua of numerous openings of bare <br />� <br />sand vvhiob characterize this o*oh habitat type. These factors result in a fire - <br />dependent habitat type <br />m- <br />depw"domhubim/typm that is not very flammable arid does not ignite easily (Myers <br />1990), Therefore, Umo that burn into oak scrub habitat patches are generally ignited <br />in the surrounding matrix hoh|ta/o' such as vino f|atwmodx, o,cvn|n0 on »undv <br />� dminnd, fo'Wo noi|s, vvhirx pouooxo and rapidly muoumu|atocontinuous fine surface <br />fuels (N1yam 1830; Adrian and Fahnoui 1995). When fires do 0000, in the no,vb <br />^ <br />landscape, it usually results in n complex mosaic ofslightly burned, immnua|y burned, <br />� <br />and uoho/nod area types (Myers 1890). This patchy bum e800, is hnpurmn/ as Um <br />, <br />presence of scrub habitat in various stages of development enhances habitat diversity <br />[ ^` and reduces potential adverse effects of da fire to dependent upeokm with special <br />^ <br />Because xrmb is o pym0an|u 000nyuteo\ its Vo* and fauna havo developed <br />udou«utiooa to fire and arc, dependent on periodic fires to provide for tile low, open <br />oomb in v"hid` they have evolved (Myers 1380; Qnhmabe/ o/a/ 1994>. One of the <br />'~ <br />adaptations of Florida ecmb1ayn ^nfrequent fires is the oumbli»hm*o/ and do/cuue of <br />large te/dmr|ou. "Ownership" of o \u,ga territory increases thn uo/ub'jay 0mvp'n <br />� vnohaWU/y of free a000xu to enough habitat patches in vph'na| onnditin"(moo|hndwn <br />and Fitzpatrick 1984). Fire influences voQamhvo oommuoiry composition arid <br />mrvo[um through its »»ouoocy and/or intensity <[myae 1930. Sou/h oako, saw <br />pa|mouu, and odoocuouo shrubs regenerate /mm Um n,inwM|y by sprouting, and <br />