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1990). Mechanical treatments may reduce the post-treatment coverage by saw � <br />palmetto if damage to the sew po|mot»m rhizomes is uuvom (Sohmobmr el al. 1998). � <br />As saw oa|moxu is the primary species for carrying Yim/ in Adunbo Coumu| Ridge ' <br />scrub bmdoou;na, reductions in ohm coverage of this onvoiev can alter Vm ability to ` <br />successfully apply o/ouchbu fire as u habitat management tnn| (Sohmu|znr *t at <br />1999), <br />Fire iavital to and influences many natural community processes that can not ho <br />replicated hymechanical treatments alone. Fire provides readily available nutrients to <br />new growth and surviving p|um life through dinoo\ ro|uono of m\nom| oiammoto as ash. <br />It regulates fuel loadings and production by the recycling of woody plant components <br />and consumption of leaf litter and humua |oyom. Scrub -jays prefer to forage in opoo <br />conditions without Uno, (Srhma|zer e/ a< 1834). Nloohunioa| unoononm in oorvh <br />leave behind an unnatural amount of debris on /he ground. Fire also affects tko <br />reproductive pmreoxnu o/ many plant xpodex, often stimulating seed m|eaoo' <br />flowering, and vegetative growth. Most scrub researchers oUrnw that, although <br />mechanical treatments are an important method for restoration of uon/b that hos <br />become fir`rodotantdue to overgrowth, scrub Should be manaOod, in the long-term, <br />hyprescribed fire (Fitzpatrick e/al, l391; Sohma|zore/al1334'1333;R,einingerer <br />al, l898W. <br />Establishment of a fire mAino for maonqmnon, of optimal habitat conditions for <br />scrub -jays must be based oil site-specific factors due »ovariability in Umcnmmvniry <br />dynmmioon,scrub habitat types (Somna|zo,arid Hinkle 1892; Sohmu|zoraod Boy|o <br />1987). Fitzpatrick e( a[ (1991) suggests that the U,o'rmtu,n ivm,vo| for individual <br />patches of oak scrub is 10 20 years. This return interval in consistent with <br />optimal scrub height u|osoex (8reioin0ero/al. 1895. 1996b). Scrub height mv0da <br />have been developed from data oil scrub recovery after fire. These models predict <br />that oaks Uruvv to 8.9' 0.2m) within 10years after a fire, arid that oaks grow taller <br />than 5.6' (1 3m) within 20 years of u fire <Dunoun et al. 1985). The response of <br />oak scrub to U'° varies bvxavoo of uiKe,enoon in oni|x, not,ivnto, vvato, table, and <br />previous fire history (Abrahamson and Hartnett 1930; Ominingor ail(] Sohma\zor <br />1930; [Nyom 1990; Sohma|zx and Hinkle 1382; k0ooOou onu KnxyoN/ 1995; <br />Muvvkon and xxen800 1996). nunovn:h al KGC has found that scrub oaks can <br />occasionally O,ovv to 3.9' (1.2m) within a yvvv ympm (e.g., 3 yrnm)' especially in <br />areas previously unburned for >20 years (BminioVorunpuh|. data; S*hmn|zo, and <br />Bny|ounpuW. data). Scrub can also become taller than optimal within 5 10 years <br />after fire (Breininger UnpUbl. data). <br />Florida oombiay uxhtuhou k*|oUe not only oak scrub haWut, but also the <br />` avnuvndioq matrix habitat /vvou composed of mouic Oaxwoudn and Dsaav emmo <br />^� <br />which are often wet (oremi"g,re/al. 1991. 1895), Saw palmetto, gonbnov xol|v. <br />`- <br />and grasses (,a.' Ansmfa smtu^ S*a,on^ omx*ri), which dominate mosw <br />� Ua,m/nodoarid marshes, are more flammable and oM�mu|am fuel more rapidly than <br />scrub oak habitats JAbrahainson 1984; Abraharnson and Flartoolt 1990; Myers <br />