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3 1990; Schmalzer et al. 1991; Schmalzer and Hinkle 1992). Mesic flatwoods and grassy areas have a fire -return interval of 1 - 10 years (FNAI 1990). Therefore, long-term habitat management strategies will need to consider frequent fires for matrix habitats surrounding oak scrub to maintain an open landscape structure optimal for scrub -jays and to reduce the accumulation of fuels that lead to hazardous fire events (Breininger et at 1996b). Because site variability influences recovery from fire, natural resource managers should use height, openings, pine cover, and other structural features to assist in determining burning objectives for a particular site. Fitzpatrick et al. (1991) suggested that a fire management {urogram for Florida scrub -jays is best if a rotation of prescribed burns occurs where each burn covers only small portions of the reserve tract.. Studies conducted at KSC confirm that frequent fires that do not burn all of a territory are essential for maintaining Florida scrub -jay populations (Breininger et at 1996b). Single burns in scrub landscapes at intervals longer than 5 years could result in extinction of Florida scrub -jay populations (Breininger et at 1996b). The presence of patches of tail oaks greater than 1 acre (0.4 hectare) in size had negative impacts on demography (Breininger and Oddy 1998). Large (e.g., 1 acre) or wide (> 328' (100 m)] patches of tall shrubs may interfere with the jay's visual sentinel system, which is adapted for predator detection and territorial defense (McGowan and Woolfenden 1989). A few small clumps of tall oaks will not interfere with visibility and can serve as useful posts for sentinels. Analyses of sequences of aerial photographs indicate that many scrub and grassy areas have become forests and that most remaining scrub has lost openings among the oaks (Duncan et at 1999). The reduCtion in availability of openings has resulted in the rigorous competition by Florida scrub -jays for areas with openings (Duncan et al. 1995; Breininger et al, 1998b). Few openings remain in scrub 1 - 2 years after fires (Schmalzer and Hinkle 1992), Scrub oaks became established in most openings, and 20 years of prescribed burning that followed fire suppression has not yet produced an abundance of openings (Schinalzer et at 1994; Duncan et at 1996; Breininger et at 1998b). It may take many fires to establish the openings that are critical for long-term Florida scrub jay population persistence. Open sandy areas are also believed to be important to other scrub plants and animals (Campbell and Christman 1982; Hawkes and Menges 1996). In the past, many prescribed fires have occurred in winter, which may partially explain why natural openings have not returned. Winker fires do not reduce oak cover as effectively as growing -season fires (Gliitzenstein ct at 1995). Most natural fires occurred during the growing season, and scrub is adapted to growing - season fires (Robbins and Myers 1992). Single growing season fires have been found not to result in openings that last longer than 1 - 2 years (Breininger 76