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Restoration
The goal of The University of Central Florida’s Restoration Plan is to conserve, appropriately use, and protect native vegetative communities and wildlife habitats. Through the Land Management Program, the University continues to coordinate with state and regional environmental agencies, such as SJRWMD (SJRWMD), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and the Division of Forestry (DOF) to appropriately manage all of the campus natural lands and specifically designated conservation areas. To achieve this goal, the Land Management Program uses several techniques, such as prescribed burns and mechanical treatments, to reduce overgrown shrubby species and promote a healthy herbaceous understory in the natural lands on campus.

UCF is currently implementing a restoration plan for the conservation easement within the Arboretum created by the University with assistance from SJRWMD. This plan details the University’s efforts to reestablish the historic habitat of wet and mesic flatwoods in the 7.85 acre portion of the Arboretum west of Gemini Blvd. Additionally, unused firebreaks and trails in the natural lands are being restored to reduce habitat fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation can be caused by natural disasters or it can be a human induced problem. Hurricanes and tornados can drastically affect ecosystem homogeneity with high force winds and rain. Humans can also be destructive by using all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in restricted areas, hiking outside designated areas, or developing in surrounding areas. To reduce fragmentation, unwanted trails and firebreaks are being blocked off and restored by seeding and planting appropriate native flora species.