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Species Conservation & Management
As part of a series of ongoing class assignments for a biology graduate course, Landscape Ecology (PCB 5328C), digitized the UCF natural from aerial photographs from 1939, 1967, 1972, 1984, 1994, and 1999. The data from the 1999 map showed 45% of the main 1,415-acre part of the UCF campus (not including the MacKay Tract or eastern parcel) to consist of natural areas. Over half (54.7%) of this area was classified as wetlands (e.g., lakes, pond pine and cypress dominated communities); the remaining area was uplands (e.g., scrub, sandhill, and pine flatwoods communities).

Since then, multiple natural areas surveys were conducted on campus. The first was conducted from September 2001 to May 2002 and was resurveyed from June through August 2003. The Land Management team has surveyed all the green space on campus semi-annually since 2005. The surveys focused on determining the status, and location (if possible) of endangered, threatened, and invasive exotic species. Gopher tortoises were also included. As a result of the 2001-2002 study, four endangered and seven threatened plant species were identified and 347 plants species were recorded on campus. The 2005-2009 listed species surveys resulted in 14 listed plant species, one mammal species, three reptilian species, and 11 bird species have been recorded and mapped on campus.

Management techniques used support the increase in biodiversity across campus, and surveys are conducted semi-annually to show the success and/or failure of each technique.