Together with Dr. Stout's lab, Dr. Fauth and his students are supporting the St. Johns River Water Management District by providing information on the presence, location, and abundance of rare and listed species on the Seminole Ranch Conservation Area. Data collected during this two-year study will be used to develop restoration plans and enhance current management plans for protecting biodiversity within the Upper St. Johns River Basin. Seminole Ranch Conservation Area is one of the largest and most diverse areas in this basin - it has potential to support many rare and listed species, including striped newts, Florida gopher frogs, gopher tortoises, indigo snakes, pine snakes, and Sherman's fox squirrel. Large areas of pine flatwood and mixed hardwood with small ponds provide habitat favorable for these species. Seminole Ranch Conservation Area is one of many protected lands near the University of Central Florida's East Orlando Campus. Others include several Seminole County wilderness areas and Florida state parks, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Canaveral National Seashore, and Ocala National Forest.

Seminole Ranch Survey

Overflying Seminole Ranch Conservation Area identifies potential habitat for rare and listed species.

Gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) are one of the rare and listed species that we documented on Seminole Ranch.