Rashelle Deak, a UF/CALS Doctoral Candidate in Forest Resources and Conservation, strives to preserve a rare species of mint in Florida. Through her previous experience as a health services major, Deak found her passion for scientific research. Deak works in the Crandall Fire Ecology Lab and studies the conservation and management of a mint with the scientific name Dicerandra cornutissima. Its common names are longspurred mint, longspurred balm, and Robin’s mint. Deak has always loved plants.
“I’ve always been into plants. My porch was lined with all kinds of them during undergrad and I still have some of those same plants over 10 years later. Two of my favorites were Mimosa pudica (Sensitive Plant) and a Coleus (Black Dragon), which is, oddly, in the mint family. I find it amazing that all these years later I’m researching a rare mint species,” Deak said.
The sweet minty smell and striking purplish-pink color of the longspurred mint are a couple of its unique characteristics. Dicerandra cornutissima prefers sandy soils and an open canopy. It was originally found in two Central Florida counties: Marion and Sumter. Unfortunately, it is currently known to occur in Marion County, making it the only location where the species is found in the world.
Dicerandra cornutissima has an extremely narrow flowering period, only occurring between the months of September and October. As part of her research, Deak collected data on its demography such as flower counts, height of the longest branch tip, and the number of reproductive versus vegetative branch tips. A branch is reproductive when it has flowers and/or flower buds. The vegetative branches do not. Plants are marked with pink flags in several equal-area plots in Deak’s Marion County research locations.
Deak and her colleagues at the Crandall Fire Ecology Lab, in collaboration with the Florida Native Plant Society, conduct annual censuses on the mint during its flowering period. They collect demographic data, such as those mentioned above, from each plant in the plots individually. Deak estimated about 700 reproductive branches on one plant.
The censuses allow them to monitor the status of the species and provide foundational data that is used in studies to answer questions about the species. Deak’s research goal is to identify factors that limit populations of Dicerandra cornutissima to help inform its management and conservation—hopefully preventing its extinction. As with many endangered species in this area, fire suppression and land development have threatened the mint.
“I think that my research is important because in times of global change, conserving what biodiversity we have is imperative. I think this is especially true in the North American Coastal Plain, which is known as what we call a biodiversity hotspot. It contains a vast number of endemic species threatened due to habitat loss. My research aims to fill knowledge gaps regarding the effects of fire management and other factors on D. cornutissima while potentially informing research on other endangered Dicerandra species. Findings can also potentially inform research and the conservation of endangered plants in other ecosystems,” said Deak.
One of the main conservation practices for the endangered mint species is prescribed burning. Prescribed burning is one management practice that landowners can use to preserve open tree canopy that the longspurred mint appreciates so much. Fire surrogates (i.e., mechanical treatments that mimic some of the effects of fire) are also an option.
Prescribed fire and its surrogates can prevent vegetation from encroaching on the mint. The controlled burns or fire surrogates help maintain space for Dicerandra cornutissima.
It is important to be mindful when it comes to burning practices because Dicerandra cornutissima is an obligate seeder, which means it does not resprout after a fire, but requires seeds for populations to persist. Fire frequency and seasonality are therefore important to take into consideration to ensure there will be enough seeds.
In conservation research, fire ecologists must be aware of all species that inhabit the area that fire management could impact. In Marion County, the longspurred mint coexists with the Scrub Jay, a type of endangered bird, on several plots within the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway. In an ideal world, Deak and the Crandall Fire Ecology lab would be able to find a conservation method that benefits both the mint and Scrub Jay.
“It’s something that we have to keep in mind, and in terms of management, it would be nice to find that one treatment benefits both the Scrub Jay and D. cornutissima—that way FDEP [Florida Department of Environmental Protection] can conserve their resources as well,” Deak said.
Florida’s ecosystems are diverse yet fragile. As nature is replaced with residential and commercial areas, as Deak discussed, it is important to conserve the biodiversity we still have. The two research locations of the mint populations are bordered with neighborhoods and/or highways.
While Deak and other researchers work to develop effective conservation practices, they must be aware of how the conservation practices potentially affect other plants, animals, and people living in the area. Overall, Deak’s work aims to ensure that we can preserve biodiversity for generations to come.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shelbi Cooper is a student at the University of Florida. She is majoring in Agricultural Education and Communication with an Emphasis on Communication and Leadership Development. She comes from a background of natural resource conservation. Her father works for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and has taught her the importance of preserving our natural resources. After graduating, she plans to continue her education at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and pursue a career in Ag Policy.