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Mission. The MacArthur Agro-ecology Research
Center at Buck Island Ranch is dedicated to long term ecological research, education, and
environmental stewardship on a large-scale working cattle ranch.
We focus on the challenges facing the vast open landscapes critical to the protection and
restoration of the Northern Everglades Ecosystem. Our program is part of
the
global effort to sustain working farms and ranches while maintaining
their environmental values.
Founding. In November 1988, Archbold
Biological
Station became manager of the 10,500-acre (4,252 ha) Buck Island Ranch, under a
long-term lease from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
History. Buck Island Ranch was owned by the Durrance
Family from the 1930's until 1968 when it was purchased by
John D. MacArthur. MacArthur acquired the northern part of the
ranch from Tropical Farms to create the current ranch area of 10,500
acres. Buck Island
Ranch is in the Istokpoga-Indian Prairie basin in south-central Florida,
northwest of Lake Okeechobee. This prairie once covered about 250 square
miles of seasonally flooded sawgrass marshes and cabbage palm savanna.
“Buck Island” is a slightly elevated area that was once dry prairie
surrounded by marshes. The dry prairie is now Bahia grass pastures, and
the marshes are now semi-native pastures interspersed with palm and oak
hammocks. Over 600 small seasonal wetlands dot the ranch landscape. An
extensive network of ditches was constructed during the 1940’s through
the 1970’s to improve drainage. The Harney Pond Canal, a major regional
waterway, passes through the Ranch and drains into nearby Lake
Okeechobee.
Operation. The ranch is managed at full-scale
commercial levels for research purposes. Buck Island Ranch is among the top-20 commercial cow-calf
producers in Florida. The Ranch herd is ~3,000 Brahman-cross cows, bred to
150 Angus or Charolais bulls. Over 2,300 calves are raised annually and
are typically sold May-August. Approximately half of the Ranch is
improved Bahia grass pastures and half is unimproved or semi-native
pastures. Ranch income is derived mainly form cattle sales and sod
production. A small hunting lease and cabbage palm harvesting
provide additional income. Revenues from the agricultural
operation support research activities. This provides staff and visiting scientists
the unique opportunity to measure and monitor ecological effects of agricultural
practices at real world scales.
Research.
Research at MAERC has provided one of the most extensive ecological
databases for a real world agricultural operation. The research
program has addressed various aspects of the ecology and environmental
impact of cattle ranching, and is supported by ranch revenue and
substantial outside funding from state and federal agencies. Researchers include the on-site Director and visiting scientists and collaborators who use the ranch as a living
laboratory. The setting of a working cattle ranch
provides a unique opportunity for scientists to
investigate the ecology a working landscape, and to examine the
interactions between ecological and economic sustainability through
time.
Cooperative Projects. A cooperative agreement was
established in 1994 among MAERC,
the University of Florida's Institute
of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF-IFAS),
South
Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)
to initiate a
multidisciplinary research program at Buck Island Ranch to support the development of ecologically
sustainable and economically viable beef cattle operations in South
Florida. The
Florida Cattleman's Association joined the
group in 1996 and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services (FDACS) joined in 2002.
New partners joining in 2004 include the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (FDEP)
and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS),
which has been a long-time partner on projects at Buck Island
Ranch. These organizations work together with the research staff
at at MAERC on research and demonstration projects in water quality,
nutrient cycling, wildlife biology, wetland
ecology and wetland restoration in a working agricultural landscape.
Archbold Biological Station | Index
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Lake Placid, Florida 33852 USA 