BULLETIN FLORIDA STATE MUSEUM


thereafter. All these communities were characterized by high levels dur-
ing the summer, and the prominence of the 5-15 year treatment was a
result of high levels in autumn. However, the >30 year treatments
lacked this large contribution in the autumn. The two mature forest in-
sect communities resembled each other in having high summer and low
autumn levels, but the without-lakes community was distinctive in hav-
ing very high numbers of large beetles and moths during the spring
quarter. As a result, this treatment had the highest insect abundance of
any unreclaimed treatment.
 Both ungrazed and grazed reclaimed treatments had insect faunas
dominated by caddisflies (Trichoptera) and small beetles. Ungrazed sites
had the most abundant insects of any treatment, with high numbers in
spring, summer, and autumn. Seasonal abundance was much different
on grazed sites, which had moderate numbers in spring, high numbers
in summer and low numbers the rest of the year.

 HERPETOFAUNA

 Observations of the 9 species of amphibians and 23 species of reptiles
found on study sites are presented in Table 12. Perhaps the most striking
figure was the low number of species (total = 5, mean = 2) observed in
the consolidated clay settling ponds. Only one frog species, the green-
house frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris), was observed in this cate-
gory even though the moist substrate, deep cracks in the clay crust, and
shady aspect of the sites seemed to provide suitable habitat for more
species.
 Only six species were observed on each of the two early unreclaimed
treatments. In contrast, high numbers of species were found in older
stages of unreclaimed pits and spoil piles, because these sites provided
both aquatic habitat for frogs, turtles, and water snakes and shaded ter-
restrial habitat for snakes and skinks. The 15-30 year old class had the
highest number of species (16). The highest mean number of species
(7.7) occurred in the >30 year old pits without lakes, despite the lack of
aquatic habitat on these sites. The well-developed forest there supported
a consistently large number of snake, lizard, and arboreal frog species.
Additionally, all three sites contained active and inactive burrows of the
gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), which provide cover and nest
sites for numerous vertebrates (Auffenberg 1978).
 As expected, few reptiles (3 species of snakes) and no amphibians were
found on reclaimed sites because the very open, sunny aspect created
severe conditions that most species find intolerable. In addition, no bur-
rrows were available to provide protection from the sun.


VOL. 30 NO. 3