Sentinel Oaks and Oak Forests

Initiated in 2023, this long-term work seeks, to identify the largest stands of Oak Forests in Florida, as well as the largest individual Oak trees (often referred to as Witness or Sentinel trees), and then use lidar scans from drones and terrestrial systems to create detailed 3D twins of these Giants. The context is the rapid deforestation, loss and mortality of these trees in Florida and elsewhere. This ongoing project will also work to identify the deforestation and land use and change dynamics in and around these individuals and stands from past to future, using remote sensing and modelling, through integration with Florida 2050 scenarios model outcomes. It also has objectives to understand the drivers and rates of Oak Mortality within intact and converted areas, such as high Oak mortality of remnant trees being seen in areas previously developed into low density urban areas.

Initial core focal area is the 'Kanapaha Forest' and surrounding area. Preliminary analyses indicate this area is one of the larger intact mixed hardwood-coniferous forests in Florida, and contains some of the largest Oak trees I have seen around.

See this article highlighting that Alachua is recognized to contain the largest Oak trees in Florida (if not the world).