Eric Menges of Archbold Biological Station and Doria Gordon of The Nature Conservancy recently published an article on the effects of using mechanical treatments and herbicides as fire surrogates to manage Florida’s uplands. They reviewed the literature and found that mechanical treatments and herbicide often accelerated vegetation structure changes, but ecological benefits were generally greatest when these treatments were combined with fire. Soil disturbances, weedy species increases, and rapid hardwood resprouting were sometimes problems with mechanical treatments. Fire itself was crucial for maintenance of individual species and species diversity. Based on the review, they recommended that when feasible, mechanical and herbicide treatments should be used as pretreatments for fire rather than as fire surrogates. Managers should segue to fire-only approaches as soon as possible. The effects of removing fire, the most evolutionarily significant disturbance in Florida, on fire-adapted plants and animals requires more study. They suggested caution in using these evolutionarily novel treatments, with close monitoring of their effects. More information on the long-term effects of repeated non-fire treatments is needed before such approaches should be adopted uncritically. For more information see: Menges, E.S. and D.R. Gordon. 2010. Should mechanical treatments and herbicides be used to manage Florida’s natural areas? A review of their use as fire surrogates or pre-treatments in upland ecosystems across the state. Florida Scientist. 73: 147–174.