Gordon Anderson, Kevin Whelan, Fara Ilami, Christa Walker
U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Department of the Interior - U.S. Geological Survey Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Smithsonian Institution - National Museum of Natural History (NMNH)
Neidrauer, C. J., Johnson, R. A., MacVicar, T. K., Perkins, W. A.
S. M. Davis and J. C. Ogden, editors
Gunderson, L. H., Park, W. A., Richardson, J. R., Mattson, J. E.
S. M. Davis and J.C. Ogden, editors
The 17 stations in the network are arrayed along five transects: Chatham River, Lostmans River, Shark River, Joe Bay, and Highway Creek. Unlike the coastal and marine sites operated by Everglades NP or the WRD, these sites are in vegetated wetlands, not channels. All of the sites are instrumented to collect stage and conductivity, and some have rain gauges. In FY02 the instrumentation was upgraded with equipment from the Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility.
Vegetation Task: Sampling of the permanent mangrove forest plots continued to show interesting dynamics among the three mangrove species. This year marked the 10th year anniversary following Hurricane Andrew. The red mangrove increased in abundance in almost all plots, whereas no change in abundance of the black mangrove has been recorded for over five years and the white mangrove is extremely variable. Seedlings of the white mangrove dominate the seedling flora across the mangrove marsh ecotone.
Sediment Surface Elevation Task: Measurements of wetlands sediment surface elevation were conducted quarterly over the year and have yielded surprising results. Upstream, freshwater wetlands respond to hydrologic forcing in the opposite manner than do downstream, saline wetlands. As water level drops in freshwater sites, the sediment surface elevation increases. In saline wetlands the opposite is true.
Coastal wetlands hydrology sampling We will continue the operation and sampling of the surface- and ground-water monitoring network in the wetlands of the coastal Everglades. In FY04 we will complete the instrument upgrade. The equipment at each station will be maintained in good working order. Standard protocols will be followed to ensure compatibility of the data with other sampling regimes. Data are recorded at 15min intervals and downloaded daily. Data are stored on the Park’s mainframe computer. QA/QC will be carried out using accepted SOPs. Sediment porewater samples will be collected quarterly from a subset of sites in the network (those on the Shark and Harney Rivers). WQ samples are collected using methods developed by the Ocala Water lab. Samples are prepped in the field and the shipped to Ocala via an overnight courier for processing.
Coastal vegetation dynamics Vegetation sampling in the coastal wetlands of the Everglades was initiated in 1992. The plot network was expanded following the 'mangrove die-off' event in Florida Bay in the mid-1990s. FY03 marked the 10th anniversary of the mangrove plot network and 10 years since the passage of Hurricane Andrew. Plots are located in a variety of coastal vegetation communities including: mangrove forest (both disturbed and undisturbed), spikerush, sawgrass and needlerush marshes, mixed areas including: Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 10,000 Island National Wildlife Refuge, Everglades National Park and Bahia Honda State Park. Continued re-sampling of the plots is leading to an understanding of vegetation dynamics in relation to a variety of factors including fire, freeze, disturbance (large and small), and most importantly hydrology (surface and ground water). In FY04 we will re-sample all plots along the Shark and Harney Rivers (in ENP), the plots in the RBNERR and 10,000 Island NWR. One half of the plots in Florida Bay will be re-sampled in FY04 and theremaining half in FY05. If an event occurs (e.g. a major Hurricane) we will mobilize to sample all affected plots. We will also sample all plots associated with the Sediment Elevation Tables and the mangrove / marsh burn study. The study of gap dynamics in mangroves and how increasing freshwater inflow from the restoration will affect gap dynamics will continue. Data analyses will be conducted to relate growth dynamics of the three species of mangroves with the hydrologic parameters .measured
Wetlands sediment surface elevation Conduct quarterly measurements of surface elevation at the following sites: SH1, SH2, SH3, BSC-mud, BSC-forest, LO1, LO2, and LO3 (SH=Shark River, LO=Lostmans River, BSC=Big Sable Creek). Sediment elevation tables were installed at all of these sites between 1998 and 2001. Additionally, feldspar marker layers were placed at the sites to measure rates of sediment accretion. Permanent vegetation plots and surface water and ground water wells are located at all sites.
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Center for
Coastal Geology
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