HR: 16:00h
AN: H32H-01 INVITED     [PDF]
TI: Hydrology Role in Sustaining Ecological Functions in the Everglades; an Experimental Approach.
AU: * Moustafa, Z Z
EM: moustafa@sfwmd.gov
AF: South Florida Water Management District, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33406 United States
AU: Gawlik, D
EM: dgawlik@fau.edu
AF: Florida Atlantic University Florida Atalntic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431 United States
AU: Sklar, F
EM: fsklar@sfwmd.gov
AF: South Florida Water Management District, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33406 United States
AU: Nachabe, M H
EM: nachabe@eng.usf.edu
AF: University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, ENB 118, Tampa, FL 33620 United States
AB: The Everglades ecosystem, the largest subtropical wetland in the United States, has been historically altered to achieve numerous goals such as flood protection, water supply, restoration, conservation, enhancement of specific emergent vegetation types, maintenance or restoration of landscape habitats, and enhancing waterfowl habitat. This "River of Grass" consists of several topographic landscape features (ridges, sloughs, and tree islands), supports a unique variety of plants and wildlife, and provides water resources for both agricultural and urban needs. The South Florida Water Management District and the US Army Corps of Engineers are currently conducting an integrated large-scale effort to restore this ecosystem to a more natural condition. A major part of the ongoing restoration effort is to re-establish the Everglades hydrology by controlling both flow and marsh water levels. The South Florida Water Management District, in collaboration with the A.R.M. Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge and researchers from several academic institutions, has modified two existing impoundments to replicate the Everglades landscape. The Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment (LILA) is designed to assess the impact of seasonal changes in water level and pulsing on wading bird foraging, the significance of flow for the creation and persistence of ridge and slough topography, and to evaluate techniques for restoring tree islands. This project utilizes a scaled-down version of the Everglades landscape to measure responses of wildlife, tree islands, and ridges and sloughs to hydrologic manipulations. Specifically, this study examines the effects of a highly-pulsed (event) pattern of water discharge on wildlife, ridge and slough, and tree island components of the natural system as compared to effects of sustained discharge. LILA provides the opportunity to quantitatively link hydrologic regimes with biological performance measures in a scientifically sound manner that allows for replication and provides information more rapidly than observational studies in the natural system. The main goal of the research program in LILA is to define hydrologic regimes that sustain a healthy Everglades ecosystem. Results of this research program will contribute to supporting routine water management operations and establishing quantitative targets for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP) Performance Measures. This research program will help develop and recommend options for hydrologic operation of the Everglades, particularly during flood events, when the flexibility to move water through the system is critical. Our discussion is focused on the effects of sediment transport and water velocities on marsh topography, habitat diversity, and their role in sustaining certain ecological functions in the Everglades.
DE: 1500 GEOMAGNETISM AND PALEOMAGNETISM
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting