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USGS2017

A floodplain continuum for Atlantic coast rivers of the Southeastern US: Predictable changes in floodplain biota along a river's length

Floodplains are among the world’s economically-most-valuable, environmentally-most-threatened, and yet conceptually-least-understood ecosystems. Drawing on concepts from existing riverine and wetland models, and empirical data from floodplains of Atlantic Coast rivers in the Southeastern US (and elsewhere when possible), we introduce a conceptual model to explain a continuum of longitudinal variation in floodplain ecosystem functions with a particular focus on biotic change. Our hypothesis maintains that major controls on floodplain ecology are either external (ecotonal interactions with uplands or stream/river channels) or internal (wetland-specific functions), and the relative importance of these controls changes progressively from headwater to mid-river to lower-river floodplains. Inputs of water, sediments, nutrients, flora, and fauna from uplands-to-floodplains decrease, while the impacts of wetland biogeochemistry and obligate wetland plants and animals within-floodplains increase, along the length of a river floodplain. Inputs of water, sediment, nutrients, and fauna from river/stream channels to floodplains are greatest mid-river, and lower either up- or down-stream. While the floodplain continuum we develop is regional in scope, we review how aspects may apply more broadly. Management of coupled floodplain-river ecosystems would be improved by accounting for how factors controlling the floodplain ecosystem progressively change along longitudinal riverine gradients.

Wetlands↗

USGS2017

Integrating geographically isolated wetlands into land management decisions

Wetlands across the globe provide extensive ecosystem services. However, many wetlands – especially those surrounded by uplands, often referred to as geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs) – remain poorly protected. Protection and restoration of wetlands frequently requires information on their hydrologic connectivity to other surface waters, and their cumulative watershed‐scale effects. The integration of measurements and models can supply this information. However, the types of measurements and models that should be integrated are dependent on management questions and information compatibility. We summarize the importance of GIWs in watersheds and discuss what wetland connectivity means in both science and management contexts. We then describe the latest tools available to quantify GIW connectivity and explore crucial next steps to enhancing and integrating such tools. These advancements will ensure that appropriate tools are used in GIW decision making and maintaining the important ecosystem services that these wetlands support.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment↗

USGS2006

Vegetation classification for south Florida natural areas

Introduction A critical component of any ecological restoration program is documenting the temporal changes in the spatial extent, pattern, and proportion of plant communities within the landscape. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP - www.evergladesplan.org), authorized as part of the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) of 2000 (U.S. Congress, 2000), is an $8 billion hydrologic restoration project for all of south Florida. CERP includes 68 separate projects to be managed over the next 30 years by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), the U. S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), and other State and Federal agencies. Restoration Coordination and Verification (RECOVER) is a system-wide program of the CERP, designed to organize, manage, and provide the highest quality scientific and technical support during implementation of the restoration program (RECOVER, in prep.). It is the role of RECOVER to develop and implement a system-wide Monitoring and Assessment Plan (MAP) (RECOVER, 2004) and to document how well the CERP is meeting its objectives for ecosystem restoration. One critical component of the MAP is vegetation mapping to document changes in the spatial extent, pattern, and proportion of plant communities within the Everglades landscape. A major aspect of the vegetation mapping project was determining a classification system for labeling vegetation categories utilizing a grid method. The grid method was created specifically for use in the CERP RECOVER vegetation monitoring and assessment project (Rutchey and others, in prep). The CERP RECOVER vegetation mapping project utilizes aerial photography and photointerpretation techniques (with ground truthing) to identify and label vegetation classes. A classification system that had sufficient flexibility and detail to enable the designation of vegetation classes using various remote sensing platforms and identification techniques needed to be developed. The classification system had to be hierarchical, represent distinct ecological communities, individual species, and physical characteristics such as density and height. In addition, it was desirable to have a classification system that allowed exotic species and cattail to be identified using density classes. The classification system was developed specifically for peninsular south Florida and the Florida Keys, from Lake Okeechobee in the north to Key West in the south (Figure 1). Specific areas of interest include Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, the State of Florida Water Conservation Areas, Holeyland Wildlife Management Area, Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area, J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area, Pal-Mar Wildlife Management Area, the Lake Okeechobee Littoral Zones, and additional coastal wetlands of south eastern Miami-Dade County. In addition to being used for mapping of CERP affected areas, the National Park Service-South Florida/Caribbean Network is using the classification for mapping the remaining areas of Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve outside the CERP footprint, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Biscayne National Park, and Dry Tortugas National Park.

Florida↗

USGS2019

The hydrologic system of the south Florida peninsula—Development and application of the Biscayne and Southern Everglades Coastal Transport (BISECT) model

The Biscayne and Southern Everglades Coastal Transport (BISECT) model was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey under the Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystem Studies Initiative to evaluate, both separately and in conjunction, the likely effects on surface-water stages and flows, hydroperiod, and groundwater levels and salinity in south Florida of (1) a vertical Biscayne aquifer barrier to maintain higher wetland levels, (2) possible future changes to current water-management practices, and (3) sea-level rise. The BISECT model is a combination of the Tides and Inflows to the Mangrove Everglades (TIME) and Biscayne models of the western and eastern parts of south Florida including Everglades National Park, the southern Miami-Dade urban area, and the Biscayne Bay coast and simulates hydrodynamic surface-water flow and three-dimensional groundwater conditions dynamically for the period 1996–2004 by using the Flow and Transport in a Linked Overland/Aquifer Density-Dependent System (FTLOADDS) simulator. BISECT includes a number of parameter and algorithmic refinements that improve simulation results relative to the TIME and Biscayne models and represents the hydrologic system more explicitly, including (1) improved topographic representations, (2) refined Manning’s friction coefficients, (3) improved evapotranspiration computation through spatially variable albedo, (4) increased vertical aquifer discretization, and (5) extension of the western boundary farther offshore. Sensitivity analyses demonstrate that simulated flows into Long Sound have a different pattern of response to tidal amplitude, wind, and frictional resistance changes than do other coastal streams in the model; flows at Broad River and Lostmans River are most sensitive to tidal amplitude, wind, and frictional resistance changes; and flow to the Everglades coastal streams is substantially affected by surface-water/groundwater interactions in the eastern urban areas. Insight into the hydrologic system came from scenario simulations that represent proposed management actions, such as grouting of the aquifer to prevent seepage from the wetlands and changes to water deliveries proposed by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), and projected sea-level rise. These scenario management changes are considered separately to isolate their specific effects and also in conjunction with sea-level rise. Scenario simulations show that (1) attempts to prevent seepage from the wetlands by grouting the aquifer along the L 31N levee produce minimal effects on surface-water levels; (2) the increased water deliveries proposed in the CERP redistribute flow to the northwestern coastal part of the study area with a minimal reduction to the southeast and a more substantial reduction in flows in the intervening coastal zones, mitigating some sea-level rise effects; (3) sea-level rise has a larger effect on the hydrology (water levels, flow, and salinity) than does CERP restoration; and (4) support for ecological models and hydrologic studies can be provided by applying BISECT to scenarios influenced by climatic and anthropogenic changes or by meteorological variability, such as extreme wet or dry periods.

Florida↗

USGS2008

Monitoring in the context of structured decision-making and adaptive management

In a natural resource management setting, monitoring is a crucial component of an informed process for making decisions, and monitoring design should be driven by the decision context and associated uncertainties. Monitoring itself can play >3 roles. First, it is important for state-dependent decision-making, as when managers need to know the system state before deciding on the appropriate course of action during the ensuing management cycle. Second, monitoring is critical for evaluating the effectiveness of management actions relative to objectives. Third, in an adaptive management setting, monitoring provides the feedback loop for learning about the system; learning is sought not for its own sake but primarily to better achieve management objectives. In this case, monitoring should be designed to reduce the critical uncertainties in models of the managed system. The United States Geological Survey and United States Fish and Wildlife Service are conducting a large-scale management experiment on 23 National Wildlife Refuges across the Northeast and Midwest Regions. The primary management objective is to provide habitat for migratory waterbirds, particularly during migration, using water-level manipulations in managed wetlands. Key uncertainties are related to the potential trade-offs created by management for a specific waterbird guild (e.g., migratory shorebirds) and the response of waterbirds, plant communities, and invertebrates to specific experimental hydroperiods. We reviewed the monitoring program associated with this study, and the ways that specific observations fill >1 of the roles identified above. We used observations from our monitoring to improve state-dependent decisions to control undesired plants, to evaluate management performance relative to shallow-water habitat objectives, and to evaluate potential trade-offs between waterfowl and shorebird habitat management. With limited staff and budgets, management agencies need efficient monitoring programs that are used for decision-making, not comprehensive studies that elucidate all manner of ecological relationships.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗

USGS2005

Grass buffers for playas in agricultural landscapes: A literature synthesis

We summarize current knowledge about grass buffers for protecting small, isolated wetlands in agricultural contexts, including information relevant to protecting playas from runoff containing sediments, nutrients, pesticides, and other contaminants, and information on how buffers may affect densities and productivity of grassland birds. Land-uses surrounding the approximately 60,000 playas within the Playa Lakes Region (PLR), including intensive agriculture, feedlots, and oil extraction, can contribute to severe degradation of playas. Farming and grazing can lead to significant sedimentation in nearby playas, eliminating their ability to hold water, support the region’s biodiversity, or adequately recharge aquifers. Contaminants further degrade habitats and threaten the water quality of underlying aquifers, including the Ogallala Aquifer. Grass buffers hold promise as a management tool to reduce the amount of sediments and contaminants from agricultural runoff that enters playas. Effective buffer width is determined by acceptable sediment-reduction levels, potential water flow and velocity, landscape and soil variables, buffer species, and vegetation structure. Various models have been developed to predict buffer effectiveness; however, most of these models, including those provided by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), remain unvalidated. The majority of buffer-effectiveness literature is based on simulated conditions in experimental trays or plots; no published studies of buffer design or effectiveness specifically address playas. Nonetheless, some general patterns have emerged regarding buffer design/effectiveness. Buffers 10–60 m wide are generally considered adequate for trapping most sediments, although in some cases buffers need to be >200 m. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Wildlife Program in the Southern High Plains recommend a buffer width of ~33 m planted with a diverse mix of native shortgrasses and mixed grasses as a starting point. Most dissolved contaminants, however, are removed from runoff only when they infiltrate the soil, where microbes or other processes can break down or sequester contaminants. Promoting runoff infiltration requires wider buffers with denser stem densities than those required for filtering sediments, which may result in hydrological changes in playas. Ultimately, the balance between runoff and infiltration determines whether or not water eventually reaches a given basin. Long-term buffer effectiveness requires regular maintenance, including excavation to remove overburdens of sediments, repairing vegetation damage, and removing over-mature vegetation or invasions of noxious weeds. Buffers may not be enough to protect playas; best management practices (BMPs; e.g., conservation tillage, contour tilling, and mulching herbicides into soil after application) that diminish soil erosion and contaminant runoff also may be necessary. Nutrient loads in runoff can be minimized by balancing nutrient input with nutrient requirements for livestock and crops. Pesticide application practices also require careful evaluation. Mowing or grazing rather than use of herbicides offer alternatives for suppressing invasive or undesirable plant species in buffers. Future research should entail multiple-scale approaches at regional, wetland-complex, and individual watershed scales. Information needs include direct measures of buffer effectiveness in ‘real-world’ systems, refinement and field tests of buffer-effectiveness models, how buffers may affect floral and faunal communities of playas, and basic ecological information on playa function and playa wildlife ecology. Understanding how wildlife communities respond to patch size and habitat fragmentation is crucial for addressing questions regarding habitat quality of grass buffers in playa systems.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2020

Habitat characterization and species distribution model of the only large-lake population of the endangered Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana, Kirtland 1844)

The endangered Silver Chub ( Macrhybopsis storeriana, Kirtland 1844) is native to North America and primarily riverine, with the only known large‐lake population in Lake Erie. Once a major component of the Lake Erie fish community, it declined and became nearly extirpated in the mid‐1900s. Recent collections in western Lake Erie suggest that Silver Chub may be able to recover, but their habitat and distribution are poorly known. A recent work showed an extensive area of western Lake Erie with the potential to support large numbers of Silver Chub, but was based on a geographically limited dataset. We developed a neural network‐based species distribution model for the Silver Chub in western Lake Erie, improved by new synoptic data and using habitat variables resistant to anthropogenic activities. The Potential model predictions were compared with a model that included anthropogenic‐sensitive variables. The Potential model used 10 habitat variables and performed well, explaining > 99% of data variation and had generally low error rates. Predictions indicated that a large area of the waters approximately 2–9 m deep contained Appropriate habitat and the highest abundances should be supported by habitat in a wide arc through the western end of the basin. The model indicated that Appropriate Silver Chub habitat was associated with relatively deep water, near coastal wetlands, where effective fetch is less than average. Disturbance model predictions were similar, but predicted poorer Silver Chub habitat in more areas than that predicted by the Potential model. Our Potential model reveals Appropriate habitat conditions for Silver Chub and its spatial distribution, indicating that extensive areas of western Lake Erie could support Silver Chub. Comparisons with Disturbance model predictions demonstrate that Potential model predictions may be used in conjunction with analyses of degrading conditions in the system to better conserve and manage for this endangered species.

Michigan, Ohio↗

USGS2007

Initial Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) digital elevation model research and development

The Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) offers a consistent and documented dataset that can be used to guide large-scale field operations, to integrate hydrologic and ecological responses, and to support biological and ecological assessments that measure ecosystem responses to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (Telis, 2006). To produce historic and near-real time maps of water depths, the EDEN requires a system-wide digital elevation model (DEM) of the ground surface. Accurate Everglades wetland ground surface elevation data were non-existent before the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) undertook the collection of highly accurate surface elevations at the regional scale. These form the foundation for EDEN DEM development. This development process is iterative as additional high accuracy elevation data (HAED) are collected, water surfacing algorithms improve, and additional ground-based ancillary data become available. Models are tested using withheld HAED and independently measured water depth data, and by using DEM data in EDEN adaptive management applications. Here the collection of HAED is briefly described before the approach to DEM development and the current EDEN DEM are detailed. Finally future research directions for continued model development, testing, and refinement are provided.

Florida↗

USGS2000

A decision support system for prioritizing forested wetland restoration in the Yazoo Backwater Area, Mississippi

A working prototype decision support system (DSS) was developed for the Yazoo Backwater Area, Mississippi, to help planners and managers prioritize, plan, conduct, and optimize forested wetland restoration activities. The DSS comprises geographic information system (GIS) spatial data themes, application programs that provide a cumulative analysis of the relative ability of sites to function as wetlands, and output data that are specific to a given restoration analysis scenario. The DSS input includes GIS data themes such as geomorphology, soils, land use, elevation, farmed wetlands, flood frequency, topographic depressions, streams, public lands, roads, and permanent water bodies, which can be used as spatial templates to define areal hydrologic settings. These GIS data themes can then be ranked and combined to estimate the relative suitability of a potential wetland restoration site, thereby, determining relative wetland equivalence on the landscape. The GIS applications used in this DSS perform the following three functions: assess the ecology (the Eco-Assessor); reclassify land-use in areas selected for restoration (the Tree-Translator); and generate output data to compare restoration scenarios (the Parameter-Generator). Areas selected for reforestation are translated (in the GIS) into ?forested? land use, and the tree species that are ?planted? on the landscape (in the DSS) either compose an ecologically optimal or an economically optimal community of tree species. Output from the DSS can be compared and analyzed by using economic, statistical, graphical, and tabular methods. Output data for seven selected scenarios were generated for the Yazoo Backwater Area and are presented as examples to illustrate the flexibility of the DSS to identify areas that meet restoration objectives.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1973

The role of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife in the Great Lakes

Ecological blunders of man, such as timber exploitation, draining of wetlands, construction of canals and dams, and pollution have been mainly responsible for serious environmental degradation and catastrophic losses of fish and wildlife values in the Great Lakes Basin. Consequently, the major emphasis of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife must be on the protection and enhancement of the Great Lakes habitat -- primarily as a single large ecosystem, rather than as a number of political units separated by ecologically meaningless boundaries. By authority of Congress, the Bureau has long been concerned in the Great Lakes region with such diverse activities as establishing refuges for migratory waterfowl, conducting fishery research, evaluating the effects of federally sponsored water resource development projects on fish and wildlife, rearing and stocking of game fish, and assisting the states in fish and wildlife management by giving technical advice and financial assistance. Thus, the Bureau shares a strong common interest with other federal administrative units, as well as with state, interstate, and international agencies, in protecting, enhancing, and ensuring the wise use of fish and wildlife in the Great Lakes Basin.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2021

Waterfowl use of wetland habitats informs wetland restoration designs for multi‐species benefits

Extensive global estuarine wetland losses have prompted intensive focus on restoration of these habitats. In California, substantial tracts of freshwater, brackish and tidal wetlands have been lost. Given the anthropogenic footprint of development and urbanization in this region, wetland restoration must rely on conversion of existing habitat types rather than adding new wetlands. These restorations can cause conflicts among stakeholders and species that win or lose depending on identified restoration priorities. Suisun Marsh on the San Francisco Bay Estuary is the largest brackish marsh on the U.S. Pacific coast. To understand how conversion of brackish managed wetlands to tidal marsh would impact waterfowl populations and whether future tidal marsh restorations could provide suitable habitat for dabbling ducks, we examined waterfowl wetland use with a robust GPS‐GSM tracking dataset (442,017 locations) from six dabbling duck species (N=315). Managed wetlands, which comprise 47% of Suisun Marsh, were consistently and strongly selected by waterfowl over tidal marshes, with use ~98% across seasons and species. However, while use of tidal marsh (only 14% of Suisun Marsh) was generally <2%, almost half our ducks (~44%) spent some time in this habitat and exhibited strong utilization of pond‐like features. Ponds only comprise ~10% of this habitat but attracted 44% use (~4.5 times greater than availability). Synthesis and applications : Managed wetlands were vital to dabbling ducks, but losses from conversion of these habitats may be partially mitigated by incorporating pond features that are more attractive to waterfowl, and likely to offer multi‐species benefits, into tidal marsh restoration designs. While waterfowl are presently a common taxon, previously seen calamitous population declines can be avoided through informed ecosystem‐based management that promotes species richness, biodiversity and helps “keep common species common”.

California↗

USGS2011

Simulating effects of microtopography on wetland specific yield and hydroperiod

Specific yield and hydroperiod have proven to be useful parameters in hydrologic analysis of wetlands. Specific yield is a critical parameter to quantitatively relate hydrologic fluxes (e.g., rainfall, evapotranspiration, and runoff) and water level changes. Hydroperiod measures the temporal variability and frequency of land-surface inundation. Conventionally, hydrologic analyses used these concepts without considering the effects of land surface microtopography and assumed a smoothly-varying land surface. However, these microtopographic effects could result in small-scale variations in land surface inundation and water depth above or below the land surface, which in turn affect ecologic and hydrologic processes of wetlands. The objective of this chapter is to develop a physically-based approach for estimating specific yield and hydroperiod that enables the consideration of microtopographic features of wetlands, and to illustrate the approach at sites in the Florida Everglades. The results indicate that the physically-based approach can better capture the variations of specific yield with water level, in particular when the water level falls between the minimum and maximum land surface elevations. The suggested approach for hydroperiod computation predicted that the wetlands might be completely dry or completely wet much less frequently than suggested by the conventional approach neglecting microtopography. One reasonable generalization may be that the hydroperiod approaches presented in this chapter can be a more accurate prediction tool for water resources management to meet the specific hydroperiod threshold as required by a species of plant or animal of interest.

Book chapter↗

USGS2025

Moose survival and habitat‐associated risk of endoparasites

Parasite-induced morbidity and mortality can alter the trajectories of incidental host populations. Yet, parasites rarely act in isolation and may be one of a multitude of biotic and abiotic stressors that collectively shape mortality risk in vertebrate populations. We quantified sources of mortality in a low-density population of moose ( Alces alces ) in New York State and investigated factors including parasite infection, nutritional limitation, and thermal stress influencing mortality risk in calf moose. We observed high rates of annual survival (0.81–0.92) in adult ( n = 25) and calf ( n = 27) moose monitored 2015–2018 and 2022–2024, respectively. The majority of cause-specific mortality was attributed to disease induced by giant liver fluke ( Fascioloides magna ; 75% in adults, 67% in calves). Calf mortality risk increased by 72% for every unit increase in giant liver fluke infection risk, measured as cumulative monthly proportion of wetlands used by moose, and decreased by 16% with each additional unit of nutritional energy available. The combination of flukes, coinfecting parasites, and available nutritional energy is important to calf survival in this population, highlighting the importance of managing multiple stressors for species conservation, although the effects are hard to disentangle given the high rates of survival observed. Identifying causes of mortality and mechanisms underlying increased mortality risk contributes to the continued conservation of moose in fluctuating populations and highlights the importance of managing parasite-induced disease.

New York↗

USGS1999

Techniques for restoration of disturbed coastal wetlands of the Great Lakes

A long history of human-induced degradation of Great Lakes wetlands has made restoration a necessity, but the practice of wetland restoration is relatively new, especially in large lake systems. Therefore, we compiled tested methods and developed additional potential methods based on scientific understanding of Great Lakes wetland ecosytems to providc an overview of approaches for restoration. We addressed this challenge by focusing on four general fields of science: hydrology, sedimentology, chemistry, and biology. Hydrologic remediation methods include restoring hydrologic connections between diked and hydrologically altered wetlands and the lakes, restoring water tables lowered by ditching, and restoring natural variation in lake levels of regulated lakes Superior and Ontario. Sedimentological remediation methods include management of sediment input from uplands, removal or proper management of dams on tributary rivers, and restoration of protective barrier beaches and sand spits. Chemical remediation methods include reducing or eliminating inputs of contaminants from point and non-pont sources, natural sediment remediation by biodegradation and chemical degradation, and active sediment remediation by removal or by in situ treatment Biological remediation methods include control of non-target organisms, enhancing populations of target organisms, and enhancing habitat for target organisms. Some of these method were used in three major restoration projects (Metzger Marsh on Lake Erie and Cootes Paradise and Oshawa Second Marsh on Lake Ontario), which are described as case studies to show practical applications of wetland restoration in the Great Lakes. Successful restoration techniques that do not require continued manipulation must be founded in the basic tenets of ecology and should mimic natural processes. Success is demonstrated by the sustainability, productivity, nutrient-retention ability, invasibility, and biotic interactions within a restored wetland.

Wetlands↗

USGS2010

How vegetation and sediment transport feedbacks drive landscape change in the Everglades and wetlands worldwide

Mechanisms reported to promote landscape self‐organization cannot explain vegetation patterning oriented parallel to flow. Recent catastrophic shifts in Everglades landscape pattern and ecological function highlight the need to understand the feedbacks governing these ecosystems. We modeled feedback between vegetation, hydrology, and sediment transport on the basis of a decade of experimentation. Results from more than 100 simulations showed that flows just sufficient to redistribute sediment from sparsely vegetated sloughs to dense ridges were needed for an equilibrium patterned landscape oriented parallel to flow. Surprisingly, although vegetation heterogeneity typically conveys resilience, in wetlands governed by flow/sediment feedbacks it indicates metastability, whereby the landscape is prone to catastrophic shifts. Substantial increases or decreases in flow relative to the equilibrium condition caused an expansion of emergent vegetation and loss of open‐water areas that was unlikely to revert upon restoration of the equilibrium hydrology. Understanding these feedbacks is critical in forecasting wetland responses to changing conditions and designing management strategies that optimize ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration or habitat provision. Our model and new sensitivity analysis techniques address these issues and make it newly apparent that simply returning flow to predrainage conditions in the Everglades may not be sufficient to restore historic landscape patterns and processes.

American Naturalist↗

USGS2014

Maximizing the social and ecological value of Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina as the effects of global change processes increase.

Coastal ecosystems in the eastern U.S. have been severely altered by processes associated with human development, including drainage of coastal wetlands, changes in hydrology that alter sediment and freshwater delivery to the coast, land clearing, agricultural and forestry activity, and the construction of seawalls and other structures that “harden” the coast. Sea-level rise and the changing frequency of extreme events associated with climate change are now further degrading the capacity of those ecological and social systems to remain resilient in the face of disturbance, largely through the degradation and loss of land and habitat. The goal was to develop a problem framing that would broadly reflect the type, scale and scope of SLR-adaptation decisions faced by refuges in general, and that could be used by individual refuges to help understand how their specific problems fit into a larger context of SLR planning and implementation. We worked with refuge managers in developing a common frame of reference for some shared SLR-related management problems, while also facilitating communication about these problems with other refuges and with surrounding jurisdictions.

South Carolina↗

USGS2025

Integrating sea level rise scenarios into Everglades restoration planning

One of the largest and most expensive restoration efforts in the world is occurring in the Everglades, a sub-tropical freshwater wetland system located in southern Florida. This unique ecosystem supports several endangered species, provides flood control for Florida’s large urban population, and provides water for both agriculture and drinking supply within the state. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), authorized by Congress in 2000, guides federal, state, and local efforts to build the infrastructure necessary to bring more water into the Everglades and restore its ecological integrity, while balancing other water-related needs such as water supply and flood protection in the human environment. The Everglades encompasses the southern coast of Florida and restoration efforts are likely to be impacted by climate-induced sea level rise. However, currently, many project planning studies do not formally incorporate the potential impacts of sea level rise when evaluating restoration plan outcomes. Resource managers and project planners require methods and tools to confidently incorporate scenarios of sea level rise into their evaluations. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and partners from the University of Florida worked with project planners from multiple agencies to identify restoration questions for consideration when addressing sea level rise. In addition, our project team sought to understand the types of sea level rise decision-support tools that would be of interest, and then worked with Everglades restoration managers and project planners to develop those tools. The tools developed by this project can be used by project planners to inform their decision-making abilities when considering multiple restoration plans across the Everglades landscape. Specifically, the novel ways to visualize output information from ecological models that came of this project can help project planners compare alternative restoration plans that include potential sea level rise impacts. This effort demonstrates how incorporating sea level rise scenarios into Everglades restoration project planning can help managers decide whether projects will maintain or improve ecological integrity and evaluate water availability for wildlife and humans.

Final Report↗

USGS2005

Southern marl prairies conceptual ecological model

About 190,000 ha of higher-elevation marl prairies flank either side of Shark River Slough in the southern Everglades. Water levels typically drop below the ground surface each year in this landscape. Consequently, peat soil accretion is inhibited, and substrates consist either of calcitic marl produced by algal periphyton mats or exposed limestone bedrock. The southern marl prairies support complex mosaics of wet prairie, sawgrass sawgrass ( Cladium jamaicense ), tree islands, and tropical hammock communities and a high diversity of plant species. However, relatively short hydroperiods and annual dry downs provide stressful conditions for aquatic fauna, affecting survival in the dry season when surface water is absent. Here, we present a conceptual ecological model developed for this landscape through scientific consensus, use of empirical data, and modeling. The two major societal drivers affecting the southern marl prairies are water management practices and agricultural and urban development. These drivers lead to five groups of ecosystem stressors: loss of spatial extent and connectivity, shortened hydroperiod and increased drought severity, extended hydroperiod and drying pattern reversals, introduction and spread of non-native trees, and introduction and spread of non-native fishes. Major ecological attributes include periphyton mats, plant species diversity and community mosaic, Cape Sable seaside sparrow ( Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis ), marsh fishes and associated aquatic fauna prey base, American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ), and wading bird early dry season foraging. Water management and development are hypothesized to have a negative effect on the ecological attributes of the southern marl prairies in the following ways. Periphyton mats have decreased in cover in areas where hydroperiod has been significantly reduced and changed in community composition due to inverse responses to increased nutrient availability. Plant species diversity and community mosaics have changed due to shifting gradients to more terrestrial or more aquatic communities, displacement of native communities by non-natives, expansion of woody plants, high-intensity dry season fires, tree-island burnout, and reduced microtopography resulting from alligator population decline. Cape Sable seaside sparrow populations are threatened by nest destruction resulting from extended hydroperiods, drying pattern reversals, and high intensity dry season fires, as well as by the expansion of woody plants into graminoid wetland habitats. Populations of marsh fishes and associated aquatic fauna that constitute the aquatic prey base for higher vertebrates have decreased in density and changed in species composition and size structure due to loss of wetland spatial extent, shortened hydroperiod, increased drought severity, loss of aquatic drought refugia in solution holes and alligator holes, and spread of exotic fishes. American alligator populations have declined in the Rocky Glades, and alligator holes have filled with sediment, as a result of shortened hydroperiod and increased drought severity. Habitat options for wading birds to forage during the early dry season and during unusually wet years have been reduced due to loss of spatial extent and shortened hydroperiod.

Wetlands↗