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Establishing historic conditions of a site is frequently the first step in ecosystem restoration. Whether restoration to historic conditions is possible or not, recognition of change and the cause of change is critical information. Three... more
Establishing historic conditions of a site is frequently the first step in ecosystem restoration. Whether restoration to historic conditions is possible or not, recognition of change and the cause of change is critical information. Three different wetland restoration problems are addressed by paleo-biological methods. Chrono-stratigraphy was instrumental in all three cases, 210Pb at the decadal and radiocarbon for the century to millennial scale questions. In order to document salinity, change in the Southeast Saline Everglades molluscan assemblages were utilized as a proxy for salinity. Vertical changes in cores established that beginning in ~ 1900 salinity increased with the Anthropocene Marine Transgression. The freshwater-marine contact in all cores was identified and the contacts dated. The differences in time between two adjacent cores and the distance between them was utilized to determine the rate of saltwater encroachment, documenting that not all coastal basins exhibited t...
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Naturally formed forest patches known as tree islands are found within lower-statured wetland matrices throughout the world, where they contrast sharply with the surrounding vegetation. In some coastal wetlands they are embedded in former... more
Naturally formed forest patches known as tree islands are found within lower-statured wetland matrices throughout the world, where they contrast sharply with the surrounding vegetation. In some coastal wetlands they are embedded in former freshwater marshes that are currently exposed to saltwater intrusion and mangrove encroachment associated with accelerating sea-level rise. In this study we resurveyed tree composition and determined environmental conditions in tree islands of the coastal Florida Everglades that had been examined two decades earlier. We asked whether tree islands in this coastal transition zone were differentiated geomorphologically as well as compositionally, and whether favorable geomorphology enabled coastal forest type(s) to maintain their compositional integrity against rising seas. Patterns of variation in geomorphology and soils among forest types were evident, but were dwarfed by differences between forest and adjacent wetlands. Tree island surfaces were elevated by 12–44 cm, and 210Pb analyses indicated that their current rates of vertical accretion were more rapid than those of surrounding ecosystems. Tree island soils were deeper and more phosphorus-rich than in the adjoining matrix. Salinity decreased interiorward in both tree island and marsh, but porewater was fresher in forest than marsh in Mixed Swamp Forest, midway along the coastal gradient where tropical hardwoods were most abundant. Little decrease in the abundance of tropical hardwood species nor increase in halophytes was observed during the study period. Our data suggest that geomorphological differences between organic tree island and marl marsh, perhaps driven by groundwater upwelling through more transmissive tree island soils, contributed to the forests’ compositional stability, though this stasis may be short-lived despite management efforts.
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Throughout the southern Biscayne Bay watershed, existing coastal wetland communities have been cut off from sheet flow for decades. With the expectation that reconnection of these wetlands to upstream water sources would alter existing... more
Throughout the southern Biscayne Bay watershed, existing coastal wetland communities have been cut off from sheet flow for decades. With the expectation that reconnection of these wetlands to upstream water sources would alter existing hydrologic conditions and recreate a more natural sheet flow to Biscayne National Park, a demonstration project on freshwater rediversion was undertaken. The objectives of the project were to document the effects of freshwater diversion on: (a) swamp and nearshore water chemistry and hydrology; (b) soil development processes; (c) macrophyte and benthic algal community composition, structure, and production; (d) abundance of epiphytic and epibenthic invertebrates; (e) zonation, production, and phenology of primary producers in the nearshore environment, and (f) exchanges of nutrients and particulates between nearshore and mangrove ecosystems. The study area is comprised of the coastal mangrove ecosystem bounded by the Mowry, L-31E, and Military Canals ...
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A continuous drying and oil extraction process and apparatus wherein counterflow is established between successive vertical beds of stratified oil bearing particles in an extractor and ascending vapor solvent which passes upwardly through... more
A continuous drying and oil extraction process and apparatus wherein counterflow is established between successive vertical beds of stratified oil bearing particles in an extractor and ascending vapor solvent which passes upwardly through the beds agitating the particles therein to produce successive fluidized bed conditions, the vapor carrying liquids upwardly therewith to the top of the extractor.
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Naturally formed forest patches known as tree islands are found within lower-statured wetland matrices throughout the world, where they contrast sharply with the surrounding vegetation. In some coastal wetlands they are embedded in former... more
Naturally formed forest patches known as tree islands are found within lower-statured wetland matrices throughout the world, where they contrast sharply with the surrounding vegetation. In some coastal wetlands they are embedded in former freshwater marshes that are currently exposed to saltwater intrusion and mangrove encroachment associated with accelerating sea-level rise. In this study we resurveyed tree composition and determined environmental conditions in tree islands of the coastal Florida Everglades that had been examined two decades earlier. We asked whether tree islands in this coastal transition zone were differentiated geomorphologically as well as compositionally, and whether favorable geomorphology enabled coastal forest type(s) to maintain their compositional integrity against rising seas. Patterns of variation in geomorphology and soils among forest types were evident, but were dwarfed by differences between forest and adjacent wetlands. Tree island surfaces were elevated by 12–44 cm, and 210Pb analyses indicated that their current rates of vertical accretion were more rapid than those of surrounding ecosystems. Tree island soils were deeper and more phosphorus-rich than in the adjoining matrix. Salinity decreased interiorward in both tree island and marsh, but porewater was fresher in forest than marsh in Mixed Swamp Forest, midway along the coastal gradient where tropical hardwoods were most abundant. Little decrease in the abundance of tropical hardwood species nor increase in halophytes was observed during the study period. Our data suggest that geomorphological differences between organic tree island and marl marsh, perhaps driven by groundwater upwelling through more transmissive tree island soils, contributed to the forests’ compositional stability, though this stasis may be short-lived despite management efforts.
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Throughout the southern Biscayne Bay watershed, existing coastal wetland communities have been cut off from sheet flow for decades. With the expectation that reconnection of these wetlands to upstream water sources would alter existing... more
Throughout the southern Biscayne Bay watershed, existing coastal wetland communities have been cut off from sheet flow for decades. With the expectation that reconnection of these wetlands to upstream water sources would alter existing hydrologic conditions and recreate a more natural sheet flow to Biscayne National Park, a demonstration project on freshwater rediversion was undertaken. The objectives of the project were to document the effects of freshwater diversion on: (a) swamp and nearshore water chemistry and hydrology; (b) soil development processes; (c) macrophyte and benthic algal community composition, structure, and production; (d) abundance of epiphytic and epibenthic invertebrates; (e) zonation, production, and phenology of primary producers in the nearshore environment, and (f) exchanges of nutrients and particulates between nearshore and mangrove ecosystems. The study area is comprised of the coastal mangrove ecosystem bounded by the Mowry, L-31E, and Military Canals ...
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Throughout the southern Biscayne Bay watershed, existing coastal wetland communities have been cut off from sheet flow for decades. With the expectation that reconnection of these wetlands to upstream water sources would alter existing... more
Throughout the southern Biscayne Bay watershed, existing coastal wetland communities have been cut off from sheet flow for decades. With the expectation that reconnection of these wetlands to upstream water sources would alter existing hydrologic conditions and recreate a more natural sheet flow to Biscayne National Park, a demonstration project on freshwater rediversion was undertaken. The objectives of the project were to document the effects of freshwater diversion on: (a) swamp and nearshore water chemistry and hydrology; (b) soil development processes; (c) macrophyte and benthic algal community composition, structure, and production; (d) abundance of epiphytic and epibenthic invertebrates; (e) zonation, production, and phenology of primary producers in the nearshore environment, and (f) exchanges of nutrients and particulates between nearshore and mangrove ecosystems. The study area is comprised of the coastal mangrove ecosystem bounded by the Mowry, L-31E, and Military Canals ...
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Short-term changes in phosphorus storage in an oligotrophic Everglades wetland ecosystem receiving experimental nutrient enrichment
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We examined the immediate effects of a hurricane (Hurricane Andrew, August 1992) in a coastal landscape in sub-tropical Florida, and then monitored stand recovery in Fringe mangrove sites of different productive capacity for 9 years after... more
We examined the immediate effects of a hurricane (Hurricane Andrew, August 1992) in a coastal landscape in sub-tropical Florida, and then monitored stand recovery in Fringe mangrove sites of different productive capacity for 9 years after the disturbance. Structural impacts of the hurricane were confined almost entirely to forests within 200–300 m of the coast. Mortality and damage were concentrated on canopy individuals. Following the hurricane, rapid canopy recovery and the early onset of competition among Fringe forest stems, as evidenced by relatively high mortality of smaller individuals, magnified the initial dominance of hurricane survivors and early-established seedlings over later cohorts, and limited recruitment to the brief period prior to canopy closure. Changes in the relative abundance of the two dominant mangrove species following disturbance varied strongly along the productivity gradient. The shade-tolerant Rhizophora mangle L. generally became the overwhelming canopy dominant in the competitive environment of the recovering Coastal Fringe forest following hurricane, but the shade-intolerant Laguncularia racemosa (L.) C.F. Gaertn was better represented in less productive Interior Fringe sites, where canopy closure was delayed. Site productivity is an important determinant of the success of mangrove species during post-hurricane stand development, and consequently of the zonation of communities in the coastal landscape.
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Total above-ground production isusually estimated by a combination of allometry andlitter collection. However, in coastal sites that aretidally influenced, or in juvenile or dwarf forestswhere the crown bases of dominant individuals... more
Total above-ground production isusually estimated by a combination of allometry andlitter collection. However, in coastal sites that aretidally influenced, or in juvenile or dwarf forestswhere the crown bases of dominant individuals maybegin within a few decimeters of ground level,estimates of community leaf production that depend onlitter collection may not be feasible. Thus, in thispaper, we present 1) allometric equations that allowaccurate estimation of total above-ground biomass ofthree mangrove species (Rhizophora mangle, Laguncularia racemosa, and Avicennia germinans)in very small to medium size classes, and 2) analternative method of estimating total above-groundproduction that overcomes the limitations of littercollection. The method we employ to estimate mangroveproductivity is an adaptation for woody plantcommunities of a procedure introduced by Dai andWeigert (1996) for grasslands. It incorporates adetailed census of all individuals within fixedsampling plots, along with...
Research Interests: Mangroves, Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Wetlands Ecology, Key words, and 14 moreAuxiliary information, Mangrove forest, Biomass Allocation, National Park, Repeated Measures, Allometric equations, Analysis of Variance, Leaf Longevity, Forest Products, Above ground biomass, Life Span, Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans, and Allometric equation
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ABSTRACT Meeder, J.F. and Parkinson, R.W., 2018. SE Saline Everglades transgressive sedimentation in response to historic acceleration in sea-level rise: A viable marker for the base of the Anthropocene? Rate of global eustatic sea-level... more
ABSTRACT Meeder, J.F. and Parkinson, R.W., 2018. SE Saline Everglades transgressive sedimentation in response to historic acceleration in sea-level rise: A viable marker for the base of the Anthropocene? Rate of global eustatic sea-level rise during the Holocene Epoch has been identified as the principle cause of observed changes or inferred evolution of nontectonic coastal systems in mid- to low-latitude areas. The rate of rise is now three times faster than it was for the past several thousand years and similar to values associated with the middle Holocene marine transgression. This acceleration can be attributed to human-caused global warming. In this investigation, the effects of accelerating sea-level rise on coastal sedimentary environments of the SE Saline Everglades were quantified. The results reveal historic changes to coastal habitat, sedimentation, and stratigraphy that are transgressive. These changes initiated during the early 20th century and are attributed to accelerating sea-level rise. As this acceleration and the resulting geologic record is a suspected consequence of human-induced global warming, the paper concludes with a discussion of the relevance of these observations, in tandem with others, to the current debate over the utility and use of the proposed Anthropocene.
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ABSTRACT We simulate the vulnerability of all 35 Florida coastal counties to the ongoing Anthropocene marine transgression using a bathtub model unconstrained by the artificial end date of year 2100. Our projections are based upon the... more
ABSTRACT We simulate the vulnerability of all 35 Florida coastal counties to the ongoing Anthropocene marine transgression using a bathtub model unconstrained by the artificial end date of year 2100. Our projections are based upon the association between rising sea level and atmospheric temperature; a 2.3 m rise per each 1 °C increase (Levermann et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci 10.1073/pnas.1219414110, 2013). Results are organized into seven regions based upon an assessment of hypsographic and geologic attributes. Each represents an area of common vulnerability characterized in this study as high (10 to 29 % average land loss), higher (15 to 77 % average land loss), and highest (43 to 95 % average land loss). This regional approach is designed to facilitate the implementation of effective adaptation activities by providing a logical basis for establishing or re-enforcing collaboration based upon a common threat and the utility of shared technical and financial resources. The benefits of a regional perspective in formulating an actionable response to climate change have already been demonstrated in south Florida. It is our intent to facilitate regional adaptation activities in other parts of the state and adjacent southern and southeastern seaboard.
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GREGORY B. NOE1,∗ , DANIEL L. CHILDERS1,2, ADRIENNE L. EDWARDS1,4, EVELYN GAISER1, KRISH JAYACHANDRAN1,3, DAVID LEE2, JOHN MEEDER1,3, JENNIFER RICHARDS2, LEONARD J. SCINTO1, JOEL C. TREXLER2 & RONALD D. JONES1,2 ...
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GREGORY B. NOE1,∗ , DANIEL L. CHILDERS1,2, ADRIENNE L. EDWARDS1,4, EVELYN GAISER1, KRISH JAYACHANDRAN1,3, DAVID LEE2, JOHN MEEDER1,3, JENNIFER RICHARDS2, LEONARD J. SCINTO1, JOEL C. TREXLER2 & RONALD D. JONES1,2 ...
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A two-layer peat-over-marl (calcitic mud) sequence characterizes Corkscrew Swamp, a swamp/marsh complex in northern Big Cypress Swamp. The marl began depositing about 10,600 BP and based upon the regional modern analog represents a marsh... more
A two-layer peat-over-marl (calcitic mud) sequence characterizes Corkscrew Swamp, a swamp/marsh complex in northern Big Cypress Swamp. The marl began depositing about 10,600 BP and based upon the regional modern analog represents a marsh (grassy) environment of relatively short seasonal flooding, rather than a marl lake. The marsh succeeded formerly dry land of full-glacial times on a long-emerged marine-sand and