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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Landscape Pattern – Marl Prairie/Slough Gradient: Vegetation Composition Along The Gradient And Decadal Vegetation Change Pattern In Shark Slough: Annual Report 2012, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, Pablo L. Ruiz
Landscape Pattern – Marl Prairie/Slough Gradient: Vegetation Composition Along The Gradient And Decadal Vegetation Change Pattern In Shark Slough: Annual Report 2012, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, Pablo L. Ruiz
SERC Research Reports
In the southern Everglades, vegetation in both the marl prairie and ridge and slough landscapes is sensitive to large-scale restoration activities associated with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) authorized by the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2000 to restore the south Florida ecosystem. More specifically, changes in hydrologic regimes at both local and landscape scales are likely to affect vegetation composition along marl prairie-slough gradient resulting in a shift in boundary between plant communities in these landscapes. To strengthen our ability to assess how vegetation would respond to changes in underlying ecosystem drivers along the gradient, an improved understanding …
Monitoring Of Tree Island Condition In The Southern Everglades: Hydrologic Driven Decadal Changes In Tree Island Woody Vegetation Structure And Composition: 2012 Annual Report, Pablo L. Ruiz, Michael S. Ross, Jay P. Sah
Monitoring Of Tree Island Condition In The Southern Everglades: Hydrologic Driven Decadal Changes In Tree Island Woody Vegetation Structure And Composition: 2012 Annual Report, Pablo L. Ruiz, Michael S. Ross, Jay P. Sah
SERC Research Reports
This report examines the interaction between hydrology and vegetation over a 10-year period, between 2001/02 and 2012 within six permanent tree island plots located on three tree islands, two plots each per tree island, established in 2001/02, along a hydrologic and productivity gradient. We hypothesize that: (H1) hydrologic differences within plots between census dates will result in marked differences in a) tree and sapling densities, b) tree basal area, and c) forest structure, i.e., canopy volume and height, and (H2) tree island growth, development, and succession is dependent on hydrologic fluxes, particularly during periods of prolonged droughts or below average …
Water Quality Monitoring Program For Bermuda's Coastal Resources Final Report, Henry O. Briceño, Joseph N. Boyer
Water Quality Monitoring Program For Bermuda's Coastal Resources Final Report, Henry O. Briceño, Joseph N. Boyer
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
Mapping And Assessing Fire Damage On Broadleaved Forest Communities In Big Cypress National Preserve, Pablo L. Ruiz, Jay P. Sah, James R. Snyder, Michael S. Ross
Mapping And Assessing Fire Damage On Broadleaved Forest Communities In Big Cypress National Preserve, Pablo L. Ruiz, Jay P. Sah, James R. Snyder, Michael S. Ross
SERC Research Reports
Within Big Cypress National Preserve (BICY), oak-dominated forests and woodlands as well as tropical and temperate hardwood hammocks are integral components of the landscape and are biodiversity hotpots for both flora and fauna. These broadleaved forest communities serve as refugia for many of the Preserve’s wildlife species during prolonged flooding and fires. However, both prolonged flooding and severe fires, which are important and necessary disturbance vectors within this landscape, can have deleterious effects on these forested communities. This is particularly true in the case of fires, which under extreme conditions associated with drought and elevated fuel loads, can burn through …
Monitoring Of Tree Island Condition In The Southern Everglades: Annual Report 2011, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, Pablo L. Ruiz, Suresh Subedi
Monitoring Of Tree Island Condition In The Southern Everglades: Annual Report 2011, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, Pablo L. Ruiz, Suresh Subedi
SERC Research Reports
Tree islands, a prominent feature in both the marl prairie and ridge and slough landscapes of the Everglades, are sensitive to large-scale restoration actions associated with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) authorized by the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2000 to restore the south Florida ecosystem. More specifically, changes in hydrologic regimes at both local and landscape scales are likely to affect the internal water economy of islands, which in turn will influence plant community structure and function. To strengthen our ability to assess the “performance” of tree island ecosystems and predict how these hydrologic alterations would translate into …
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Habitat Monitoring And Assessment - 2010 Final Report, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, Pablo L. Ruiz, James R. Snyder, Diana Rodriguez, W.T. Hilton
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Habitat Monitoring And Assessment - 2010 Final Report, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, Pablo L. Ruiz, James R. Snyder, Diana Rodriguez, W.T. Hilton
SERC Research Reports
For the last two decades, the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS), a federally endangered species, has been a pivot point for water management operations in the Everglades, primarily because a decline in sparrow population in the early 1990s was attributed in part to managementinduced alterations in hydrologic regimes. With a goal of understanding the response of landscape-level processes to hydrological restoration and its interaction with fire, a study intended to monitor vegetation structure and composition throughout the marl prairie landscape has been conducted since 2003 with funding from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). In the first three years (2003-2005), …
Monitoring Of Tree Island Conditions In The Southern Everglades: The Effects Of Hurricanes And Hydrology On The Status And Population Dynamics Of Sixteen Tropical Hardwood Hammock Tree Islands, Pablo L. Ruiz, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, Diana L. Rodriguez, Allison M. Lambert
Monitoring Of Tree Island Conditions In The Southern Everglades: The Effects Of Hurricanes And Hydrology On The Status And Population Dynamics Of Sixteen Tropical Hardwood Hammock Tree Islands, Pablo L. Ruiz, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, Diana L. Rodriguez, Allison M. Lambert
SERC Research Reports
In 2005 we began a multi-year intensive monitoring and assessment study of tropical hardwood hammocks within two distinct hydrologic regions in Everglades National Park, under funding from the CERP Monitoring and Assessment Program. In serving as an Annual Report for 2010, this document, reports in detail on the population dynamics and status of tropical hardwood hammocks in Shark Slough and adjacent marl prairies during a 4-year period between 2005 and 2009. 2005-09 was a period that saw a marked drawdown in marsh water levels (July 2006 - July 2008), and an active hurricane season in 2005 with two hurricanes, Hurricane …
2011 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (Sefcri), Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño, Jeff Absten, David Gilliam, Dick Dodge
2011 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (Sefcri), Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño, Jeff Absten, David Gilliam, Dick Dodge
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
Water Quality Monitoring Program For Bermuda's Coastal Resources, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
Water Quality Monitoring Program For Bermuda's Coastal Resources, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
Developing A Data-Driven Classification Of South Florida Plant Communities, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, Susana Stofella
Developing A Data-Driven Classification Of South Florida Plant Communities, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, Susana Stofella
SERC Research Reports
A comprehensive, broadly accepted vegetation classification is important for ecosystem management, particularly for planning and monitoring. South Florida vegetation classification systems that are currently in use were largely arrived at subjectively and intuitively with the involvement of experienced botanical observers and ecologists, but with little support in terms of quantitative field data. The need to develop a field data-driven classification of South Florida vegetation that builds on the ecological organization has been recognized by the National Park Service and vegetation practitioners in the region. The present work, funded by the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program - South Florida/Caribbean …
A Geospatial Database Of Tree Islands Within The Mustang Corner Fire Incident Of 2008, Pablo L. Ruiz, Michael S. Ross, Jay P. Sah
A Geospatial Database Of Tree Islands Within The Mustang Corner Fire Incident Of 2008, Pablo L. Ruiz, Michael S. Ross, Jay P. Sah
SERC Research Reports
Fire, which affects community structure and composition at all trophic levels, is an integral component of the Everglades ecosystem (Wade et al. 1980; Lockwood et al. 2003). Without fire, the Everglades as we know it today would be a much different place. This is particularly true for the short-hydroperiod marl prairies that predominate on the eastern and western flanks of Shark River Slough, Everglades National Park (Figure 1). In general, fire in a tropical or sub-tropical grassland community favors the dominance of C4 grasses over C3 species (Roscoe et al. 2000; Briggs et al. 2005). Within this pyrogenic graminoid community …
Resampling Of Permanent Pine Rockland Vegetation Plots On Big Pine Key, Jay P. Sah, James R. Snyder, Michael S. Ross, Danielle Ogurcak
Resampling Of Permanent Pine Rockland Vegetation Plots On Big Pine Key, Jay P. Sah, James R. Snyder, Michael S. Ross, Danielle Ogurcak
SERC Research Reports
The pine rocklands of South Florida are characterized by an herbaceous flora with many narrowly endemic taxa, a diverse shrub layer containing several palms and numerous tropical hardwoods, and an overstory of south Florida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa). Fire has been considered as an important environmental factor for these ecosystems, since in the absence of fire these pine forests are replaced by dense hardwood communities, resulting in loss of the characteristic pineland herb flora. Hence, in the Florida Keys pine forests, prescribed fire has been used since the creation of the National Key Deer Refuge. However, such prescribed …
2010 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Water Quality Protection Program Of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
2010 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Water Quality Protection Program Of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
2010 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Water Quality Protection Program Of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (Summary), Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
2010 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Water Quality Protection Program Of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (Summary), Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Habitat – Vegetation Monitoring: Fy 2009 - Final Report, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, James R. Snyder, Pablo L. Ruiz, Susana Stofella, Nate Colbert, Erin Hanan, Lawrence Lopez, Michael Camp
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Habitat – Vegetation Monitoring: Fy 2009 - Final Report, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, James R. Snyder, Pablo L. Ruiz, Susana Stofella, Nate Colbert, Erin Hanan, Lawrence Lopez, Michael Camp
SERC Research Reports
This document summarizes the activities that were accomplished in FY 2009 on the research project “Cape Sable seaside sparrow habitat – Vegetation Monitoring”, a collaborative effort among the US Army Corps of Engineers, Florida International University, and the US Geological Survey. The major activities in 2009 included field work, data analysis and presentations. The results of 2009 field work were presented at the 4th International Congress of Fire Ecology and Management, Savannah, GA from November 30 to Dec 5, 2009 and at the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS) Fire Meeting, held at the Krome Center, Homestead, FL on December 8, …
Everglades Ridge, Slough, And Tree Island Mosaics: Year 2 Annual Report, Michael S. Ross, James B. Heffernan, Jay P. Sah, Pablo L. Ruiz, Adam A. Spitzig, Ewan Isherwood
Everglades Ridge, Slough, And Tree Island Mosaics: Year 2 Annual Report, Michael S. Ross, James B. Heffernan, Jay P. Sah, Pablo L. Ruiz, Adam A. Spitzig, Ewan Isherwood
SERC Research Reports
Status and history of the Ridge-Slough Mosaic The Florida Everglades is a large subtropical wetland with diverse hydrologic, edaphic, and vegetative characteristics. Historically, a significant portion of this system was a slow moving river originating from the Kissimmee River floodplain, flowing into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee, and draining south-southwest over extensive peatlands into Florida Bay (McVoy 2011). Human-induced alterations to the hydrologic regime, including reduction, stabilization, and impoundment of water flow through diversion and compartmentalization of water via canals and levees have degraded pre-drainage vegetation patterns and microtopographic structure (Davis and Ogden 1994, Ogden 2005, McVoy 2011). The …
The Monitoring And Assessment Plan (Map) Greater Everglades Wetlands Module- Landscape Pattern- Ridge, Slough, And Tree Island Mosaics: Year 1 Annual Report, James B. Heffernan, Michael S. Ross, Matthew J. Cohen, Todd Z. Osborne, Jay P. Sah, Pablo L. Ruiz, Leonard J. Scinto
The Monitoring And Assessment Plan (Map) Greater Everglades Wetlands Module- Landscape Pattern- Ridge, Slough, And Tree Island Mosaics: Year 1 Annual Report, James B. Heffernan, Michael S. Ross, Matthew J. Cohen, Todd Z. Osborne, Jay P. Sah, Pablo L. Ruiz, Leonard J. Scinto
SERC Research Reports
In the current managed Everglades system, the pre-drainage, patterned mosaic of sawgrass ridges, sloughs and tree islands has been substantially altered or reduced largely as a result of human alterations to historic ecological and hydrological processes that sustained landscape patterns. The pre-compartmentalization ridge and slough landscape was a mosaic of sloughs, elongated sawgrass ridges (50-200m wide), and tree islands. The ridges and sloughs and tree islands were elongated in the direction of the water flow, with roughly equal area of ridge and slough. Over the past decades, the ridge-slough topographic relief and spatial patterning have degraded in many areas of …
Loaxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment (Lila): Tree Island Experiments And Management; May 1, 2005 To September 4, 2009: Final Report, Leonard J. Scinto, René Price, Michael Ross
Loaxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment (Lila): Tree Island Experiments And Management; May 1, 2005 To September 4, 2009: Final Report, Leonard J. Scinto, René Price, Michael Ross
SERC Research Reports
Hydrologic modifications have negatively impacted the Florida Everglades in numerous significant ways. The compartmentalization of the once continuously flowing system into the Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) caused disruption of the slow natural flow of water south from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades to Florida Bay. The ponding of water in the WCAs, the linking of water flow to controlled water levels, and the management of water levels for anthropogenic vs. ecological well-being has caused a reduction in the spatial heterogeneity of the Everglades leading to greater uniformity in topography and vegetation. These effects are noticeable as the degradation in structure …
Little Venice Water Quality Monitoring Project: Epa Assistance Agreement X7-96410604-3 And Fdep Contract Sp674 & Sp678, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
Little Venice Water Quality Monitoring Project: Epa Assistance Agreement X7-96410604-3 And Fdep Contract Sp674 & Sp678, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
Woody Plant Invasion Into The Freshwater Marl Prairie Habitat Of The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow: Final Report, Erin Hanan, Michael Ross, Jay Sah, Pablo L. Ruiz, Susana Stofella, Nilesh Timilsina, David Jones, Jose Espinar, Rachel King
Woody Plant Invasion Into The Freshwater Marl Prairie Habitat Of The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow: Final Report, Erin Hanan, Michael Ross, Jay Sah, Pablo L. Ruiz, Susana Stofella, Nilesh Timilsina, David Jones, Jose Espinar, Rachel King
SERC Research Reports
In the fall of 2005, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) contracted with Florida International University (FIU) to study the physical and biological drivers underlying the distribution of woody plant species in the marl prairie habitat of the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (CSSS). This report presents what we have learned about woody plant encroachment based on studies carried out during the period 2006-2008. The freshwater marl prairie habitat currently occupied by the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS; Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) is a dynamic mosaic comprised of species-rich grassland communities and tree islands of various sizes, densities and compositions. Landscape heterogeneity …
2009 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Water Quality Protection Program Of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
2009 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Water Quality Protection Program Of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
Effect Of Hydrologic Restoration On The Habitat Of The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, 2008 – Final Report, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, James R. Snyder, Pablo L. Ruiz, Susana Stofella, Mike Kline, Broke Shamblin, Erin Hanan, Lawrence Lopez, T.J. Hilton
Effect Of Hydrologic Restoration On The Habitat Of The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, 2008 – Final Report, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, James R. Snyder, Pablo L. Ruiz, Susana Stofella, Mike Kline, Broke Shamblin, Erin Hanan, Lawrence Lopez, T.J. Hilton
SERC Research Reports
This document summarizes the activities that were accomplished in 2008, the sixth year of the research project “Effect of hydrologic restoration on the habitat of the Cape Sable seaside sparrow”, a collaborative effort among the US Army Corps of Engineers, Everglades National Park, Florida International University, and the US Geological Survey (Florida Integrated Science Center). The major activities in 2008 included field work, data analysis, and presentations. Jay Sah presented the results of 6th year field work at the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS) Fire Meeting 2008, held on December 2-3 at the Krome Center, Homestead, Florida. In the same …
South Florida Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network Jan. - Mar. 2008 Quarterly Report For Sfwmd Contract 4600000352, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
South Florida Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network Jan. - Mar. 2008 Quarterly Report For Sfwmd Contract 4600000352, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
The 2008 Terrestrial Vegetation Of Biscayne National Park Fl, Usa Derived From Aerial Photography, Ndvi, And Lidar, Pablo L. Ruiz, Patricia A. Houle, Michael S. Ross
The 2008 Terrestrial Vegetation Of Biscayne National Park Fl, Usa Derived From Aerial Photography, Ndvi, And Lidar, Pablo L. Ruiz, Patricia A. Houle, Michael S. Ross
SERC Research Reports
Established as a National Park in 1980, Biscayne National Park (BISC) comprises an area of nearly 700 km2 , of which most is under water. The terrestrial portions of BISC include a coastal strip on the south Florida mainland and a set of Key Largo limestone barrier islands which parallel the mainland several kilometers offshore and define the eastern rim of Biscayne Bay. The upland vegetation component of BISC is embedded within an extensive coastal wetland network, including an archipelago of 42 mangrove-dominated islands with extensive areas of tropical hardwood forests or hammocks. Several databases and vegetation maps describe these …
Annual Summary Quality Assessment Report For The Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network, Ruth Justiniano, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
Annual Summary Quality Assessment Report For The Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network, Ruth Justiniano, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
2007 Cumulative Annual Report For The Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
2007 Cumulative Annual Report For The Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
This report summarizes the existing data from the FIU Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network for calendar year January 1 – December 31, 2007. This includes water quality data collected from 28 stations in Florida Bay, 22 stations in Whitewater Bay, 25 stations in Ten Thousand Islands, 25 stations in Biscayne Bay, 49 stations on the Southwest Florida Shelf (Shelf), and 28 stations in the Cape Romano-Pine Island Sound area. Each of the stations in Florida Bay were monitored on a monthly basis with monitoring beginning in March 1991; Whitewater Bay monitoring began in September 1992; Biscayne Bay monthly monitoring began …
2007 Cumulative Annual Report For The Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
2007 Cumulative Annual Report For The Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
This report summarizes the existing data from the FIU Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network for calendar year January 1 – December 31, 2007. This includes water quality data collected from 28 stations in Florida Bay, 22 stations in Whitewater Bay, 25 stations in Ten Thousand Islands, 25 stations in Biscayne Bay, 49 stations on the Southwest Florida Shelf (Shelf), and 28 stations in the Cape Romano-Pine Island Sound area. Each of the stations in Florida Bay were monitored on a monthly basis with monitoring beginning in March 1991; Whitewater Bay monitoring began in September 1992; Biscayne Bay monthly monitoring began …
2007 Cumulative Annual Report For The Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network (Agreement 4600000352), Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
2007 Cumulative Annual Report For The Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network (Agreement 4600000352), Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
South Florida Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network Jan. - Mar. 2007 Quarterly Report For Sfwmd Contract 4600000352, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
South Florida Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network Jan. - Mar. 2007 Quarterly Report For Sfwmd Contract 4600000352, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.
South Florida Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network July - Sept. 2007 Quarterly Report For Sfwmd Contract 4600000352, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
South Florida Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network July - Sept. 2007 Quarterly Report For Sfwmd Contract 4600000352, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño
SERC Research Reports
No abstract provided.