PARENT SESSION
Oral Session #8: Restoration Ecology: Grasslands, wetlands, aquatic. Presiding: G. Noe.
Monday, August 6, 2001. 8:00 AM to 12:15 PM. Hall of Ideas H.
Modeling phosphorus assimilation through the canal system of the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation.
Owen, Dianne1, Volin, John1, William, Dunson2, 1 2
ABSTRACT- Agricultural activities are the major source of nutrient pollution in the historically low-nutrient wetlands of the Everglades. This is particularly evident in the surface waters of the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation (BCSIR), which receive large amounts of phosphorus in the effluent from adjacent agricultural lands. The aim of our current study at the BCSIR is to determine whether phosphorus is assimilated during transit through the canals that traverse the Reservation, how much phosphorus is removed from the water column and where it is sequestered. To address the underlying mechanisms of phosphorus movement we are investigating the correlation of phosphorus levels within the canal system with relevant abiotic parameters. Biweekly water chemical, hydrological, and meteorological data collected from 1988 through 1995 at several locations throughout the BCSIR, as well as from adjacent lands, has been utilized to construct a quantitative model of phosphorus movement. The model developed from this data will be validated with data collected from 1995 through 2000. Preliminary results indicate that a significant reduction in total phosphorus concentration occurs as surface water traverses the BCSIR and that this reduction can be ascribed to processes other than dilution. The understanding of mechanisms of phosphorus movement gained from such studies is essential for the restoration of wetlands within the Everglades ecosystems that have evolved in oligotrophic conditions.
KEY WORDS: wetland, phosphorus, restoration, modeling