Cascading Ecological Effects of Low‐Level Phosphorus Enrichment in the Florida Everglades

Gaiser, Evelyn E.; Trexler, Joel C.; Richards, Jennifer H.; Childers, Daniel L.; Lee, David W.; Edwards, Adrienne L.; Scinto, Leonard J.; Jayachandran, Krish; Noe, Gregory B.; Jones, Ronald D.

doi:10.2134/jeq2005.0717

Cited by 119 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…A similar response has been described for other oligotrophic, P-limited wetlands such as the Florida Everglades (McCormick et al 1996(McCormick et al , 1998Gaiser et al 2005). While autotrophic cyanobacteria were eliminated, the biomass of heterotrophic sediment microorganisms increased due to higher C, input, as documented by increase in total organic C and, consequently, in microbial C, and total PLFA.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Heterotrophic nitrogen fixation in oligotrophic tropical marshes: changes after phosphorus addition

et al. 2009

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In order to determine the impact of nutrient enrichment on phosphorus (P) limited wetlands, we established experimental P additions in marshes throughout northern Belize. P significantly increased macrophyte primary production, which led to the rapid elimination of cyanobacterial mats. The replacement of cyanobacterial mats by macrophytes constrained autotrophic nitrogen (N) fixation, increased the quantity, and changed the quality of organic matter input to the sediments. We predicted that the activity of sediment heterotrophic N fixers will be impacted by these alterations in carbon input. We used the acetylene reduction technique to measure potential (glucose amended) nitrogenase activity (NA) in sediments from controls and treatment plots that have been P enriched for four years and dominated either by Eleocharis cellulosa, or Typha domingensis for two years. NA in P-enriched plots was 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than NA in controls. NA was positively correlated with the soil reactive P, both total organic and microbial carbon, live root biomass, and total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) as an indicator of active microbial biomass. It was negatively correlated with the concentration of ammonium-N. Path analysis revealed that the indirect effect of P on NA through the root biomass was more important than the direct effect of P. NA of the upper sediment layer was consistently higher in Eleocharis than in Typha dominated plots, despite the higher litter input by Typha. We feel that the higher levels of lignin and phenolics occurring in Typha litter, relative to Eleocharis, constrained NA in Typha plots.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Heterotrophic nitrogen fixation in oligotrophic tropical marshes: changes after phosphorus addition

et al. 2009

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“…Our data indicated that while nutrient loading to WCA-3 has affected a smaller percentage of the area of WCA-3 than WCA-2A, the total area of WCA-3 with TPm > 500 mg kg −1 in both 1992 and 2003 was greater than the total area of WCA-2A with TPm > 500 mg kg −1 in 1998. Slowing the increase of soil TPm in WCA-3 is even more critical in light of recent research that has shown that soils respond more slowly to elevated TP than other ecosystem components such as periphyton, floc, and plants Gaiser et al, 2005).…”

Section: Geostatistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Changes in Soil Total Phosphorus in the Everglades: Water Conservation Area 3

Bruland

Osborne

Reddy

et al. 2006

Environ Monit Assess

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We assessed recent changes in the distribution of soil total phosphorus (TP) in Water Conservation Area 3 (WCA-3) of the Everglades. Soil cores were collected in 1992 and 2003 at 176 sites. To reflect hydrologic boundaries within the system, WCA-3 was divided into three zones (3AN, 3AS, and 3B). Total P was mapped on both a mass (TPm) and a volumetric basis (TPv) to determine if spatial distributions varied depending on the choice of units.Interpolated maps for both years showed that the highest levels of TPm were located in 3AN and in boundary areas of all zones that received surface water inputs of P from canals. Increases in TPm were greatest in central 3AN in an area adjacent to the Miami Canal that received inputs from a water control structure. Interpolated maps for TPv illustrated that a hotspot present in 1992 had disappeared by 2003. The highest levels of TPv in 2003 were located in northwestern 3AN, a region of WCA-3 that has been chronically overdrained and burned in 1999. From 1992 to 2003, increases in TPm were observed for 53% of the area of WCA-3, while only 16% of WCA-3 exhibited increases in TPv. In 1992, approximately 21% of WCA-3 had TPm concentrations in the 0-10 cm layer > 500 mg kg −1 , indicating P enrichment beyond historic levels. Eleven years later, 30% of the area of WCA-3 had TPm > 500 mg kg −1 . This indicated that during this period, the area of WCA-3 with enriched TPm concentrations increased about one % year −1 .

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“…To inform such restoration efforts, various authors have been studying the effects of drying frequency on mat primary production [42,43] and on nutrient fluxes in plant and algal communities [29,31,44,45 Figure 1) and randomly assorted into 72 beakers (400 mL) that were kept in cool, dark conditions until the start of the experiment. The mats in this region are representative of the "short-hydroperiod" (6-9 months flooding duration and more than one wet-dry cycle per year) of the upstream areas of the TS/Ph and SRS drainages [25,32]. The area was flooded at the time of sampling.…”

Section: Study Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short-Term Effects of Drying-Rewetting and Long-Term Effects of Nutrient Loading on Periphyton N:P Stoichiometry

Sola

Marazzi

Flores

et al. 2018

Water

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Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations and N:P ratios critically influence periphyton productivity and nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems. In coastal wetlands, variations in hydrology and water source (fresh or marine) influence nutrient availability, but short-term effects of drying and rewetting and long-term effects of nutrient exposure on periphyton nutrient retention are uncertain. An outdoor microcosm experiment simulated short-term exposure to variation in drying-rewetting frequency on periphyton mat nutrient retention. A 13-year dataset from freshwater marshes of the Florida Everglades was examined for the effect of long-term proximity to different N and P sources on mat-forming periphyton nutrient standing stocks and stoichiometry. Field sites were selected from one drainage with shorter hydroperiod and higher connectivity to freshwater anthropogenic nutrient supplies (Taylor Slough/Panhandle, TS/Ph) and another drainage with longer hydroperiod and higher connectivity to marine nutrient supplies (Shark River Slough, SRS). Total P, but not total N, increased in periphyton mats exposed to both low and high drying-rewetting frequency with respect to the control mats in our experimental microcosm. In SRS, N:P ratios slightly decreased downstream due to marine nutrient supplies, while TS/Ph increased. Mats exposed to short-term drying-rewetting had higher nutrient retention, similar to nutrient standing stocks from long-term field data. Periphyton mat microbial communities may undergo community shifts upon drying-rewetting and chronic exposure to nutrient loads. Additional work on microbial species composition may further explain how periphyton communities interact with drying-rewetting dynamics to influence nutrient cycling and retention in wetlands.

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Cascading Ecological Effects of Low‐Level Phosphorus Enrichment in the Florida Everglades

Cited by 119 publications

References 21 publications

Heterotrophic nitrogen fixation in oligotrophic tropical marshes: changes after phosphorus addition

Heterotrophic nitrogen fixation in oligotrophic tropical marshes: changes after phosphorus addition

Recent Changes in Soil Total Phosphorus in the Everglades: Water Conservation Area 3

Short-Term Effects of Drying-Rewetting and Long-Term Effects of Nutrient Loading on Periphyton N:P Stoichiometry

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