Fluctuations in sawgrass and cattail densities in Everglades Water Conservation Area 2A under varying nutrient, hydrologic and fire regimes

Seed germination of two Everglades species, Cladium jamaicense and Typha domingensis

“…The northern Everglades, FL, has historically been dominated by monospecific stands of Cladium jamaicense (Crantz) interlaced with open water areas and wet prairie (Loveless, 1959;Urban et al, 1993). The ecosystem is extremely nutrient poor with most input from rainfall.…”

Areal and vertical distribution of total soil mercury and total phosphorusin the southern half of water conservation area 3-A, Everglades, Southern Florida

“…Elsewhere, excess phosphorus is probably entirely taken up well within a Km of the canals because of the high capacity of the vegetation and soils to take up phosphorus (Urban et al, 1993). In some sites (A-7, D-7, D-14 and F-11), concentrations in the 0-2 cm layer were lower than those found in the 2-4 cm layer below (Fig.…”

“…Natural river and lake waters contain 5 to 10% PO 4 . Figure 4.18 shows the mean concentrations of surface water phosphorus in WCA-2A measured biweekly for six years near inflow structures (Urban et al, 1993). Downstream from these structures, canal water is forced to flow overland, unlike most other areas of the Everglades.…”

The Effect of Contemporary Hydrologic Modification on Vegetation Community Composition Distinctness in the Florida Everglades

“…Beginning in the early 20th century, widespread anthropogenic modification of hydrologic regimes has altered vegetation patch patterning and composition in the Ridge and Slough landscape , Fennema et al 1994, Gunderson 1994, Light and Dineen 1994, SCT 2003, Ogden 2005, Nungesser 2011 (Urban et al 1993, Davis and Ogden 1994, Gunderson 2001. Ridges have invaded slough areas (SCT 2003, Ogden 2005, and much of the slough landscape, particularly in Everglades National Park, has been usurped by wet prairies and ridges , Olmsted and Armentano 1997, Busch et al 1998.…”

“…For example, increased nutrient concentrations are an important driver of vegetation patterns in areas of the Ridge and Slough landscape, in part caused by the proliferation of southern cattail (Typha domingensis), which outcompetes sawgrass communities in areas with high phosphorus concentrations and adequate water depths (Urban et al 1993, Craft et al 1995, Newman et al 1996, Daoust and Childers 2004. However, phosphorus is quickly taken up by organisms and the extent of the influence of phosphorus enrichment, while penetrating several kilometers into the protected areas of Everglades National Park, is localized compared to the total extent of the Ridge and Slough landscape (Childers et al 2003).…”