Hurricane Andrew's Impact on Freshwater Resources

Roman, Charles T.; Aumen, Nicholas G.; Trexler, Joel C.; Fennema, Robert J.; Loftus, William F.; Soukup, Michael

doi:10.2307/1312229

Cited by 26 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Hurricanes are large-scale disturbances which may have strong effects on terrestrial and freshwater aquatic ecosystems through winds, rainfall, and storm surge flooding (Roman et al 1994;Walker et al 1991). High winds associated with Hurricane Hugo caused significant damage to tree canopy and increased the amount of woody debris on the forest floor in Puerto Rico, providing increased refugia and leading to a temporary population increase of Eleutherodactylus coqui following the storm (Woolbright 1991(Woolbright , 1996.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…High winds associated with Hurricane Hugo caused significant damage to tree canopy and increased the amount of woody debris on the forest floor in Puerto Rico, providing increased refugia and leading to a temporary population increase of Eleutherodactylus coqui following the storm (Woolbright 1991(Woolbright , 1996. Hurricane winds may also alter vegetation structure within freshwater wetlands which influences species composition and abundance of fishes and invertebrates (Roman et al 1994). In some cases species in the same habitat may be affected differently by hurricanes, with population size of some species declining after a storm and others remaining the same or increasing (Loope et al 1994;Schriever et al 2009;Vilella and Fogarty 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In some cases species in the same habitat may be affected differently by hurricanes, with population size of some species declining after a storm and others remaining the same or increasing (Loope et al 1994;Schriever et al 2009;Vilella and Fogarty 2005). Many ecosystems adjacent to coastal areas prone to hurricanes appear resilient to the effects of wind, rain, and flooding (Roman et al 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hurricane storm surge and amphibian communities in coastal wetlands of northwestern Florida

Gunzburger

Hughes

Barichivich

et al. 2010

Wetlands Ecol Manage

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Isolated wetlands in the Southeastern United States are dynamic habitats subject to fluctuating environmental conditions. Wetlands located near marine environments are subject to alterations in water chemistry due to storm surge during hurricanes. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of storm surge overwash on wetland amphibian communities. Thirty-two wetlands in northwestern Florida were sampled over a 45-month period to assess amphibian species richness and water chemistry. During this study, seven wetlands were overwashed by storm surge from Hurricane Dennis which made landfall 10 July 2005 in the Florida panhandle. This event allowed us to evaluate the effect of storm surge overwash on water chemistry and amphibian communities of the wetlands. Specific conductance across all wetlands was low pre-storm (\100 lS/cm), but increased post-storm at the overwashed wetlands (" x = 7,613 lS/cm). Increased specific conductance was strongly correlated with increases in chloride concentrations. Amphibian species richness showed no correlation with specific conductance. One month post-storm we observed slightly fewer species in overwashed compared with non-overwashed wetlands, but this trend did not continue in 2006. More species were detected across all wetlands pre-storm, but there was no difference between overwashed and non-overwashed wetlands when considering all amphibian species or adult anurans and larval anurans separately. Amphibian species richness did not appear to be correlated with pH or presence of fish although the amphibian community composition differed between wetlands with and without fish. Our results suggest that amphibian communities in wetlands in the southeastern United States adjacent to marine habitats are resistant to the effects of storm surge overwash.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hurricane storm surge and amphibian communities in coastal wetlands of northwestern Florida

Gunzburger

Hughes

Barichivich

et al. 2010

Wetlands Ecol Manage

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“…Over the study area, maximum sustained wind speeds for Hurricane Frances, the strongest of the three 2004 storms, reached 22 m s −1 , comparable to Topical Storm Gordon (1994;Pitts 2001) and Hurricane Irene (Cat 1, 1999; Davis et al 2004) with maximum sustained winds of 20 m s −1 and ≤27 m s −1 , respectively. During these tropical events, water clarity was not affected at TS6 through FB11, a pattern apparently typical of hurricane impacts and freshwater discharges to the Everglades-Florida Bay ecosystem (Roman et al 1994;Tilmant et al 1994;Davis et al 2004;J. N. Boyer unpublished data).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Indirect Hurricane Effects on Resource Availability and Microbial Communities in a Subtropical Wetland-Estuary Transition Zone

Williams

Boyer

Jochem

2007

Estuaries and Coasts: J CERF

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Three sequential hurricanes made landfall over the South Florida peninsula in August and September 2004. The storm systems passed north of the Everglades wetlands and northeastern Florida Bay, but indirect storm effects associated with changes in freshwater discharge during an otherwise drought year occurred across the wetland-estuary transition area. To assess the impacts of the 2004 hurricane series on hydrology, nutrients, and microbial communities in the Everglades wetlands to Florida Bay transition area, results are presented in the context of a seasonal cycle without hurricane activity (2003). Tropical activity in 2004 increased rainfall over South Florida and the study area, thereby temporarily relieving drought conditions. Not so much actual rainfall levels at the study site but more so water management practices in preparation of the hurricane threats, which include draining of an extensive freshwater canal system into the coastal ocean to mitigate inland flooding, rapidly reversed hypersalinity in the wetlands-estuary study area. Although annual discharge was comparable in both years, freshwater discharge in 2004 occurred predominantly during the late wet season, whereas discharge was distributed evenly over the 2003 wet season. Total organic carbon (TOC), ammonium (NH þ 4 ), and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations increased during the hurricane series to concentrations two to five times higher than long-term median concentrations in eastern Florida Bay. Spatiotemporal patterns in these resource enrichments suggest that TOC and SRP originated from the Everglades mangrove ecotone, while NH þ 4 originated from the bay. Phytoplankton biomass in the bay increased significantly during storm-related freshwater discharge, but declined at the same time in the wetland mangrove ecotone from bloom conditions during the preceding drought. In the bay, these changes were associated with increased nanophytoplankton and decreased picophytoplankton biomass. Heterotrophic bacterial production increased in response to freshwater discharge, whereas bacterial abundance decreased. Hydrochemical and microbial changes were short-lived, and the wetland-bay transition area reverted to more typical oligotrophic conditions within 3 months after the hurricanes. These results suggest that changes in freshwater discharge after drought conditions and during the hurricane series forced the productivity and P-enriched characteristics of the wetland's mangrove ecotone, although only briefly, to the south into Florida Bay.

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“…Effects on animal communities have included mortality, displacement, and nest destruction among bird populations (Marsh andWilkinson 1991, Wiley andWunderle 1994); mortality among sea turtle nesting populations (Milton et al 1994); mortality and displacement of nekton and fish (Tabb and Jones 1962, Boesch et al 1976, Dauer 1984, Knott and Martore 1991, and alterations in oyster populations (Lowery 1992). Changes in water quality may be slight (Roman et al 1994, Valiela et al 1996 or severe (Van Dolah andAnderson 1991, Tilmant et al 1994). Changes in water quality may be slight (Roman et al 1994, Valiela et al 1996 or severe (Van Dolah andAnderson 1991, Tilmant et al 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hurricane Effects on Water Quality and Benthos in the Cape Fear Watershed: Natural and Anthropogenic Impacts

Mallin¹,

Posey²,

Shank³

et al. 1999

Ecological Applications

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In the summer of 1996, southeastern North Carolina, United States, was struck by two hurricanes, with the second (Hurricane Fran) doing considerably more damage than the first (Hurricane Bertha). The Cape Fear watershed, largest in North Carolina, suffered from severe water quality problems for weeks following Fran, including a massive fish kill in the Northeast Cape Fear River. Post-hurricane flooding caused inputs of riparian swamp water to river channels, and sewage treatment plant and pump station power failures caused diversions of millions of liters of raw and partially treated human waste into rivers. Additionally, several swine waste lagoons were breached, overtopped, or inundated, discharging large quantities of concentrated organic waste into the system, particularly into the Northeast Cape Fear River. Dissolved oxygen (DO) decreased to 2 mg/L in the mainstem Cape Fear River, and fell to zero in the Northeast Cape Fear River for Ͼ3 wk. Biochemical oxygen demand in the Northeast Cape Fear River was sixfold greater than in the other tributaries, probably as a result of anthropogenically derived inputs. The Cape Fear Estuary also suffered from hypoxia for several weeks. Following Hurricane Fran, ammonium levels in the Northeast Cape Fear River displayed a distinct increase, and total phosphorus reached its highest concentration in 27 yr. The benthic community, which is dominated by opportunistic species typical of oligohaline to mesohaline estuarine areas, showed a mixed response. There was a significant decline in total benthic abundances immediately after Hurricane Fran at an oligohaline station in the Northeast Cape Fear River, with recovery occurring in ϳ3 mo. An oligohaline station in the mainstem Cape Fear River, which had relatively rapid DO recovery, did not display significant declines. A mesohaline station 5 km below the confluence of these rivers showed broad and long-lasting benthic declines, but benthic declines were less severe in the lowest reaches of the estuary sampled. The natural hurricane effect of swamp water flooding into river basins led to reduced dissolved oxygen levels and increased light attenuation. However, environmental damage was considerably increased by anthropogenic practices, including the lack of backup generating systems for waste treatment systems and subsequent sewage diversions into rivers, as well as accidents occurring at swine waste lagoons sited on river floodplains.

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Hurricane Andrew's Impact on Freshwater Resources

Cited by 26 publications

References 12 publications

Hurricane storm surge and amphibian communities in coastal wetlands of northwestern Florida

Hurricane storm surge and amphibian communities in coastal wetlands of northwestern Florida

Indirect Hurricane Effects on Resource Availability and Microbial Communities in a Subtropical Wetland-Estuary Transition Zone

Hurricane Effects on Water Quality and Benthos in the Cape Fear Watershed: Natural and Anthropogenic Impacts

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