Introduction to Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation wfsc 304 Lecture 17: Ecological Restoration

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  Mosaic of freshwater ponds, prairies and forested uplands that support a remarkable volume and diversity of flora and fauna
  

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  Historically 11,000 square miles of south Florida
  
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  Historic water flow down the Kissimmee River into Lake Okeechobee, then south by sheet flow through the Everglades marsh to the flats of Florida Bay
  
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  Sheet flow out of Okeechobee called the “River of Grass” for the vast expanse of sawgrass in the marsh
  
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  The sheet flow spans as much as 60 miles in width, yet is only six inches deep in some places
  
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  This wetland was degraded severely by water use and diversion for sugar plantations (strong lobby) and other agriculture
  
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  1905: Gov. Napoleon Bonaparte Broward began systematic effort to drain the Everglades for agriculture and development. Large tracts were transformed into farmland, and cities (Miami, Fort Lauderdale) sprang up and burgeoned.
  
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  With increasing human habitation flood control in this essentially-still-wetland was needed. Fed to the rescue… In 1948, the U.S. Congress authorized the Central and South Florida Project , which created the largest water management system in the world. The project involved an extensive network of man-made canals, levees and water control structures that channel 1.7 billion gallons of water daily from the Everglades to the ocean.
  
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  The direct water flow to the ocean does not get the filtration that would have occurred had it flown through the wetlands.
  
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  The loss of water changed the natural characteristics of the marsh. Habitat loss was due to drying per se, but also to saltwater intrusions into the marsh from the ocean. Pollution entered from neighboring farms and cities. Changes in water quality stifled the growth of native plants, allowed exotic plants to take root and fueled the growth of algae which worsened the loss of natural habitat. As a result of this cycle continuing for so long the Everglades today is half the size of a century ago.
  
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  Despite the damage that was done in the first half of the 20^th century, the Everglades is still considered a national treasure just as extraordinary as the Grand Canyon, the Great Lakes or the Redwood Forests. A remarkable coalition of highly diverse and bipartisan interests has joined forces to make the restoration possible.
  
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  To revive and protect this national treasure, Florida is undertaking the largest environmental ecosystem restoration in the world. It is Florida’s top priority to improve the quality of life for all south Floridians, provide adequate water supply for south Florida’s growing population and provide improved flood control, while preserving America’s Everglades and Florida’s Liquid Heart – Lake Okeechobee - and protecting natural wildlife and plants for future generations.
  
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  2000: State funding of the Everglades Restoration Investment Act to fund Florida’s 50 % (cost-share), complimenting Federal investment, to implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
  
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  FYI—for further interest, here is a well composed, thorough timeline arraying major events, esp. legislation and actions by Fed and State: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/evergladesforever/about/timeline.htm
  
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  An economic analysis of the restoration problem, including ecosystem services is available here: http://www.evergladesfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Report-Measuring-Economic-Benefits-Exec-Summary.pdf
  

(Note CBS news suggests $20b has already been spent)

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  Here, graphically, is the plan:
  

Miami is a port town—deals with imports of many exotics. Releases and escapes of exotics have plagued the Everglades. In some rivers all one may catch in a day would be (inedible) armored catfish 

Right: Natives fight back—water moccasin (cottonmouth) eating nonnative armored catfish.

“… assorted characters of death and blight…” —?

20% of fisherman in south Florida target exotic species

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  Largest of 130 estuaries in the US
  
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  Estuaries are some of the most productive environments on the planet
  
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  Support thousands (3,600 documented) of species of animals and plants
  
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  Spawning and nursery grounds for 80-90 % of America's recreational fish catch and > 75 % of the commercial fish catch
  
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  In bay fishing for oysters, crabs, fish, shrimp etc.
  
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  Bay supports recreation
  
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  Bay supports shipping (2 of the 5 largest N. Atlantic ports)
  
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  17 million people (over a billion kg of humans) drain into the bay
  
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  The strain of nutrification and pollution reached a breaking point
  
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  Now billions of dollars being spent in restoration projects
  

Case Study: Guanacaste Dry Forest

Degraded by heavy use of fires to maintain clear ranch and farm land

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  Fires kill trees and facilitate invasion by Hyparrhenia rufa, an invasive African grass
  
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  Goal – eliminate fires, restore dry forest ecosystem
  
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  Slow return of original species; reseeded by birds and bats
  
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  Replanting is costly and slow
  
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  Planting Gmelina, an exotic fast growing species, can speed reinvasion (only in areas where native trees were heavily degraded).
  
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  Used a Debt-for-Nature swap to purchase additional heavily degraded lands.
  
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  Negotiated with an adjacent orange plantation to swap pasture for forest and receive all of the discarded orange peels to use to recover heavily disturbed lands. “Restoration through compost!”
  

Interesting concept: “Rewilding”