Ecological model support for the Biscayne Bay and Southeastern Everglades Restoration (BBSEER) Project, Round 3

Ecological models facilitate evaluation of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decisions; ecological models were developed by JEM to evaluate potential effects of restoration projects on natural resources in the impacted areas. The Biscayne Bay and Southeastern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (BBSEER) Project is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). A goal of BBSEER is to identify potential opportunities for ecosystem restoration of nearshore conditions in Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, Barnes Sound, the Model Lands, the Southern Glades, and other wetlands adjacent to these water bodies. The following model outputs were provided by JEM to aid in evaluations of alternative restoration plans: (1) Marl Prairie Habitat Suitability Index, (2) Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Helper, (3) American alligator Habitat Suitability Index (HSI), (4) Small-sized freshwater fish density, (5) Days since drydown (DSD) (6) (native) Florida apple snail population model (EverSnail), (7) EverWaders wading bird occupancy model, (8) Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA) vegetation types, and (9) Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Viewer. This is Round 3 of the BBSEER; JEM did not provide ecological model outputs for BBSEER Rounds 1 and 2.