Vegetation Dynamics in Land-Margin Ecosystems: The Mangroves of South Florida

This research addresses several important needs of the Greater Everglades Restoration including: 1) Mangrove primary productivity is a key indicator in the Mangrove Conceptual Model and forms the basis of the detrital foodweb that supports secondary production of estuarine fishes and crustaceans; 2) Secondary productivity in mangroves (e.g. commercially and recreationally important estuarine fisheries) is a key component of biological performance measures for restoration success and is used in the Mangrove Conceptual Models. Estuarine fish production is identified as a key Success Indicator. 3) Understanding processes of soil building, sediment accretion and erosion have been identified as critical to measuring restoration success. 4) Landscape level changes in the position of the mangrove / marsh ecotone indicate largscale vegetation change in the coastal zone. Vegetation change monitoring has been identified as a priority issue. 5) Data from the studies of primary productivity will be used in the ATLSS modeling program in the development of the mangrove community and landscape models. 6) Actual field measurements of sediment accretion / erosion will be vital to the development of models regarding soil dynamics.