Mangrove Modeling of Landscape, Stand-Level and Soil-Nutrient Processes for the ATLSS Program and Everglades Restoration Project

This project provides an integrated suite of vegetation and nutrient resource models of the land-margin ecosystem compatible with and undergirding other restoration models of hydrology and higher trophic levels identified as critical. This modeling project fills the gaps and needs of existing restoration models, ELM and ATLSS, for a vegetation and nutrient dynamics component and complements continuing empirical studies within the land-margin ecosystem of the Everglades restoration program.

The proposed work has eight major objectives:

1. Re-measurement and analysis of mangrove permanent plots 10 years after the passage of Hurricane Andrew to verify forest structure models (SELVA-MANGRO) and to re-calibrate output accordingly.
2. Map historic marsh-mangrove ecotone boundaries in selected southwest Florida regions.
3. Survey land/water datums across the intertidal and develop tidal ebb/flow synoptic functions for incorporation into SELVA-MANGRO.
4. Site quality characterization across the mangrove landscape using ground surveys and research studies, aerial photography, and aerial videography.
5. Develop external SELVA-MANGRO model linkages and WEB-based access to SELVA-MANGRO for Everglades restoration evaluations.
6. Verify HYMAN (hydrology), NUMAN (nutrient/organic matter decomposition), and FORMAN (forest structure/primary productivity) unit ecological simulation models with application to Everglades restoration evaluations.
7. Link SALSA (Hydrology BOX model) to HYMAN and FORMAN models to develop a better link between vegetation response and hydrological fluxes to the Everglades system.
8. Conduct field and greenhouse studies on nutrient biogeochemistry and determine the effects of nutrients and hydroperiod on forest biomass allocation and soil formation.