The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of wetland restoration on the water balance, flushing time, and water chemistry of southern Taylor Slough, a major water way in Everglades National Park. Water balance and flushing time equations were calculated on a monthly time step from 2001 – 2011. Water chemistry of major ions and nutrients were analyzed and correlated with water flushing times. Results showed that evapotranspiration followed by water volume had the greatest influence on flushing time. The flushing times varied between 3 and 78 days, with longer times observed between October and December, and the shorter times between March and May. Ion concentrations at the coastal areas decreased with increased flushing times. Increased surface water inflow that resulted from restoration projects and water management changes were productive in the rainy season and should result in increased flushing times and decreased ion concentrations in Taylor Slough.

Changes in vegetation may influence the quality and quantity of the underlying organic peat soils and have impacts on faunal populations. My goal was to determine whether shifts from native slough communities to invasive cattail in the Florida Everglades could affect peat characteristics that could cascade to impact the dry season survival of crayfish (Procambarus fallax). I contrasted peat soils from native slough and cattail-invaded sites as alternative dry-season burrowing substrates for crayfish. Cattail peat had higher average bulk density and inorganic content within the first ten centimeters of the soil profile. Crayfish showed marginally greater initial burrowing success in slough peat than in cattail peat but survival was equivalent in both peat soils and high overall. Understanding these indirect linkages between vegetation and crayfish populations in the Everglades can provide insight on the consequences of plant invasion on ecosystem trophic dynamics. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The study examined the past and present spatial distribution of the Florida tree snail, L. fasciatus solidus, in the Long Pine Key area of the Everglades National Park. Remote sensing and mobile GIS were used to create a GIS database of the field research results. Collection and survey-based data were used to create a current spatial distribution map of L. fasciatus solidus throughout the Long Pine Key area. The data collected during the 2006 survey were compared to a 1931 survey of the same study area conducted by Dr. William Clench of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) of Harvard University. The data was used to determine the success of L. fasciatus solidus from 1931 to 2006, to evaluate a correlation between hammock size and the number of color forms, and to detect migration patterns of L. fasciatus solidus within the Long Pine Key area of Everglades National Park. Based on the average success rate for the seven color forms and the hammocks, the L. fasciatus solidus population in the Long Pine Key area exemplifies one of a stable community. Each color form used for the analysis had a success rate between 67% and 100%. These percentages can only be the worst case scenario based on the fact that many Liguus were not observed, and any others that would have been observed, would only increase the success rate. / by Jason R. Fadely. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

In south Florida, the Greater Everglades ecosystem supports sixteen species of wading birds. Wading birds serve as important indicator species because they are highly mobile, demonstrate flexible habitat selection, and respond quickly to changes in habitat quality. Models that establish habitat relationships from distribution patterns of wading birds can be used to predict changes in habitat quality that may result from restoration and climate change. I developed spatio-temporal species distribution models for the Great Egret, White Ibis, and Wood Stork over a decadal gradient of environmental conditions to identify factors that link habitat availability to habitat use (i.e., habitat selection), habitat use to species abundance, and species abundance (over multiple scales) to nesting effort and success. Hydrological variables (depth, recession rate, days since drydown, reversal, and hydroperiod) over multiple temporal scales and with existing links to wading bird responses were used as proxies for landscape processes that influence prey availability (i.e., resources). In temporal foraging conditions (TFC) models, species demonstrated conditional preferences for resources based on resource levels at differing temporal scales. Wading bird abundance was highest when prey production from optimal periods of wetland inundation was concentrated in shallow depths. Similar responses were observed in spatial foraging conditions (SFC) models predicting spatial occurrence over time, accounting for spatial autocorrelation. The TFC index represents conditions within suitable depths that change daily and reflects patch quality, whereas the SFC index spatially represents suitability of all cells and reflects daily landscape patch abundance. I linked these indices to responses at the nest initiation and nest provisioning breeding phases from 1993-2013. The timing of increases and overall magnitude of resource pulses predicted by the TFC in March and April were strongly linked to breeding responses by all species. Great Egret nesting effort and success were higher with increases in conspecific attraction (i.e., clustering). Wood Stork nesting effort was closely related to timing of concurrently high levels of patch quality (regional scale) and abundance (400-m scale), indicating the importance of a multi-scaled approach. The models helped identify positive and negative changes to multi-annual resource pulses from hydrological restoration and climate change scenarios, respectively. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (Ph.D)--City Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010. / Committee Chair: Elliott, Michael; Committee Member: Carroll, C. Ronald; Committee Member: Contant, Cheryl; Committee Member: Norton, Bryan; Committee Member: Stiftel, Bruce. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

The current study describes the composition and activity of the snake community of the Pa-hay-okee wetlands of Everglades National Park. The study was conducted from January 1987 to January 1989. Sixteen species were observed, with Thamnophis sauritus, Thamnophis sirtalis, Nerodia fasciata pictiventris, and Agkistrodon piscivorus representing 90.2% of the total sample. The seasonal distribution and activity of the snakes were closely related to fluctuations in the water table. Most activity occurred in the winter months as snakes migrated west following the drying water edge of Shark River Slough. Seventy percent of all snakes observed during this study were either injured or dead on the road. Over 50% of annual mortality occurred during migration. The impact that road mortality is having on the local snake community cannot be ignored. Management options are provided to minimize loss. A comparison is made to the snake community of the Long Pine Key Region of Everglades National Park.

Using aerial census techniques, I collected data on the population, reproduction and nesting habits of Bald Eagles in Florida Bay, Florida, for three consecutive breeding seasons (Oct - Mar, 1987 - 1990). For analysis I consolidated my data with those collected by Robertson et al. between 1959 and 1986 for a total of 26 seasons. The breeding population of Bald Eagles in Florida Bay has been stable since censuses began in 1959. However, numbers of subadult eagles in Florida Bay have declined sharply since the early 1960’s. Breeding density was apparently limited by territoriality. Nesting success was positively correlated with early commencement of nesting, number of active breeding territories and the history of individual breeding territories. Success was negatively correlated with the amount of rainfall during the breeding season. Most (87%) nesting failures occurred during the incubation stage. Nearly all nests were built in mangrove [Laguricularia racemosa, Avicenia germinans and Rhizophora mangle) trees and of these more than half were dead. The success of a nesting attempt was independent of changes in nests or nest sites.

Self-organized spatial patterning of microtopographic features is a trademark characteristic of the Everglades landscape. Anthropogenic modifications to Everglades’ hydrology have reduced and degraded pattern, where ridges occur at higher elevations and spread into open water sloughs under dryer conditions. Wildfire is an important ecological force in the central Everglades and may maintain ridge-slough patterning through reducing ridge size and complexity, and thus preserve habitat heterogeneity. To investigate fire as a patterning mechanism in the central Everglades I examined the shape complexity and area distribution of ridges along a chronosequence of time since fire. Shape complexity did not change following fire, but small and large ridges became more prominent and eventually spread as time since fire increased, suggesting fire may maintain ridge area distribution. Documentation of fires’ effect on ridge size will inform ecosystem and conceptual models detailing the complex interactions that maintain the Everglades ridge-slough patterning. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Knowledge of the geospatial distribution of vegetation is fundamental for resource management. The objective of this study is to investigate the possible use of airborne LIDAR (light detection and ranging) data to improve classification accuracy of high spatial resolution optical imagery and compare the ability of two classification algorithms to accurately identify and map wetland vegetation communities. In this study, high resolution imagery integrated with LIDAR data was compared jointly and alone; and the nearest neighbor (NN) and machine learning random forest (RF) classifiers were assessed in semi-automated geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) approaches for classification accuracy of heterogeneous vegetation assemblages at Everglades National Park, FL, USA. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

As top-level piscivores, Bald Eagles are a compelling subject for the study of territory dynamics and are highly representative of the distinctive suite of avian species that occupy Florida Bay. Despite successful recovery of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leuocephalus) throughout the species range, the population breeding within Florida Bay has not mirrored this trend. Beginning in the late 1980s, Florida Bay has suffered in its capacity to support species diversity and abundance as a result of extreme changes in hydrology related to altered flows of incoming freshwater. In fact, Bald Eagle territory use in Florida Bay has declined by as much as 43% as year to year variation and sensitivity to transitions between territory states have increased. Florida Bay’s populations of other large, conspicuous fish-eating birds, including Ospreys, Great White Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, and Reddish Egrets each exhibit a similar pattern of decline. The effects of environmental degradation throughout Florida Bay are magnified at higher trophic levels. The negative trend in territory occupancy is most pronounced in southeast Florida Bay whereas effects on territory occupancy in the northwest are minimal. The presence of spatial patterns in territory occupancy, despite regionally available breeding birds, suggests that individuals are evaluating differences in habitat quality for which certain territories are no longer considered viable. Building on our current understanding of the health of this population of Bald Eagles, we have successfully implemented modeling approaches that identify key territory breeding decisions. Loss of early breeding season activity (occupied and active territories) despite maintaining high breeding success indicates that changes in territory dynamics are the result of a failure to breed and not a reproductive failure. As such, future conservation actions should promote early breeding season activity (decisions by breeding pairs to initiate nesting) in areas of Florida Bay that were historically occupied but are now abandoned. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection