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The Influence of Hydrology on Everglades Ridge And INFLUENCE OF HYDROLOGY ON EVERGLADES RIDGE AND SLOUGH SOIL TOPOGRAPHY By ERIC JORCZAK A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2006 Copyright 2006 by Eric Jorczak To the Florida Everglades: live long and prosper ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge all those who assisted me in the completion of my thesis. They include my supervisory committee chair (Mark Clark), and my supervisory committee members (Wiley Kitchens and Jim Jawitz). I would also like to thank Chris Lewis (the best Everglades plant collector this side of the Mississippi) and all other associates of the Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory. I extend special thanks to my parents and family who support me in many ways. Long days on the road and longer days amidst the Everglades merriment were shared with many field workers, with much of the help from Charles “MacGyver” Campbell. Lastly, I thank my research site, the Everglades, for providing generally favorable field conditions. Reliable field instruments allowed this project to be completed in a relatively low-blood-pressure fashion. This research was funded by the Critical Ecosystem Studies Initiative, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................1 Background...................................................................................................................1 Historic Hydrology................................................................................................2 Plant Assemblage ..................................................................................................2 Soil Characterization .............................................................................................3 Current Condition..................................................................................................5 Everglades Restoration..........................................................................................6 Objectives..............................................................................................................7 2 WATER FLOW AND PARTICULATE TRANSPORT .............................................8 Introduction...................................................................................................................8 Hydroperiod...........................................................................................................9 Water Depth...........................................................................................................9 Water Flow ..........................................................................................................10 Hypotheses..................................................................................................................12 Site Selection ..............................................................................................................12 Materials and Methods ...............................................................................................14 Flow Measurements.............................................................................................14 Total Suspended Solids (Particulate) Transport Measurements..........................15 Results.........................................................................................................................16 Water Velocity.....................................................................................................16 Water Depth.........................................................................................................16 Water Flow ..........................................................................................................16 Total Suspended Solids .......................................................................................17 Total Suspended Solids (Particulate) Transport..................................................17 Discussion...................................................................................................................17 v Conclusions.................................................................................................................22 3 INFLUENCE OF WATER TABLE ON RIDGE AND SLOUGH CO2 AND CH4 PRODUCTION...........................................................................................................34 Introduction.................................................................................................................34 Aerobic Respiration.............................................................................................36 Anaerobic Respiration.........................................................................................37 Objective and Hypotheses ..........................................................................................38 Materials and Methods ...............................................................................................39 Field Collection ...................................................................................................39 Laboratory Experiment........................................................................................40 Results.........................................................................................................................43 Discussion...................................................................................................................44 Conclusions.................................................................................................................47 4 SYNTHESIS OF HYDROLOGY EFFECTS ON RIDGE AND SLOUGH SOIL DEVELOPMENT.......................................................................................................51 LIST OF REFERENCES...................................................................................................58 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .............................................................................................64 vi LIST OF TABLES Table page 2-1 Coordinates of the ridge and slough study sites.....................................................26 2-2 Water velocity in mid-November, 2004.................................................................33 2-3 Total Suspended Solids values from various locations..........................................33 -2 -1 3-1 Methane flux (µg CH4 cm h ) out of soil cores...................................................43 -2 -1 3-2 Carbon dioxide flux (µg CO2 cm h ) out of soil cores........................................43 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 2-1. The four study sites in the southern Everglades.....................................................23 2-2. Photograph of site 3A2 at the ridge and slough interface ......................................24 2-3. Aerial photograph of site ENP1 .............................................................................25 2-4. Photograph of site ENP2 ........................................................................................26 2-5. Cross section of the transect at each site................................................................27 2-6. Measuring water velocity using fluorescein tracer (green) in slough at ENP2......29 2-7. TSS were filtered in the slough at 3A1. .................................................................29 2-8. Average water velocity +1 SD at each of the four study sites ...............................30 2-9. Seasonal water velocity +1 SD at each of the four study sites...............................30 2-10. Average water depth +1 SD at each of the four study sites ...................................31 2-11. Average water flow per meter width +1 SD at the four study sites .......................31 2-12. Average TSS +1 SD at the four study sites............................................................32 2-13. Average TSS transport per meter width +1 SD at the four study sites ..................32 3-1. The three water-table regimes used during the soil core experiment.....................41 3-2. Cores submerged in ambient water bath ................................................................42 3-3. Extracting gas from core headspace.......................................................................47 3-4. Mean CO2 emission based on water table. .............................................................48 3-5. Carbon dioxide emission based on water table treatment over time......................49 3-6. Methane emission based on water table treatment over time.................................50 viii Abstract of Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science INFLUENCE OF HYDROLOGY ON EVERGLADES RIDGE AND SLOUGH SOIL TOPOGRAPHY By Eric Jorczak May 2006 Chair: Mark Clark Major
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