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Periphyton Monitoring in Big Cypress National Preserve Protocol Narrative

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Periphyton Monitoring in Big Cypress National Preserve Protocol Narrative National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Periphyton Monitoring in Big Cypress National Preserve Protocol Narrative Natural Resource Report NPS/SFCN/NRR—2019/1911 ON THIS PAGE Air plants (genus Tillandsia) dot the trunks of bald cypress trees (Taxodium distichum) located in a cypress dome near the Concho Billie Trail, Big Cypress National Preserve. Photograph courtesy of South Florida/Caribbean Network, National Park Service. ON THE COVER Calcareous periphyton mats in Fire Prairie unit, Big Cypress National Preserve. Photographs courtesy of South Florida/Caribbean Network, National Park Service Periphyton Monitoring in Big Cypress National Preserve Protocol Narrative Natural Resource Report NPS/SFCN/NRR—2019/1911 Raul Urgelles, Kevin R. T. Whelan, Robert Muxo, Robert B. Shamblin, Judd M. Patterson, and Andrea J. Atkinson National Park Service South Florida/Caribbean Inventory & Monitoring Network 18001 Old Cutler Rd., Suite 419 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157 April 2019 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available in digital format from the South Florida/Caribbean Network website and the Natural Resource Publications Management website. If you have difficulty accessing information in this publication, particularly if using assistive technology, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Urgelles, R., K. R. T. Whelan, R. Muxo, R. B. Shamblin, J. M. Patterson, and A. J. Atkinson. 2019. Periphyton monitoring in Big Cypress National Preserve: Protocol narrative. Natural Resource Report NPS/SFCN/NRR—2019/1911. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 176/152603, April 2019 ii Change History Change History Log. This table shows the changes and updates to this protocol over time. Add new rows as needed. See Appendix G and associated tables to explain in detail the pilot sampling activities that occurred during the creation of this protocol. Revision Date Author Changes Made Reason for Change New Version # (1) determine if both diatom and soft algae metrics were needed or if diatoms alone would suffice, (2) determine sufficient differentiation between impacted and unimpacted sites to use periphyton as a long-term indicator of December 2008 K. R.T. Whelan Pilot sampling of 41 sites 0.01 ecologically impacted sites, and (3) determine if community structure differed significantly between diatom/soft algae assemblages found in cypress domes and those found in immediately adjacent prairie marshes. (1) provide better understanding of nutrient gradient, as depicted November 2009 K. R.T. Whelan Pilot sampling of 65 sites through diatom communities, across the hydrological basins in 0.02 NW BICY (1) detect any temporal variability in the structure of diatom December 2010 K. R.T. Whelan Pilot sampling of 36 sites 0.03 communities at sites that had been repeatedly sampled (1) to detect any significant temporal shifts in diatom community structure at the collection sites, (2) to expand sampling to the east by adding a seventh basin: January 2012 K. R.T. Whelan Pilot sampling of 40 sites 0.04 Kissimmee Billy East (KBE), and (3) to investigate proposed new sites for BICY water-quality collection. (1) continue the development of the temporal periphyton signal in December 2012 K. R.T. Whelan Pilot sampling of 46 sites previously sampled sites as well as the proposed new water- 0.05 quality sites iii Change History Log (continued). This table shows the changes and updates to this protocol over time. Add new rows as needed. See Appendix G and associated tables to explain in detail the pilot sampling activities that occurred during the creation of this protocol. Revision Date Author Changes Made Reason for Change New Version # (1) add another basin, Bear Island (between impacted basins OK Slough and East Hinson Marsh and unimpacted basin Kissimmee Billy Strand), to provide a better understanding of a nutrient November 2013 K. R.T. Whelan Pilot sampling of 48 sites gradient, and 0.06 (2) to collect a second set of periphyton samples from the sites and analyze them for mat TP content. (1) continue the development of the temporal periphyton signal in previously sampled sites, and December 2014 K. R.T. Whelan Pilot sampling of 56 sites 0.07 (2) collect a second set of samples from the sites to analyze them for mat TP content. Produced the narrative of the protocol, the (1) to produce a peer reviewed protocol to base the long term 2017-2019 R. Urgelles et al. 1.00 appendices, the Standard periphyton monitoring on. Operating Procedures. iv Contents Page Change History .....................................................................................................................................iii Figures .................................................................................................................................................viii Tables ..................................................................................................................................................... x Appendices ........................................................................................................................................... xii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................xiii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................ xv Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................ xvi Background and Objectives ................................................................................................................... 1 Implementation Park: Big Cypress National Preserve ................................................................... 2 Rationale for Selecting This Resource ........................................................................................... 2 South Florida/Caribbean Network Pilot Projects ........................................................................... 6 Use of Diatom Assemblages to Assess Periphyton Quality in Big Cypress National Preserve ....................................................................................................................... 7 Measurable Objectives ................................................................................................................... 7 Link to Management Decision-Making .......................................................................................... 8 Sampling Design .................................................................................................................................... 9 Overview of Sampling Design ....................................................................................................... 9 Rationale for Selecting this Sampling Design ................................................................................ 9 Limiting Sampling Frame to Northwest Corner of Preserve and Annual Revisit Schedule .................................................................................................................................... 9 Stratifying by basins ................................................................................................................ 10 Limiting Sampling to Freshwater Prairies and Marshes versus including Cypress Domes ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Small Changes of Location around a Depressional Feature have little effect on Diatom Community Structure ................................................................................................
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