The Ecology of the Mangroves of South Florida: Acommunity Profile
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FWS/OBS-81/24 January 1982 THE ECOLOGY OF THE MANGROVES OF SOUTH FLORIDA: ACOMMUNITY PROFILE • • -- Bureau of Land Management Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the Interior FWS/OBS-81/24 January 1982 Reprinted September 1985 THE ECOLOGY OF THE MANGROVES OF SOUTH FLORIDA: A COMMUNITY PROFILE by William E. Odum Carole C. t·1cIvor Thomas J. Smith, III Department of Environmental Sciences University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia 22901 Project Officer Ken Adams National Coastal Ecosystems Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1010 Gause Boulevard Slidell, Louisiana 70458 Performed for National Coastal Ecosystems Team Office of Biological Services Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. 20240 and New Orleans OCS Office Bureau of Land Management U.S. Department of the Interior New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 OISCLAmER The findings in this report are not to be construed as an official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service position unless so designated by other authorized documents. Library of Congress Card Number 82-600562 This report should be cited: Odum, W.E., C.C. McIvor, and T.J. Smith, III. 1982. The ecology of the mangroves of south Florida: a conmunity profile. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Biological Services, Washington. D. C. FWS/OBS-81/24. 144 pp. Reprinted September 1985. PREFACE This profile of the mangrove commun and Tarpon Springs on the west. Refer ity of south Florida is one in a series ences are provi ded for those seeki ng of community profil es whi ch treat coas ta1 in-depth treatment of a specific facet of and marine habitats important to man. The mangrove ecology. The format, style, and obvious work that mangrove communities do level of presentation make this synthes is for man includes the stabilization and report adaptable to a diversity of needs protection of shorelines; the creation and such as the preparation of environmental maintenance of habitat for a oreat number ass ess IT.ent reports, s upp 1ementa ry readi ng of animals, many of which -are either in marine science courses, and the devel enda ngered or ha ve commerci alva1ue; and opment of a sense of the importance of the provis ion of the bas is of a food web this resource to those citizens who whose final products include a seafood control its fate. smorgasbord of oys ters, crabs, lobs ters, shrimp, and fish. Less tangible but Any ques ti ons or comments about or equa lly important benefi ts incl ude wil der requests for this publication should be ness, aes thetic and 1ife support cons i der directed to: ations. The information on these pages can Information Transfer Specialist give a basic understanding of the mangrove National Coastal Ecosystems Team community and its role in the regional U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ecosystem of south Florida. The primary NASA-Slidell Computer Complex geographic area covered lies along the 1010 Gause Boulevard coas t between Cape Canavera1 on the eas t Slidell, Louisiana 70458 iii iv CONTENTS PREFACE ..........•........................................................... iii FIGURES viii TABLES vi i i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS i x CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION . 1.1 "Mangrove" Definition.............................................. 1 1.2 Factors Controll ing Mangrove Distribution.......................... 1 1.3 Geographical Distribution 2 1.4 Mangrove Species Descriptions .. , 5 1.5 Mangrove Communi ty Types 7 1. 6 Substrates 9 1.7 Wa ter Quality .............................................•...•.... 11 CHAPTER 2. AUTECOLOGY OF MANGROVES 12 2.1 Adaptations to Natural Stress - Anaerobic Sediments................ 12 2.2 Adaptations to Natural Stress - Salinity.. 12 2.3 Reproductive Strategies............................................ 14 2.4 Biomass Partitioning............................................... 15 2.5 Primary Production................................................. 17 2.6 Herbivory............. 23 2.7 Wood Borers ...........................•...................•........ 24 2.8 Mangrove Diseases 25 CHAPTER 3. ECOSYSTHl STRUCTURE Arm FUNCTION 26 3.1 Structural Properties of flangrove Forests.......................... 26 3.2 Zonation, Succession and "Land Building" 26 3.3 Nutrient Cycling................................................... 30 3.4 Litter Fall and Decomposition 32 3.5 Carbon Export 34 3.6 Energy Flow 36 CHAPTER 4. COMMUNITY COMPONENTS - MICROORGANISMS 40 CHAPTER 5. COMMUNITY COMPONENTS - PLAinS OTHER THAN t1ANGROVES 41 5.1 Root and Mud Algae 41 5.2 Phytoplankton...................................................... 43 5.3 Associated Vascular Plants 43 v CONTENTS (continued) Page CHAPTER 6. COM~IUNITY COI·IPONENTS - INVERTEBRATES 45 6.1 Ecological Relationships ...................................•...... 45 6.2 Arboreal Arthropod Community...................................... 47 6.3 Prop Root and Associated Mud Surface Conrnunity 47 6.4 Water Column Community............................................ 49 CHAPTER 7. cOr~rt,UNITY COMPONENTS - FISHES 50 7.1 Basin r~angrove Forests............................................ 50 7.2 Riverine Forests. 52 7.3 Fringing Forests along Estuarine Bays and Lagoons 54 7.4 Fringing Forests along Oceanic Bays and Lagoons 56 7.5 Overwash Mangrove Islands 56 7.6 Gradient of 1·langrove Community Interactions 57 CHAPTER 8. COMMUNITY COMPONENTS - AMPHIBIANS ANO REPTILES .......•.....•.... 58 CHAPTER 9. COMMUNITY CO~1PONENTS - BIRDS.................................... 61 9.1 Ecological Relationships 61 '9.2 Wading Birds 61 9.3 Probi ng Shorebi rds .................................•.............. 65 9.4 Floating and Diving Water Birds................................... 65 9.5 Aerially-searching Birds.............................. 67 9.6 Birds of Prey.. 67 9.7 Arboreal Birds.................................................... 68 9.8 Associations between Mangrove Community Types and Birds 70 9.9 Mangroves as Winter Habitat for North American Migrant Land Birds. 71 CHAPTER 10. COMMUNITY COf·1PONENTS - MAMMALS ..•...............•.•............ 72 CHAPTER 11. VALUE OF MANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS TO MAN ......•..................... 74 11 .1 Shoreline Stabilization and Storm Protection . 74 11 .2 Habitat Value to Wildlife .. 74 11.3 Importance to Threatened and Endangered Species ........•.......... 75 11. 4 Value to Sport and Commercial Fisheries .. 75 11.5 Aesthetics, Tourism and the Intangibles ...................•....... 75 11.6 Economi c Products ....................•..............•............. 76 CHAPTER 12. MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS........................................ 77 12.1 Inherent Vul nerabil ity . 77 12.2 Man-induced Destruction . 77 12.3 Effects of Oil Spill s on Mangroves ..........•.•........••.•....... 80 12.4 Man-induced Modifications ...................................•..... 81 12.5 Protective Measures Including Transplanting ...•................... 84 12.6 Ecological Value of Black vs. Red Mangroves ...•...............•.•. 85 12.7 The Importance of Inter-community Exchange . 85 12.8 ~Ianagement Practices: Preservation .. 86 vi CONTENTS (continued) Page REFERENCES 88 APPENDIX A: SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS AND SAMPLING METHODOLOGY FOR FISHES 106 APPENDIX B: FISHES OF MANGROVE AREAS 110 APPENDIX C: AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES FROM MANGROVE AREAS 127 APPENDIX D: AVIFAUNA OF MANGROVE AREAS 130 APPENDI X E: i4AM/o1ALS OF 14ANGROVE AREAS 142 vi i FIGURES Number Approximate northern limits for the red mangrove (R), black mangrove (B), and "hite mangrove (W) in Florida 3 2a A typical intertidal profile from south Florida showing the distribution of red and black mangroves........ 4 2b The pattern of annual sea level change in south Florida 4 3 Three species of Florida mangroves with propagu1es, flowers and leaves. 6 4 The six mangrove community types...................................... 8 5a Aboveground and be10wground biomass of a Puerto Rican red mangrove forest 16 5b Light attenuation in a mangrove canopy; canopy height is 8m 16 6 The hypothetical relationship between waterway position and community net primary production of Florida mangrove forests 22 7 The hypothetical relationship between nutrient input, biomass, producti vi ty, and nutri ent export from mangrove ecosystems 31 8 Potential pathways of energy flow in mangrove ecosystems 37 g Vertical distribution of selected algae and invertebrates on red mangrove prop roots .....................................•......... 42 10 Photograph of red mangrove prop root habitat in clear shallow "ater with associated animal and plant populations 46 11 Gradient of mangrove-associated fish communities showing representative species................................................ 51 12 Aerial photograph of the mangrove belt of southwest Florida near Whitewater Bay 53 13 The mangrove water snake, Nerodia fasciata compressicauda, curled on a red mangrove prop root 59 14 A variety of wading birds feeding in a mangrove-lined pool near F1 ami ngo, Flori da ...........................................•.... 62 15 Osprey returning to its nest in a red mangrove near Whitewater Bay .... 69 16 Damaged stand of red and black mangroves near Flamingo, Florida, as it appeared 7 years after Hurricane Donna 78 17 1·langrove forest near Key West as it appeared in 1981 after being destroyed by diking and impounding 79 18 ~Iangrove islands in Florida Bay near Upper Matecumbe Key.............. 87 TABLES Number Page la Estimates of mangrove production in Florida ...............•........... 20 lb Comparative measurements of photosynthesis in gC/m2/day 21 lc Gross primary production at different