Current research projects

Florida's Participation in the National Wetland Condition Assessment 2011. Funded by US Environmental Protection Agency. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has embarked on a nationwide National Aquatic Resource Survey (NARS) to access the condition of the Nation's lakes (field work in fiscal year (FY)07), rivers (FY08), streams (FY09), coastal waters (FY10), and wetlands (FY11). As part of the larger NARS project, the University of Florida-H.T. Odum Center for Wetlands (UF-CFW) project specifically focuses on participation in the statewide assessment of wetland condition as part of the US EPA National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) 2011. Information collected from this assessment will be used by the US EPA in support of the first ever nation-wide evaluation of wetland condition based on chemical, physical, and biological parameters. The NWCA uses a probability-based sample design, resulting in a statistically valid estimate of condition for a population of wetlands. During the execution of the NWCA, Level II Rapid Assessment and Level III Intensive Site Assessment will be conducted through the Level II US Rapid Assessment Method (US-RAM) and Level III field and laboratory studies on algae, vegetation, water and soil chemistry, hydrology, and buffers.

FY 2010 Section 106 Monitoring Initiative Funds: Water Monitoring Program Enhancements and National Wetland Condition Assessment. Funded by US Environmental Protection Agency. The University of Florida-H.T. Odum Center for Wetlands (UF-CFW) in cooperation with the monitoring and assessment needs of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with funding through the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) have begun work to supplement the National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) 2011. Funds from this grant will be used for monitoring program improvements within Florida. The funds will enhance FDEP's ability to assess waters, report on overall condition, and obtain the needed water quality information to develop and assess protective numeric water quality criteria. Four specific project tasks include further development of statistically-valid assessments of waters, procurement of monitoring equipment (i.e. dissolved oxygen probes), enhancements to biological monitoring (e.g. field testing of Florida Wetland Condition Index (FWCI) against NWCA, determination of temporal variability in vegetation), and monitoring to support development of water quality criteria.

Level 1 Landscape Scale Analysis of Wetland Condition. Funded by US Environmental Protection Agency Region IV. This project builds on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA's) National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) 2011 by performing geographic information systems (GIS) based site evaluation and a Level I Landscape Assessment of 67 wetland assessment points located within the state of Florida. Through the use of the Level I Landscape Assessment using the Landscape Development Intensity (LDI) index this project seeks to link the Level II Rapid Assessment and Level III Intensive Site Assessment with the landscape scale and demonstrates a remote office based tool to evaluate wetland condition to support monitoring capacity of the state's wetland resources. This Level I assessment can serve as a pilot project to demonstrate the utility of the Level I LDI index for additional wetland assessment points in the NWCA 2011.

Past research projects (2000-2010)

Lake Jesup Total Phosphorus (TP) Removal Treatment Technologies. Floating Island Pilot Project. Funded by St John's River Water Management District. A research project to build and test a pilot-scale floating modular treatment system consisting of interchangeable biological and physical-chemical treatment modules for TP removal from tributaries to Lake Jesup.

Summary of the Available Literature on Nutrient Concentrations and Hydrology for Florida Isolated Wetlands. Funded by Florida Department of Environmental Protection. (Report)

Wetlands on Clay Settling Areas. Funded by Florida Institute of Phosphate Research. This research project was a five-year investigation of wetlands on Clay Settling Areas (CSAs) to develop knowledge and understanding of their ecology and hydrology for establishing functional wetlands and to suggest ways to enhance their creation. The project documented the current status and historical trends of wetlands naturally establishing on CSAs, evaluated CSA hydrologic regimes, evaluated CSA ecohydrology, developed temporal and spatial hydrologic models of wetlands on CSAs, conducted short- and long-term field trials that documented survival and growth of herbaceous and forested wetland plant species, and synthesized project findings into guidelines for enhancement of existing wetlands and the creation of new ones on CSAs.

Development of Landscape Development Intensity (LDI) Coefficients for Wetlands in Little Bayou Meto Watershed in Lower Arkansas. Funded by Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission. The project developed an appropriate land use classification scheme from existing Land use/land cover, collected energy and material flow data and calculated empower densities for land use classes, and developed LDI coefficients for land use classes from empower densities. (Report)

Successional Trajectories of Constructed Forested Wetlands. Funded by Florida Institute of Phosphate Research. This research addresses the development and application of the trajectory approach to assessing adequate site progress toward ecological goals for created forested wetlands on phosphate mined land.  The final report can be found on the Florida Institute of Phosphate Reserach's web site: http://www.fipr.state.fl.us/, FIPR Publication #03-142-231.

UMAM Training Manual: web based training manual for Chapter 62-345, FAC for wetlands permitting. Funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The project developed a web-based training manual designed to help users "walk-through" the process for conducting an evaluation under the newly adopted Unified Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM). Additionally, the training manual provides some background and ancillary data on landuse, water quality, hydroperiods, and natural community guides. UMAM is now applied statewide to assess the value of wetlands and other surface waters and determine the amount of mitigation needed to offset adverse impacts. The manual is available on-line from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's website:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wetlands/mitigation/umam.htm.

2005 Pilot Study - The Florida Wetland Condition Index (FWCI): Preliminary Development of Biological Indicators for Forested Strand and Floodplain Wetlands.. Funded by Florida Department of Environmental Protection. This project was a pilot study including 24 forested strand and floodplain wetlands. It developed biological indicators throughout Florida using sturctural metrics for the macrophyte community. Landscape Development Intensity (LDI) index and soil quality were also determined. The final report is available on-line from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's website:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/labs/library/ - - scroll down to "Wetlands Bioassessment Documents."

The Florida Wetland Condition Index (FWCI): Developing Biological Indicators for Isolated Depressional Forested Wetlands. Funded by Florida Department of Environmental Protection. This project developed biological indicators for depressional forested wetlands throughout the entire state of Florida using sturctural metrics for the benthic diatom, macrophyte, and benthic macroinvertebrate communities.  Landscape Development Intensity (LDI) index, water quality, and soil quality were also determined.  The final report is available on-line from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's website:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/labs/library/ - - scroll down to "Wetlands Bioassessment Documents."

Development of Wetland Condition Index for Isolated Depressional Herbaceous Wetlands. Funded by Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Methods to quantify the relative condition of isolated herbaceous wetlands in Florida were identified using macrophytes, macroinvertebrates, and diatoms. The metrics were combined to create the Florida Wetland Condition Index for herbaceous wetlands. The final report is available on-line from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's website:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/labs/library/ - - scroll down to "Wetlands Bioassessment Documents."

Evaluation of Successional Trajectories in Constructed Wetlands on Phosphate Mined Lands
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Successional Development of Forested Wetlands on Reclaimed Phosphate Mined Lands in Florida. Funded by Florida Institute of Phosphate Research.
Studies of wetlands developing on phosphate mined lands and under controlled greenhouse conditions were conducted to evaluate the role of early successional species in ecosystem development. The project focused on primrose willow (Ludwigia peruvianna), cattail (Typha sp.), Carolina willow (Salix caroliniana), and vines. Persistence under reduced light, nutrient cycling, and nutrient sequestration were studied, as well as their role in developing and altering the physical environment (microtopography). Finally, measurable wetland attributes showing directional change with time were identified, and models of successional trajectories were established from attribute data, including tree height, dbh, canopy cover, soil organic matter content, and bulk density. The final report is available on-line from the Florida Institute of Phosphate Research: http://www.fipr.state.fl.us/, FIPR Publication #03-131-193.

Determination of an Appropriate Onsite Sewage System Setback Distance to Seasonally Inundated Areas. Funded by Florida Department of Health.

South Dade Stormwater Treatment Area Evaluation. Funded by South Florida Water Management District. Developed tools for the assessment of stormwater retrofitting designs in urban areas. Particular emphasis was on modeling to evaluate various conceptual plans, including geographic location of treatment sites, total area requirements, and strategies of one single vs. many small wetland systems.