| Abstract:
Intertidal vegetative communities such as salt marshes and mangrove forests once covered extensive areas around Tampa Bay. Today only about one-third of the historical acreage remains. The communities comprise important habitats for commercially and recreationally important fisheries, for wading birds and for other wildlife.
The objectives of this work are:
- to establish a long-term sampling network in the remaining wetlands of Tampa Bay to assess their health (growth, production, survival, mortality) and measure future changes and trends
- provide the scientific insight necessary for enlightened management and restoration of coastal wetlands in the Tampa Bay region.
Our methods involve the establishment of permanent sampling locations that are measured repeatedly over time. We use plots in the mangrove forests and transects in marshes. Sixteen plots have been established to date (8 at Terra Ceia, 8 in the Alafia).
Although only two years old, our sampling has revealed that natural changes have occured. Larger mangrove trees in plots around Moses Hole, at Terra Ceia, suffered mortality during a severe storm event in January 2002. Recruitment into the plots by mangrove stems is low and growth of the trees and saplings is slow. The slow growth we have observed is probably partly attributable to the Region's recent drought.
During the coming year we will resample all of the vegetation plots and transects. Additional plots will be established in the Feather Sound region. We will also place Sediment Elevation Tables (SETs) and soil water wells at a selected number of the permanent vegetation plots.
SETs are used to measure changes in the surface elevation of wetlands at small scales. The measures can be related to both physical parameters (groundwater hydrology) and biological aspects of the environment (plant growth). The sampling network will allow us to quickly assess wetland responses to ongoing restoration projects around Tampa Bay.
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