Dynamics of particles and phosphorus in canals of the Lower Everglades, Florida, USA.

Water flow (discharge) can affect water quality by influencing the concentration and transport of waterborne contaminants. The effects of discharge on phosphorus (P) and particle concentrations in managed canals, were described using concentration-discharge (C-Q) relationships, accumulation of suspended and settling particles, and the physicochemical characteristics of these particles and bed sediments. Piecewise regression analysis on C-Q relationships revealed slope inflections that denoted thresholds, where P-behavior changed from low to high discharge. The C-Q relationships generally showed higher concentrations at higher discharges. In three of the four Lower Everglades canals studied, long-term (1995-2019) lower temporal resolution data (daily to weekly) was adequate to describe the influence of discharge on P concentrations. However, in one site, the L-29 Canal, higher temporal resolution data (minutes to hours over weeks), derived from acoustic sensors, was necessary to produce C-Q relationships. In the L-29 Canal, discharge affected the transport, settling, and sediment accrual at distances from the S333 inflow structure. Sediment traps showed higher discharge led to a greater accumulation of suspended particles that were transported and settled farther downstream. Generally, downstream surface sediments in the L-29 Canal had greater organic matter, lower bulk density and higher TP than those of the upstream site, reflecting long-term effects of discharge. Understanding the effects of discharge on particles and associated nutrients, especially at discharge thresholds that lead to concentration increases, can inform the operation of managed canals to reduce contaminant loading to downstream sensitive ecosystems.

High-Resolution Estimation of Suspended Solids and Particulate Phosphorus Using Acoustic Devices in a Hydrologically Managed Canal in South Florida, USA.

Conventional methods of measuring total suspended sediments (TSS) and total particulate phosphorus (TPP) are typically low-resolution and miss critical processes that impact their exports in aquatic environments. To create high-resolution TSS and TPP estimates, echo intensity (EI), a biproduct of velocity measurements from acoustic devices, was utilized. An acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) and an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) were deployed in three locations in the L-29 Canal in South Florida, USA, to obtain estimates near the canal bed and in the water column, respectively. Corrections for transmission losses from the ADCP proved unnecessary due to the low vertical variability in the measured EI. EI calibrations were performed using artificially created TSS obtained from bed sediments (ADV) and gravimetrically measured TSS from water samples that matched the depths and times of the ADCP deployments. The measured TSS values were then analyzed for total phosphorus and converted to TPP estimates. The results showed that high TSS and TPP were caused by the rapid discharge releases typical of managed canals. This work demonstrates that high-resolution estimates are imperative for assessing the effects of such swift hydrologic changes on the potential export of sediments and nutrients to delicate ecosystems downstream.

Impact of Melaleuca quinquenervia Biochar on Phaseolus vulgaris Growth, Soil Nutrients, and Microbial Gas Flux.

Biochar has been heralded for improving soil quality, sequestering C, and converting organic residues into value-added amendments. Biochar research in agricultural settings has been primarily conducted on acidic soils, with few studies evaluating biochar effects on alkaline soils. Given the rise of small-scale, sustainable farmers experimenting with biochar in South Florida's alkaline, carbonaceous soil, this study sought to assess biochar use in South Florida using an invasive plant species as a feedstock. (Cav.) S.T. Blake biomass was converted into biochar to measure how application at two rates, 2 and 5% (w/w), affects plant growth, soil macro- and micronutrients, and microbial gas flux (CO) in a potted greenhouse experiment using L. Plant growth was inhibited with biochar addition at the 2 and 5% rates. Dry shoot, pod weight, and pod length decreased significantly between treatments ( < 0.001). Significant reductions in plant-available P, Ca, Mg, Cu, and Zn were observed in the 5% biochar soil postharvest ( < 0.05). Compared with the control, addition of biochar at 2 and 5% rates significantly reduced CO flux during the growing season, but not at harvest ( < 0.01). Our results indicate that those considering biochar application in South Florida's alkaline soil should be cautious in selecting feedstock and temperature for biochar production. Biochar can be produced at lower temperatures to decrease pH, but the concomitant increase in volatile matter (VM) is of concern. Although CO flux may have decreased, the deleterious impacts of biochar (pH = 8.12, VM = 26.5%) on production should not be dismissed.

Methylmercury photodegradation in surface water of the Florida Everglades: importance of dissolved organic matter-methylmercury complexation.

Photodegradation is the major pathway of methylmercury (MeHg) degradation in many surface waters. However, the mechanism of MeHg photodegradation is still not completely understood. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is expected to play a critical role in MeHg photodegradation. By using several techniques, including N2/O2 purging and the addition of stable isotope (Me(201)Hg), scavengers, competing ligands, and a singlet oxygen ((1)O2) generator, the role played by MeHg-DOM complexation in MeHg photodegradation of Everglades surface water was investigated. DOM appeared to be involved in MeHg photodegradation via the formation MeHg-DOM complexes based on three findings: (1) MeHg was quickly photodegraded in solutions containing DOM extracts; (2) degradation of MeHg did not occur in deionized water; and (3) addition of competing complexation reagents (dithiothreitol-DTT) dramatically prohibited the photodegradation of MeHg in Everglades water. Further experiments indicated that free radicals/reactive oxygen species, including hydroxyl radical (·OH), (1)O2, triplet excited state of DOM ((3)DOM*), and hydrated electron (e(-)aq), played a minor role in MeHg photodegradation in Everglades water, based on the results of scavenger addition, (1)O2 generator addition and N2/O2 purging. A pathway, involving direct photodegradation of MeHg-DOM complexes via intramolecular electron transfer, is proposed as the dominant mechanism for MeHg photodegradation in Everglades water.

Plant decomposition in wetlands: effects of hydrologic variation in a re-created everglades.

The effects of water depth and flow on marsh plant litter decomposition and soil chemistry were measured in the Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment (LILA) facility (Boynton Beach, FL), where macrocosms mimic Everglades ridge-and-slough landscape features. Experiments were conducted in two macrocosms that differed in flow but had ridge, shallow slough, and deep slough habitats that differed in water depth. Decomposition of three common Everglades species, Crantz, Torr., and Aiton, were measured using litter bags incubated in the macrocosms under both wet and dry conditions. Litter decomposition was similar among flow treatments and habitats but differed by species and between wet and dry conditions. Decomposition rates from fastest to slowest were > > litter had more total P than the other two species, confirming the importance of P availability in controlling decomposition in the Everglades. Planted species had no effect on soil nutrient content during the ~4 yr of plant growth. Average water velocities of ~0.5 cm s attained in the flow treatment had no effect on decomposition or soil chemistry. The plant species used in this study are major contributors to Everglades' organic soils, so their decomposition rates can be used to parameterize models for how restoration manipulations will affect soil-building processes and to predict the temporal sequence of landscape responses to these manipulations. The results suggest that longer periods and flows greater than studied here may be necessary to see restoration effects on soil building processes.

Spatial variability in mercury cycling and relevant biogeochemical controls in the Florida Everglades.

Spatial patterns in mercury cycling and bioaccumulation at the landscape level in the Everglades were investigated by collecting and analyzing multimedia samples for mercury species and biogeochemical characteristics from 228 randomly located stations. Higher total mercury (THg) in environmental compartments (surface water, soil, flocculent detrital material (floc), and periphyton) generally occurred in the northern and central Everglades, but higher THg in water and periphyton in the Everglades National Park was an exception. Multiple biogeochemical characteristics, such as surface water dissolved organic matter (DOC(sw)), pH, chloride, and compositional properties of solid compartments (soil and floc), were identified to be important factors controlling THg distribution. Methylmercury (MeHg) was also higher in the northern Everglades for water, soil, and floc, but not for periphyton. Higher mosquitofish THg and bioaccumulation factor were observed in the central and southern Everglades, partially in accordance with periphyton MeHg distribution, but not in the "hot spot" areas of water, soil, or floc MeHg. The discrepancy in mercury bioaccumulation and mercury distribution in environmental compartments suggests that in addition to MeHg production, biogeochemical controls that make MeHg available to aquatic organisms, such as DOC(sw) and compositional properties of soil and floc, are important in mercury bioaccumulation.

Mercury mass budget estimates and cycling seasonality in the Florida Everglades.

We estimated the mass budget for mercury (Hg) seasonally deposited into the Florida Everglades and investigated seasonality of Hg cycling by analyzing data obtained for water, soil, flocculent detrital material (floc), periphyton, and mosquitofish collected throughout the Everglades freshwater marshes in the 2005 dry and wet seasons. Higher wet season total Hg (THg) in soil, floc, and periphyton agreed with greater Hg amounts entering these compartments during the wet season, probably owing to substantially greater Hg deposition in the wet season than in the dry season. Seasonal differences were absent for THg in surface water. Methylmercury (MeHg) showed mixed seasonal patterns, with higher water and soil MeHg and lower periphyton MeHg in the dry season but no seasonality for floc MeHg. Seasonal variations in Hg deposition, MeHg production and transport, and mass of ecosystem compartments could be responsible for the seasonality of MeHg cycling. Higher mosquitofish THg, higher bioaccumulation factors, and higher biomagnification factors from periphyton to mosquitofish were observed in the wet season than in the dry season, indicating that the wet season is more favorable for Hg bioaccumulation. The mass budget estimation agreed with this result.

Cascading ecological effects of low-level phosphorus enrichment in the Florida everglades.

Few studies have examined long-term ecological effects of sustained low-level nutrient enhancement on wetland biota. To determine sustained effects of phosphorus (P) addition on Everglades marshes we added P at low levels (5, 15, and 30 microg L(-1) above ambient) for 5 yr to triplicate 100-m flow-through channels in pristine marsh. A cascade of ecological responses occurred in similar sequence among treatments. Although the rate of change increased with dosing level, treatments converged to similar enriched endpoints, characterized most notably by a doubling of plant biomass and elimination of native, calcareous periphyton mats. The full sequence of biological changes occurred without an increase in water total P concentration, which remained near ambient levels until Year 5. This study indicates that Everglades marshes have a near-zero assimilative capacity for P without a state change, that ecosystem responses to enrichment accumulate over time, and that downstream P transport mainly occurs through biota rather than the water column.

Decadal change in vegetation and soil phosphorus pattern across the Everglades landscape.

Wetlands respond to nutrient enrichment with characteristic increases in soil nutrients and shifts in plant community composition. These responses to eutrophication tend to be more rapid and longer lasting in oligotrophic systems. In this study, we documented changes associated with water quality from 1989 to 1999 in oligotrophic Everglades wetlands. We accomplished this by resampling soils and macrophytes along four transects in 1999 that were originally sampled in 1989. In addition to documenting soil phosphorus (P) levels and decadal changes in plant species composition at the same sites, we report macrophyte tissue nutrient and biomass data from 1999 for future temporal comparisons. Water quality improved throughout much of the Everglades in the 1990s. In spite of this improvement, though, we found that water quality impacts worsened during this time in areas of the northern Everglades (western Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge [NWR] and Water Conservation Area [WCA] 2A). Zones of high soil P (exceeding 700 mg P kg(-1) dry wt. soil) increased to more than 1 km from the western margin canal into the Loxahatchee NWR and more than 4 km from northern boundary canal into WCA-2A. This doubling of the high soil P zones since 1989 was paralleled with an expansion of cattail (Typha spp.)-dominated marsh in both regions. Macrophyte species richness declined in both areas from 1989 to 1999 (27% in the Loxahatchee NWR and 33% in WCA-2A). In contrast, areas well south of the Everglades Agricultural Area, induding WCA-3A and Everglades National Park (ENP), did not decline during this time. We found no significant decadal change in plant community patterns from 1989 and 1999 along transects in southern WCA-3A or Shark River Slough (ENP). Our 1999 sampling also included a new transect in Taylor Slough (ENP), which will allow change analysis here in the future. Regular sampling of these transects, to verify decadal-scale environmental impacts or improvements, will continue to be an important tool for long-term management and restoration of the Everglades.