ATTACHMENT B
DRAFT PERFORMANCE MEASURE
DOCUMENTATION
Category
Ecological
Performance Measure
Seasonal
Distribution of Overland Flow Volume, Mid Shark River Slough
Date Submitted/Revised
June 1988
General Planning Objective
This
performance measure is linked to the Everglades Sloughs Conceptual Model
developed by the SERA Natural Systems Team, and addresses several hydrologic
and ecologic planning objectives identified by the Governors's Commission for a
Sustainable South Florida in the C&SF Project Restudy Conceptual Plan.
Region
The
seasonal distribution of overland flow volume is applied as a performance
measure only to the cross section in mid Shark River Slough.
Restoration Goal
The
re-distribution of flow into Shark River Slough, with subsequent restoration of
extended duration of uninterrupted flooding, brief duration of dry conditions,
water depth pattern, and overland flow volume and timing characteristic of the pre-drainage system is among the
highest priorities of ecosystem restoration in the southern Everglades.
Problem Addressed
Restoration
of the seasonal timing of flow down Shark River Slough is important to extend
the duration of flooding in the Slough and to provide seasonal salinity patterns
in the estuaries as they would have occurred in the natural system
Model Target
The target is a cumulative deviation
that does not exceed that indicated by NSM45F.
Model Output Format
The
overland flow volume across the cross-section in mid Shark River Slough that
occurs each month of the year is calculated as the percent of the annual flow
volume and is averaged over the 31-year period of record. The performance measure is the cumulative
deviation of the monthly percent of annual flow under a given alternative from
the monthly percent of flow under NSM45F, summed over the 12 months of the
year. It is given a weighting of one when averaged with the other performance
measures for Shark River Slough because of the higher level of uncertainty in NSM45F
simulations of flow compared to other parameters.
Evaluation Tools
The
South Florida Water Management Model and Natural System Model should be used to
evaluate a cross section evaluate a cross-section taken across the entire width
and depth of flow in mid Shark River Slough.
Literature Cited
Authors & Contributors
Author: Steve Davis
Contributors: South
Florida Water Management District and Everglades National Park staff (Final
document will identify individual contributers)
******************************************************************************
Performance Measure
Florida Bay
Performance Measure Suite:
Frequency
of Stages of 6.3+ feet MSL at Gage P33
Frequency of Stages
of 7.3+ feet NSM at Gage P33
Cumulative Salinity
Differences from High Levels, March-June
Cumulative Salinity
Differences from Low Leves, August-October
Date Submitted/Revised
June 1998
General Planning Objective
These
performance measures are linked to the Florida Bay Mangrove/Estuarine
Conceptual Model developed by the SERA Natural Systems Team.
Region
All
four measures target Florida Bay coastal basins.
Restoration Goal
Ecological
values and indicators of restoration success in the Florida Bay mangrove
estuary and coastal basins that are linked to the above hydrology/salinity
performance measures in the conceptual model include 1) increased production of
low-salinity mangrove fish and invertebrates, 2) re-establishment of coastal
nesting colonies of wading birds and wood storks and eastern Florida Bay
colonies of roseate spoonbill, 3) delay (syn) in coastal colony formation by
wading birds and wood storks, 4) resumption of the return frequency of wading
bird and white ibis super colonies, 5) increased growth and survival of
juvenile American crocodiles, 6) increased cover of low-to-moderate salinity
aquatic macrophyte communities in coastal lakes and basins, 7) return of
seasonal waterfowl aggregations to coastal lakes and basins, 8) enhanced
nursery ground value for sport fishes and pink shrimp in coastal basins, and 9)
persistence and resilience of the mangrove, salt marsh and tidal creek
vegetation mosaic.
Problem Addressed
Ecological
restoration of the estuary requires a reduction in the frequency of high
salinity events that have been identified for each coastal basin through the
conceptual model process. Another
restoration criterion is to increase the frequency of low salinity events that
have been identified for each coastal basin.
Table
1.
Lower and upper salinity levels identified for coastal basins. It is desirable to decrease the frequency
that salinity exceeds upper levels, and to increase the frequency that salinity
drops below lower levels.
The
strategy for ecological restoration of the estuary is to maintain freshwater
heads and flows in the Everglades at the upstream end of the salinity gradient
in order to achieve desirable salinity regimes in the Florida Bay coastal
basins at the downstream end of the salinity gradient. Regression analyses demonstrated inverse
relationships of salinity in the coastal basins to water level upstream in the
Everglades. The regressions indicated
that stages of 7.3 and 6.3 feet msl at the P33 gage in central Shark River
Slough produce the lower and upper salinity levels for Joe Bay, Little Madeira
Bay, Terrapin Bay, Garfield Bight, and North River Mouth.
Model Target
Number of months NSM4.5F
provided stages of 6.3 or above
Number of months
NSM4.5F provided stages of 7.3 or above
Reduce the
cumulative salinity difference to a value that does not exceed the cumulative
difference produced by NSM4.5F.
Reduce the
cumulative salinity difference to a value that does not exceed the cumulative
difference produced by NSM4.5F.
Model Output Format
The
Florida Bay Mangrove/Estuarine Conceptual Model identifies high salinity
concentrations for the coastal basins of Florida Bay which should not be
exceeded more frequently than NSM45F would indicate. Stages equaling or exceeding 6.3 feet msl at the P33 gage in mid
Shark River Slough correspond to a reduced frequency of those high salinity
events in the the Florida Bay coastal basins from Joe Bay to North River
Mouth. This performance measure is the
number of months during the 31-year period of record when stages at P33 rose
to, or above, 6.3. A reduced frequency of high salinity events is given a high
priority in the ecological restoration of the coastal basins, thus the
frequency of 6.3+ stages is given a weighting of two when averaged with the
other performance measures.
The
Florida Bay Mangrove Estuarine Transition Conceptual Model identifies low
salinity concentrations for the coastal basins of Florida Bay which should be
attained as frequently as NSM45F would indicate. Stages equaling or exceeding 7.3 feet msl at the P33 gage in mid
Shark River slough corresponded to an increased frequency of those low salinity
events in the coastal basins of Florida Bay.
The performance measure is the number of months during the 31-year
period of record when stages at P33 rose to, or above, 7.3. An increased frequency of low salinity
events is given a lower priority than a reduced frequency of high events, thus
the frequency of 7.3+ stages is given a weighting of one when averaged with the
other performance measures for the coastal basins.
The
transition from the late dry season to the early wet season during March
through June is a critical period to estuarine organisms in the Florida Bay
coastal basins regarding the frequency and duration of high salinity events.
Salinity is estimated based on relationships between mean monthly salinity in
the coastal basins and water stage at the P33 gage in mid Shark River
Slough. The cumulative salinity
difference (ppt) from the high salinity levels that have been identified for
Florida Bay coastal basins is summed during the dry/wet season transition
months of March-June. Differences are
summed over five coastal basins (Joe Bay, Little Madeira Bay, Terrapin Bay,
Garfield Bight and North River Mouth) and over the 31-year period of
record. Differences above the specified
high salinity levels are given a positive value, and differences below the high
salinity levels are given a negative value. This measure is given a weighting
of two when averaged with the other performance measures for the coastal basins
because the avoidance of high salinity events is considered more important than
the attainment of low salinity events.
During the August-October transition
from the late wet season to the early dry season, it is important to achieve
low salinity levels in the Florida Bay coastal basins to provide the seasonal
environment for low-salinity estuarine organisms and to postpone the onset of
high salinity events further into the dry season. Salinity is estimated based
on relationships between mean monthly salinity in the coastal basins and water
stage at the P33 gage in mid Shark River Slough. The cumulative salinity difference (ppt) from the low salinity
levels that have been identified for the Florida Bay coastal basins is summed
during the wet/dry season transition months of August-October. Differences are summed over the five coastal
basins and over the 31-year period of record.
Differences above the specified low salinity levels are given a positive
value, and differences below the low salinity levels are given a negative
value. This measure is given a
weighting of one when averaged with the other performance measures for the
coastal basins because the attainment of low salinity events is considered less
important than the avoidance of high salinity events.
Evaluation Tools
The
South Florida Water Management Model and Natural System Model should be used to
evaluate P33 stages. Priority is given
to the P33 stage of 6.3 and the March-June cumulative salinity difference,
which pertain to the avoidance of high salinity levels, over the P33 stage of
7.3 and the August-October cumulative salinity difference, which pertain to the
achievement of low salinity levels
Literature Cited
Authors & Contributors
Author: Steve Davis
Contributors: South
Florida Water Management District and Everglades National Park staff (Final
document will identify individual contributers)
******************************************************************************
Category
Ecological
Performance Measure
Model Lands/C-111
Performance Measure Suite
High
Water
Low
Water
Extreme
Low Water
Relative
Dry Period Slope
Wet
Season Inundation Pattern
Late
Wet Season Inundation
Date Submitted/Revised
March 1998/July
1998
General Planning Objective
Meets
planning objective criteria identified by the SERA Natural System Team and by
the Governor’s Commission for a Sustainable South Florida.
Region
The
term Model Lands, for C&SF Restudy planning purposes, applies to three
areas: (1) wetlands immediately north of the C111 Canal, (2) the land between
U.S. 1 and Card Sound Road, and (3) land east of Card Sound Road and south of
the Mowry Canal (C-103). These areas
correspond to Indicator Regions 4 (C-111 Perrine Marl Marsh), 5 (Model Lands
South), 6 (Model Lands North), and 47 (North C-111).
Restoration Goal
Reduce
artificial hydrological barriers between indicator regions, minimize the amount
of time exceedingly high and low water levels stress natural vegetation
communities, and restore more natural hydropatterns.
Problem Addressed
The Model
Lands/C-111 region encompasses freshwater (predoninantly marl prairie)
wetlands, a transition zone, and coastal wetlands. This area has been subdivided and hydrologically isolated from
the regional system by primary and secondary canals and major and minor
roads. The result has been widespread
overdrainage and a reduction in the amount of freshwater reaching the coastal
mangroves and nearshore estuarine waters as overland flow.
A study by
Meeder et al. (1996) compared recent vegetation to vegetation mapped during the
1940’s by Egler (1952). Their work
indicated that a zone of low plant cover and low primary productivity, which
is observable as a “white zone” on
aerial photographs, has expanded inland by as much as 300 meters since
1940. Meeder et al. (1996) associated
the inland expansion of this zone with saltwater intrusion.
Surface water
connection between the vast freshwater wetlands in this region has been
disrupted and runoff to the coastal bays and sounds have been blocked or
diverted by U.S. 1, Card Sound Road and borrow ditches, canal levees, and other
man-made structures. Ishman’s (1998)
paleoecologic study of Manatee Bay suggests that the bay supported a lower
salinity fauna in the early part of this century than it does today. Although large quantities of fresh water are
sometimes flushed to Manatee Bay through the C-111 Canal (S-197), the point
source delivery and pulsed manner in which this water moves into Manatee Bay
has proved harmful to marine and estuarine life. Most of the time Manatee Bay receives little freshwater inflow.
Model Target
The
Natural System Model (NSM) was not used to set performance targets for this
region. NSM is not a good indicator of
pre-drainage hydrologic conditions in the Model Lands area, as evidenced by NSM
predictions of lower dry-season water levels than the 1995 Base. If current water levels were higher than pre-drainage
water levels, it is unlikely that the “white zone” would have expanded to the
degree that it has since 1940.
Additionally, there had to have been sufficient freshwater flows to
Manatee Bay at most times of the year to support a brackish water fauna, which
does not exist in modern times. Four indicator regions in the Model Lands area
were established for the study of alternative management scenarios. Specific target water levels and
hydroperiods were defined for these indicator regions based on known topography
and projections of future restored vegetation. Vegetation zones adapted from
Meeder et al. (1996) were the basis for establishing target water levels. The collective professional experience of a
team of biologists from federal, state, and local agencies and businesses was
the basis for setting desired maximum ponding depths, minimum water levels, and
hydroperiods for each vegetation zone. Indicator regions and the projected
desired hydrologic parameters are shown below, followed by the vegetation zones
applicable to each indicator region.
Maximum and minimum water levels are relative to ground level.
|
Indicator Region |
Region Name |
SFWMM Cells |
Max Ponding Depth - Wet Season |
Min Water Level - Dry Season |
Average
Hydroperiod |
Vegetation Zones Included |
|
4 |
C-111 Perrine Marl Marsh |
R8, C26-27 R7, C26-27 |
< 2.0 ft |
> 0.5 ft |
10 - 12 months |
3 |
|
5 |
Model Lands South |
R8, C29-30 |
< 2.0 ft |
> 0.5 ft |
10 - 12 months |
3 |
|
6 |
Model Lands North |
R10, C29-30 |
< 1.75 ft |
> 0.25 ft |
8 - 12 months |
2 + 3 |
|
47 |
North C-111 |
R9, C26-27 |
< 1.5 ft |
> 0 ft |
6 - 9 months |
2 |
Vegetation
zones used as the basis for establishing targets
|
Zone |
Descriptive
Name |
Desired
Wet Season Maximum Water (relative to ground elevation) |
Desired
Dry Season Minimum Water (relative to ground elevation) |
Desired
Average Hydroperiod |
|
0 |
Agriculture/Open Land Buffer |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
1 |
Shrub-dominated Freshwater Marshes |
<
0.5 ft |
>
-0.5 ft |
Driven
by downstream hydrology |
|
2 |
Muhly/Sawgrass or Sawgrass Mosaic with Tree
Islands |
<
1.5 ft |
>
0 ft |
6
- 9 months, no wet season reversals |
|
3 |
Sawgrass Marsh with Freshwater Swamp
Forests |
<
2.0 ft |
>
0.5 ft |
10
- 12 months, no wet season reversals |
|
4 |
Mixed Graminoid with Dwarf Mangroves |
Driven
by upstream maxima |
>
0.5 ft |
12
months |
|
5 |
Ecotone - “White Zone” |
* |
* |
12
months |
|
6 |
Fringing (aka Coastal) Mangroves |
** |
** |
12
months |
|
7 |
Downstream Marine Areas |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Water
level not a useful indicator; 0 - 3 ppt salinity desired. year round.
**
Water level not a useful indicator; 0 - 5 ppt salinity desired. year round.
Model Output Format
High Water: The proportion of
time that water levels are below the high water level which has been specified
for the indicator region.
Low Water: The proportion of
time that water levels are below the low water level which has been specified
for the indicator region.
Extreme Low Water: The proportion of
time that water levels stay above one foot below the low water target.
Relative Dry Period Slope: Relative
measure of the steepness of the slope for the stage duration curve during dry
periods.
Wet Season Inundation Pattern: Proportional
measure of how many times during the 31 year simulation that water levels drop
below surface elevation during the July-October portion of the wet season.
Late Wet Season Inundation: Proportional
measure of how many times during the 31-yr simulation that autumn periods of
inundation ended during the months of November and December.
This was applied only to Indicator Region 5 (Model Lands
South), which includes habitat critical for Roseate Spoonbill feeding.
Evaluation Tools
South Florida Water
Management Model
Literature Cited
Egler, F.E.
1952. Southeast saline Everglades
vegetation. Florida and its
management. Veg. Acta Geobot. 3: 213-265.
Meeder, J.F., M.S.
Ross, G. Telesnick, P.L. Ruiz, and J.P. Sah. 1996. Vegetation analysis in the
C-111/Taylor Slough Basin. Final report on Contract C-4244. Southeast
Environmental Research Program, Florida International University, Miami,
Florida.
Ishman, S.E., T.M.
Dronin, L. Brewster-Wingard, and D.A. Willard. 1998. Paleoenvironmental record from Manatee Bay, Barnes Sound,
Florida. Poster presentation at the USGS Paleoecology Workshop, Key Largo,
Florida, January 22-23, 1998.
Authors & Contributors
Authors: Joan
Browder and Gwen M. Burzycki
Contributors: South
Dade Wetlands Team: Individuals will be listed
******************************************************************************
Category
Ecological
Performance Measure
Wood Stork Nesting
Patterns
Date Submitted/Revised
May 1998
General Planning Objective
Meets SERA
objectives to (1) Restore the natural annual and multi-year patterns of native
plant and animal distribution, abundance, seasonality and richness to the
natural areas of the southern Everglades region, and (2) Provide for
self-sustaining and self-regulating populations of native plant and animal
species with special attention to threatened, endangered and species of special
concern (includes both state and federally listed species).
Meets
general planning objectives of the Conceptual Plan for the C&SF Restudy Project,
of the Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida, to (1) Improve
and protect habitat quality, heterogeneity, and biodiversity in coastal and
associated marine ecosystems, and (2) Provide for sustainable populations of
native plant and animal species with special attention to threatened,
endangered, or species of special concern.
Region
Southern
Everglades & Big Cypress Subregions
Restoration Goal
Recover
healthy, sustainable Wood Stork nesting colonies to the Everglades basin.
Problem Addressed
The number of
Wood Storks nesting in colonies in the central and southern Everglades has
declined from 5,000-8,000 birds prior to the C&SF Project (numbers are for
1931-1946) to 250-1,000 birds since 1986 (Ogden 1991, 1994, Gawlik & Ogden
1996). During this same spread of years
(1931-1996) the timing of colony formation (initiation of nesting) by storks
has shifted from November & December for most years prior to 1970, to
February & March for most recent years (Ogden 1994). Earlier forming colonies were larger and
more successful than late forming colonies (e.g., means of 2,250 pairs in
November colonies, and 450 pairs in March colonies; successful in 7 of 9 years
between 1953-1961, but successful only 6 of 28 years between 1962-1989. Early forming colonies were located almost
entirely within the mainland, mangrove forest zone downstream from the
freshwater Everglades drainage, or along the mangrove-freshwater ecotone in the
southern Everglades. Recent stork
colonies mostly have been located on willow and pond apple islands in the
south-central Everglades.
The hypothesis
which best explains the changes in nesting patterns by storks is that, as a
result of substantial reductions in freshwater flow into the mainland
estuaries, the production and availability of the size classes of fishes which
are essential prey for nesting storks has deteriorated to the point where the
mangrove zone can no longer support nesting by storks (Ogden 1994). Storks now "wait" until water
levels in the later-drying interior sloughs drop low enough for fish to be
adequately concentrated to support nesting activity. Interior, late-forming colonies often fail because, (a) fish
stocks also are relatively low because of increased frequencies of slough
dry-outs in the managed system, (b) interior colonies lack the range of
foraging habitat conditions found in estuarine systems, and (c) late colonies
are still active when summer rains disperse local prey concentrations.
Model Target
To recover
healthy, sustainable nesting colonies of
Wood Storks in the Everglades basin, storks must return to nesting in
the area of the mainland estuaries, with colonies forming no later than
January. The historical pattern was for
storks to forage primarily in the mainland estuarine region during the early
dry season at the time of colony formation, and to forage in the drying
freshwater sloughs during the later dry season during the nestling and fledging
stages of reproduction.
In
addition to recovery of traditional location and timing patterns, the Science
Sub-Group of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force and Working
Group set a ecosystem restoration target of 3,000 - 5,000 nesting storks for
the Everglades and Big Cypress colonies combined (Ogden et al. 1997). This numerical target is consistent with the
target set in the revised Wood Stork Recovery Plan for delisting the stork:
2,500 pairs (5,000 birds) nesting in
south Florida in a total population of 10,000 pairs (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 1996).
Model Output Format
The
two hydrological indicators which best measure the recovery of optimum foraging
conditions for storks for the restoration targets described above, are, (a) the
measures of the volume of flow into the mainland estuaries downstream from the
southern Everglades and Big Cypress (three flow lines; one across the southern
Shark Slough; one across the southern Taylor Slough/Craighead Basin; and one
across the Lostman's Slough), and (b) the measure of mean duration of
uninterrupted surface hydroperiod in the central and southern Shark Slough
(indicator regions 10 and 11). The
target is to meet NSM 4.5 predicted flow volumes and hydroperiod durations,
respectively. The "score" for
each alternative plan and base condition will be the simple mean of the percentages
of NSM targets for the five hydrological parameters (3 flow lines and 2
indicator regions). This calculation
results in greater weight for the estuarine target, because three of the five
values are for measures of flow into the estuaries. Greater weight for the estuarine target is appropriate because
achievement of the desired colony timing and location patterns may be dependent
of estuarine conditions.
Evaluation Tools
Uses
output from the South Florida Water Management Model and the Natural Systems
Model (4.5), for Indicator Regions 10 and 11 in the central and southern Shark
Slough, and 3 Flow Lines at the freshwater/estuarine ecotone (Taylor Slough,
Shark Slough, Lostmans Slough).
Literature Cited
Gawlik, D.E. & J.C. Ogden
(eds.). 1996. 1996 late-season wading bird nesting report for south
Florida. South Florida Water Management
District. West Palm Beach, FL.
Ogden, J.C. 1991. Wading bird colony
dynamics in the central and southern Everglades. An annual report. South
Florida Research Center. Everglades
National Park.
Ogden,
J.C. 1994. A comparison of wading bird nesting colony dynamics (1931-1946
and 1974-1989) as an indication of ecosystem conditions in the southern
Everglades. Pp. 533-570 in,
Everglades. The ecosystem and its restoration
(S.M. Davis & J.C. Ogden, eds.).
St. Lucie Press, Delray Beach, FL.
Ogden,
J.C., G.T. Bancroft & P.C. Frederick.
1997. Ecological success
indicators: reestablishment of healthy wading bird populations. In, Ecologic and precursor success criteria
for south Florida ecosystem restoration.
A Science Sub-group report to the Working Group of the South Florida
Ecosystem Restoration Task Force. U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, FL.
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. 1996. Revised recovery plan for the U.S. breeding
population of the Wood Stork. U.S. fish
and Wildlife Service. Atlanta, GA. 41 pp.
Authors & Contributors
Submitted by: John
C. Ogden, South Florida Water Management District
******************************************************************************
Category
Ecological
Performance Measure
Viable Populations
of the Endangered Cape Sable Sparrow
Date Submitted/Revised
November, 1998
General Planning Objective
Meets
Governor’s Commission planning objective in the C&SF Project Restudy
Conceptual Plan; to provide for sustainable populations of native plant and
animal species with special attention to threatened, endangered, or species of
special concern.
Region
Everglades
National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve
Restoration Goal
For
the sparrow to survive in the long‑term, there must be three healthy sub‑populations,
each averaging at least 2000 birds.
Problem Addressed
The Cape Sable
sparrow is a Federally listed endangered species found only within the southern
Everglades. First found early in this
century, its exact range was not known completely until an extensive survey was
completed in 1981. Approximately 6500
existed at that time, grouped into three areas. The one west of Shark River Slough (A) was the most numerous,
followed by a slightly smaller population east of the Slough and west of Taylor
Slough (B). The remaining birds were
scattered in populations to the north and east of these two areas (C through
E). In 1992, the second annual survey
found similar numbers, though the northeastern birds had declined. In 1993, the western population declined
precipitously and has remained at low levels since. Population B has remained more or less constant. The remaining populations have been marked
by declines and local extinction (Curnutt et al.,l998)
Analysis
of the causes of these declines rule out chance fluctuations in numbers (which
can be large for similar grassland sparrows) and Hurricane Andrew, which passed
over some of the populations in 1992 (Curnutt et al., l998) Persistent high water levels during the
bird's breeding season (mid‑March to mid‑June) are the cause of the
decline in the western part of the range.
High water levels ‑ caused principally by discharges across the
S12 structures during the early months of the year ‑ prevented breeding
in 1993 and 1995 and allowed only limited breeding in 1994, 1996, and 1997
(Nott et al., l998). Rainfall during
the breeding season has a much smaller effect on the water levels in this area. In the north and east of the sparrow's
range, frequent fires caused the decline in sparrow densities. Fires as often as once a year preclude
breeding, and sparrow numbers increase as fire frequencies decline to once in
seven years. This frequency is the
limit of the data. It seems possible
that the diversion of water flows from northeast Shark Slough is partly
responsible for the drier conditions there, which could result in more frequent
fires and, in turn, the decline of the sparrow population.
Model Target
An area of 30
square kilometers in the west should remain dry (water level at or below ground
level) for a least 40 days during the period mid‑March to mid June. This will allow the birds to complete one
clutch. This is a minimum safe standard
for wet years, not an average value.
Under average conditions, an area of approximately 100 square kilometers
would be dry and part of this area would be dry for at least 80 days ‑
the time taken to complete two clutches.
In the
northeast part of the sparrow's range, the water levels need to be raised
during the pre‑breeding season in a way necessary to reduce fire
frequencies across the area to a safe minimum standard of no more than one dry
season fire in three years.
The first
requirement is that the water level at NP205 should be at or below ground level
on April 1st of each year. This will
ensure that sufficient breeding habitat is available for the population west of
Shark River Slough.
The
second requirement is that water levels in the marl prairies to the east of
Shark River Slough and north of Long Pine Key should be raised at the end of
the rainy season by about 12 cm (= 5 inches) above recent averages.
Model Output Format
Evaluation Tools
ATLSS
Literature Cited
Curnutt,
J.L., A.L. Mayer, T.M. Brooks, L. Manne, O.L. Bass, Jr., D.M. Fleming, and S.L.
Pimm. (in press). Population dynamics of the endangered Cape Sable Seaside‑Sparrow.
Animal Conservation.
Nott,
M.P., O.L. Bass, Jr., D.M. Fleming, S.E. Killeffer, N. Fraley, L. Manne, J.L.
Curnutt, T.M. Brooks, R. Powell , and S.L. Pimm. (in press). Water levels,
rapid vegetation changes, and the endangered Cape Sable Seaside‑Sparrow.
Anonymous.
1997. Balancing on the Brink: The Everglades and the Cape Sable Seaside
Sparrow. Report , U.S. Department of the Interior. 23pp.
Authors & Contributors
Stuart
L. Pimm
Department
of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
The
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996
******************************************************************************
Category
Ecological