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Can rewatering reverse the effects of regional drainage on forest communities of the Big Cypress Swamp?

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Date Issued:
2002
Summary:
The impact of five years of rewatering on a desiccated forested wetland within the Everglades Big Cypress Swamp was investigated. It was found that rewatering generally resulted in a shift in species composition along a hydrological gradient. This was particularly evident in the seedling and herbaceous layer of the cypress domes, the most hydric community studied, where obligate and facultative wetland species had their highest species richness. Overall there were no detectable differences in the number of non-indigenous species in rewatered compared to reference sites. Results from this short-term study showed that rewatering may potentially reverse the trend of increasing coverage by non-obligate wetland plants that have established in the past century as a result of regional desiccation.
Title: Can rewatering reverse the effects of regional drainage on forest communities of the Big Cypress Swamp?.
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Name(s): Park, Scott Michael T.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Volin, John C., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2002
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 59 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The impact of five years of rewatering on a desiccated forested wetland within the Everglades Big Cypress Swamp was investigated. It was found that rewatering generally resulted in a shift in species composition along a hydrological gradient. This was particularly evident in the seedling and herbaceous layer of the cypress domes, the most hydric community studied, where obligate and facultative wetland species had their highest species richness. Overall there were no detectable differences in the number of non-indigenous species in rewatered compared to reference sites. Results from this short-term study showed that rewatering may potentially reverse the trend of increasing coverage by non-obligate wetland plants that have established in the past century as a result of regional desiccation.
Identifier: 9780493547473 (isbn), 12887 (digitool), FADT12887 (IID), fau:9761 (fedora)
Note(s): Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2002.
Subject(s): Forested wetlands--Florida--Big Cypress Swamp
Hydrology--Florida--Big Cypress Swamp
Ecosystem management--Florida--Big Cypress Swamp
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12887
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.