Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - 11:15 AM
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Linking Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Benthic Algal Primary Production to Climate and Water Management Drivers in the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research Program

Evelyn Gaiser, Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199

Periphyton is a ubiquitous feature in South Florida wetlands, with high rates of production that regulates water column concentrations of gases and nutrients, fuels detrital and consumer food webs and influences soil formation and quality.  Here we examine patterns and drivers of benthic algal primary production using 6 years of data from 17 locations monitored through the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research program.  Estimates of annual net primary productivity (ANPP) for periphyton range from 0 (at heavily canopied mangrove sites) to greater than 10,000 g C m-2 yr-1 (at shallow sites prone to drying) with an average among sites and years of 1400 g C m-2 yr-1.  Maximum estimates exceed those previously reported for benthic communities elsewhere and the mean is an order of magnitude higher than a meta-analysis of benthic algal ANPP estimates reported in the literature.  Spatial patterns of production in slough, wet prairie, mangrove and marine benthic habitats are related to nutrient availability, while temporal patterns are driven by hydrologic events and their biogeochemical consequences. The role of periphyton in both reflecting and controlling water quality is examined with respect to possible outcomes of Everglades restoration efforts.  

See more of Special Session - Everglades Water Quality: On the Critical Path to Restoration II
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