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openCC (other)Feb 2018View details →

Periphyton, hydrological and environmental data in a coastal freshwater wetland (FCE), Florida Everglades National Park, USA (2014-2015)

The characteristic, calcareous periphyton mats of the Everglades, and particularly their diatom assemblages, provide an ideal community to study the patterns and mechanisms of community assembly along environmental gradients with ecotones. Understanding patterns and mechanisms of diatom community assembly along salinity and P gradients can be incorporated into tools for predicting changes in these gradients, and the location and movement of the "white zone" ecotone, caused by saltwater intrusion and water management outcomes in the Southern Everglades. Patterns of environmental variation and periphytic-diatom community structure along the freshwater-marine gradient of Everglades National Park, FL., USA were examined by sampling along a series of 7 transects extending from oligotrophic, freshwater marshes through the ecotone and down to the northern edge of the fringing mangrove forests. Seven transects spanning the west-east extent of the southeast Everglades, from the Main Park Road in the west to the Model Lands in the east, were sampled once in the dry season (May) and once in the wet season (November) of 2014 and 2015. These data are published in "Mazzei and Gaiser. 2018. Diatoms as tools for inferring ecotone boundaries in a coastal freshwater wetland threatened by saltwater intrusion. Ecological Indicators. 88:190-204."

openCC (other)Dec 2025View details →

Biogeochemical data collected from Northeast Shark River Slough, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, September 2006 - April 2025

This project was established in 2006 to document the pattern of abundance of key ecological indicators (e.g., surface water, soil, floc, periphyton and sawgrass) across the NESRS landscape. A total of 30 sites were established and monitored in 2006, 2007 and 2008. After the completion of 1-mile bridge in 2012, additional 10 new sites were established to observe the ecological impact of 1-mile bridge (known as Bridge & Census sites). In 2015, additional 40 sites were established along eight transects (T1-T8, known as near canal sites) in ENP marshes starting at, and roughly perpendicular to the L-29 canal. The purpose of these sites was to monitor the potential effects of Modified Water Deliveries (MWD) operations on changing nutrient concentrations and ratios in key ecological compartments due to increased downstream discharges from the L-29 canal beneath the 1-mile and 2.6-mile bridges and culverts along Tamiami Trail. Data collection is complete.

openCC (other)Dec 2023View details →

Monthly monitoring fluorescence data for Shark River Slough and Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA (FCE LTER) for 2012 - 2020

Dissolved organic matter plays an important role in biogeochemical processes in aquatic environments such as elemental cycling, microbial loop energetics, and the transport of materials across landscapes. Since most of N (> 90%) and P (around 90%) is in the organic form in the oligotrophic subtropical Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE), study of the source and dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the ecosystem is crucial for the better understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients. FCE are composed of estuaries with distinct regions with different biogeochemical processes. Freshwater marsh primarily receives terrestrial input and local autochthonous vegetation production. Mangrove ecotone, nevertheless, is affected by the tidal contributions from Florida Bay and local mangrove production. Florida Bay (FB) is a wedge-shaped shallow oligotrophic estuary which lays south of the Everglades, the bottom of which is covered with a dense biomass of seagrass. The sources of both freshwater and nutrients in FCE are difficult to quantify, owing to the non-point source nature of runoff from the Everglades and the dendritic cross channels in the mangroves. Furthermore, the combination of multiple DOM sources (freshwater marsh vegetation, mangroves, phytoplankton, seagrass, etc.), and the potential seasonal variability of their relative contribution, along with the history of (photo)chemical and microbial diagenetic processing, and complex advective circulation, makes the study of DOM dynamics in FCE particularly difficult using standard schemes of estuarine ecology. Quantitative information of DOM is very useful to investigate the biogeochemical cycling of DOM to a certain degree, however, qualitative information is necessary to better understand the source and dynamics of DOM. Since fluorescence spectroscopic techniques are very sensitive, quick and simple, they have been applied to investigate the fate of DOM in estuaries.Monthly fluorescence monitoring data

openCC (other)Feb 2024View details →

Inventory of High-resolution phylogenetic profiles of the planktonic microbial communities (via 16S and 18S rRNA gene amplicons) from Shark River Slough and Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park (FCE LTER), Florida, USA, 2017 - ongoing

Planktonic microbial communities mediate many vital biogeochemical processes in wetland ecosystems, yet compared to other aquatic ecosystems, like oceans, lakes, rivers, or estuaries, they remain relatively underexplored. Our study site, the Florida Everglades (USA)—a vast iconic wetland consisting of a slow-moving system of shallow rivers connecting freshwater marshes with coastal mangrove forests and seagrass meadows—is a highly threatened model ecosystem for studying salinity and nutrient gradients, as well as the effects of sea level rise and saltwater intrusion. This dataset provides the first high-resolution phylogenetic profiles of planktonic bacterial and eukaryotic microbial communities (using 16S and 18S rRNA gene amplicons) from these environments. The dataset contains 16S and 18S rRNA data from 2017, and contains 16S rRNA data for monthly (2019) and quarterly water samples (2020-ongoing). The 2017 data are published in Laas et al. 2022. A detailed list of sequence data and their accession numbers in GenBank is provided and will be updated as more data are published. This data package is an inventory of sequence read archive (SRA) entries available through GenBank BioProject PRJNA525456 (at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA525456) and BioProject PRJNA1018945 (at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA1018945). This data package is associated with the following publication: Laas, P., Ugarelli, K., Travieso, R., Stumpf, S., Gaiser, E. E., Kominoski, J. S., & Stingl, U. (2022). Water column microbial communities vary along salinity gradients in the Florida Coastal Everglades wetlands. Microorganisms, 10(2), 215. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10020215 Instead of citing this package, which is an inventory, please cite the original GenBank data or journal article, as appropriate. Citation guidance for the journal article is available on the respective publisher's website.

openCC (other)Apr 2024View details →

Field survey and long-term measurements of biological, geomorphic, and hydrologic properties across ecosystem states in a non-tidal, salinizing peat marsh in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, June 2018 - ongoing

This dataset package details a field survey and long-term measurements of biological, geomorphic, and hydrologic properties across ecosystem states found within a salinizing, non-tidal peat marsh in the coastal Everglades. There are four datasets included: FCE1250_Lamb_AltStableState_HydroGeo includes point measurements of soil surface elevation, bedrock elevation, soil depth, water depth, and porewater salinity across ecosystem states: emergent marsh (sawgrass dominated), submerged marsh (submerged aquatic vegetation), and unvegetated open water. The survey was conducted between November 2019 to January 2020. FCE1250_Lamb_AltStableState_Bio contains plot-scale (1 m^2) biological measurements from emergent marsh (sawgrass). Biological measurements (total sawgrass, average individual sawgrass biomass, and total sawgrass aboveground biomass), are inherently plot-level but geomorphic and hydrologic measurements were averaged (n = 3) for each plot. Standard deviations are provided. FCE1250_Lamb_AltStableState_Bio_LongTerm contains biological plot-scale (1 m^2) measurements at a bi-monthly timestep from Nov 2019 - July 2022 from a subset of plots (n = 9) included in the FCE_1250_Lamb_AltStableState_Bio dataset. Each bi-monthly measurement is the average value across all 9 nine plots. Standard deviations are also included. FCE_1250_Lamb_AltStableState_SETMH contains long-term measurements of soil surface elevation change and vertical accretion from surface elevation change and marker horizon plots from June 2018 - May 2023. Average and standard errors across all plots are included as well as measurements from each plot. Also included is the cumulative number of dry days based on the average soil surface elevation for all plots. Data collection for all datasets is complete, except for FCE_1250_Lamb_AltStableState_SETMH. SET-MH measurements are still ongoing.

openCC (other)Jan 2023View details →

Groundwater and surface water chemistry from the Hole-in-the-Donut and nearby Taylor Slough in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA: 2015-2016

This research investigated the effects of the vegetation and soil removal on the hydrologic conditions of the Hole-in-the-donut (HID) of Everglades National Park. Groundwater and surface water samples were collected from 2 wells within the HID (DO1,DO3) and two wells outside the HID in adjacent Taylor Slough (NP-67, TSB). Surface water was collected at each site if present.

openCC (other)Apr 2023View details →

Alligator pond food-web sampling in Shark River Slough and Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, 2018–2019

These datasets were used to investigate if American Alligators engineer differences in nutrient availability and changes to community structure by their creation of “alligator ponds” compared to the surrounding phosphorus (P)-limited oligotrophic marsh in the Everglades. We used a halo sampling design of three distinct habitats extending outward from ten active alligator ponds across a hydrological gradient. We performed nutrient analysis on basal food-web resources and quantitative community analyses, and stoichiometric analyses on plants and animals. These data underly the work in Strickland et al. (2023). An apex predator engineers wetland food-web heterogeneity through nutrient enrichment and habitat modification. Journal of Animal Ecology.

openCC (other)Jan 2025View details →

Stomach contents and stable isotopes from the aquatic food web in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, 2018-2019

Stable isotope samples were collected among habitats and between seasons at multiple sites in both Shark River Slough and Taylor Slough of Everglades National Park to represent as much of the aquatic food web as possible. Stomach contents were also recorded for many of the collected vertebrate samples. Sampling occurred between October 2018 and April 2019. These data are a follow up study to the FCE1263 data package (https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?scope=knb-lter-fce&identifier=1263) following the invasion of several fishes, most notably the African Jewelfish (Rubricatochromis letourneuxi), although there are some differences in habitats sampled and overall spatial coverage. R code for analyses associated with these data are available at https://github.com/pjflood/diet_and_pond_enrichment. Data collection is complete.

openCC (other)Feb 2025View details →

Mangrove Leaf Litter Carbon and Nutrients from the Shark River Slough, Everglades National Park (FCE), South Florida, USA, January 2019 - ongoing

Mangrove litterfall dynamics have been monitored in all Shark River sites (SRS-4, SRS-5, SRS-6) since January 2001 using the same collection method stated in Castañeda-Moya et al. 2013 (metadata: knb-lter-fce.1195) and Danielson et al. 2017. Briefly, litterfall was collected monthly at all sites (10 baskets per site) using permanent 0.25 m2 wooden baskets supported approximately 1.3 m above the soil surface and lined with 1 mm mesh screening. Litterfall from each basket was sorted, dried, and weighed by leaf species, reproductive parts by species, and woody material. Leaf litter data from different years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023) were selected for each site to identify species-specific foliar carbon and nutrient (N and P) content. Monthly leaf litter samples were analyzed separately by species for all years after grinding with a Wiley Mill to pass through a 40-µm mesh screen. Total leaf litter C and N contents were determined with a Carlo-Erba NA-1500 elemental analyzer (Fisons Instruments Inc., Danvers, MA, USA). Total leaf litter P was extracted using an acid-digest (HCl) extraction, and concentrations of SRP were determined by spectrophotometric analysis (Methods 365.4 and 365.2, USA EPA 1983). Litterfall data collection is ongoing every year since 2001, while C and nutrients analyses are performed every other year after 2021. See also Shark River mangrove litterfall data (knb-lter-fce.1195) on the FCE LTER website's data catalog or in the EDI repository (https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?scope=knb-lter-fce&identifier=1195). References: Castañeda-Moya, E., Twilley, R. R., & Rivera-Monroy, V. H. (2013). Allocation of biomass and net primary productivity of mangrove forests along environmental gradients in the Florida Coastal Everglades, USA. Forest Ecology and Management, 307, 226-241. Danielson, T.M., V.H. Rivera-Monroy, E. Castaneda-Moya, H. Briceno, R. Travieso, B.D. Marx, E. Gaiser, and L.M. Farfan. 2017. Assessment of Everglades mangrove forest re

openCC (other)Jun 2024View details →

Field survey of mangrove regeneration, porewater variables, and light in mangrove forests in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, July 2020 - August 2022

This dataset package encompasses measurements from field surveys of mangrove regeneration, porewater variables, and light conditions across six mangrove sites in the coastal Everglades. The goal of this project was to quantify mangrove regeneration of seedlings and saplings in mid- and downstream locations within three estuaries in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. We assessed the effects of porewater variables and light conditions on the observed regeneration patterns. The package includes seven datasets: FCE1268_Porewater: Contains measurements of porewater salinity, sulfide, ammonia, nitrite, orthophosphate, and nitrate at a 30 cm depth. Porewater surveys were conducted biannually from 09-10-2020 to 05-17-2022. See also similar porewater data for Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE) long-term sites in data packages knb-lter-fce.1169 and knb-lter-fce.1171, which contain data for SRS-5 and SRS-6, available in the FCE LTER website's data catalog or the EDI repository. FCE1268_Foliar_Nutrient_Content dataset, collected in August 2022, includes measurements of foliar nutrient content (total carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) for three mangrove species (A. germinans, L. racemosa, R. mangle) of two life stages—seedlings (height < 1 m) and saplings (height ≥ 1 m and Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) < 2.5 cm). FCE1268_Light contains light intensity (foot-candle) measurements taken at 1-hour intervals from 09-18-2020 to 08-29-2022 at mangrove sites and converted photosynthetic active radiation values from an outdoor mesocosm experiment. FCE1268_Sapling_Density provides biannual count measurements of individuals at the sapling plot level (4 m^-2) within each site from 07-09-2020 to 08-29-2022. FCE1268_Seedling_Density contains biannual count measurements of individuals at the seedling plot level (m^-2) within each site from 07-07-2020 to 08-29-2022. FCE1268_Sapling_Regeneration contains height, crown area, and stem elongation measurements of tagged sapling indiv

openCC (other)Jul 2025View details →

Root productivity of riverine and scrub mangroves from the Shark River Slough and Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park (FCE LTER), Florida, USA, March 2024 - April 2024

Root productivity of riverine and scrub mangroves in the Florida Everglades: Mangrove root productivity in the shallow root zone (0-45 cm depth) was estimated at all Shark River (SRS-4, SRS-5, SRS-6, SRS-7) and Taylor River (TS/Ph-6, TS/Ph-7) sites in March-April 2024. Root productivity was estimated with the ingrowth core technique using the same sampling protocol previously published for the study area (Castañeda-Moya et al. 2011). Ingrowth cores (10.2 cm diameter x 45 cm length) were made of synthetic material (3 mm mesh) and filled with root-free commercial sphagnum peat moss. This material has similar soil properties (i.e., bulk density, organic matter content, total C and N) as mangrove peat in our study sites as previously reported by Castañeda-Moya et al. (2011). Ingrowth cores were installed in holes made out with a PVC coring device (10.2 cm diameter x 45 cm length). At each site, 8 ingrowth cores were deployed vertically into the soil to a depth of 45 cm and retrieved one year later (March-April 2024). After collection, ingrowth cores were processed individually and initially rinsed with water through a 1-mm screen mesh to remove soil particles and peat moss material. Live roots were separated manually based on their buoyancy, turgor, and color (Castañeda-Moya et al. 2011; Cormier et al. 2015; Medina-Calderon et al. 2021). Live roots were further sorted into three size diameter classes including fine (<2 mm), small (2-5 mm), and coarse (5-20 mm). Roots greater than 20 mm in diameter were not included in this study due to sampling limitations (i.e., core area). All root samples were oven-dried at 60°C to a constant mass and weighed. Root growth within each ingrowth core following one year of incubation was used to estimate annual root productivity (g m⁻² yr⁻¹) in the shallow root zone across all mangrove sites. All data collection and processing were funded by FCE-LTER. Data collection is complete. References: Castañeda-Moya, E., R.R. Twilley, V.H. Rivera-

openCC (other)Dec 2025View details →

Major Ion Concentrations in Surface Water Collected from Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park (FCE LTER), Florida, USA, December 2003 – December 2015

This package includes data of concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and sulfate in surface water samples collected from Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research (FCE-LTER) Program sites in Taylor Slough. These sites are TS/Ph1a (2003-2013), TS/Ph2 (2003-2012), and TS/Ph3 (2004-2015). Analyzed samples include composite samples, rainfall samples, and grab samples. Composite samples represent water collected over the course of 3 days by autosamplers programmed to draw 250 mL every 18 hours. Rainfall samples represent water collected by the autosamplers when a threshold of = 2.5 cm of rain per hour is passed. A 500 mL sample is collected 30 minutes after meeting the threshold. Composite and rainfall samples are retrieved every 3-4 weeks and returned to the Florida International University (FIU) Modesto A. Maidique campus. A grab sample is collected at each site during these visits. Cation and anion analysis were completed using ion chromatography on a Dionex DX-120. Sample preparation and analysis for major ions were completed in the Hydrogeology laboratory at FIU. This dataset is completed.

Water Quality Data (Porewater) from the Taylor Slough, just outside Everglades National Park (FCE), from August 1998 to October 2006

Porewater samples are collected at SRS1b,SRS1c,SRS1d,SRS2,SRS3, TS/Ph-1-5 within the 1 m^ aboveground sawgrass nondestructive biomass plots. Airstones connected to Tygon tubing are inserted 10-15 cm below the soil surface. Biannually during the wet season, Monoject 140cc syringes are used to collect at least 80 mL of porewater sample and after collection they are immediately placed in an ice filled cooler. The lab processing of these samples include salinity measurements using a refractometer, and filtering the sample through a Whatman GF/F filter. Samples are analyzed for inorganic nutrients such as NO2-,NO3-,NH4+,SRP, and DOC. Dissolved nutrients are measured using standard rapid flow analyzer (RFA) techniques and DOC is quantified on a Shimadzu TOC Analyzer.

Water Quality Data (Porewater) from the Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park (FCE), South Florida from September 1999 to December 2006

Porewater samples are collected at SRS1b,SRS2,SRS3, TS/Ph-1-5, 6b within the 1 m^ aboveground sawgrass nondestructive biomass plots. Airstones connected to Tygon tubing are inserted 10-15 cm below the soil surface. Biannually during the wet season, Monoject 140cc syringes are used to collect at least 80 mL of porewater sample and after collection they are immediately placed in an ice filled cooler. The lab processing of these samples include salinity measurements using a refractometer, and filtering the sample through a Whatman GF/F filter. Samples are analyzed for inorganic nutrients such as NO2-,NO3-,NH4+,SRP, and DOC. Dissolved nutrients are measured using standard rapid flow analyzer (RFA) techniques and DOC is quantified on a Shimadzu TOC Analyzer.

Sawgrass above ground biomass from the Taylor Slough, just outside Everglades National Park (FCE), South Florida from October 1997 to December 2006

Sawgrass biomass is measured for TS/Ph-1, 2, 3, & 6 since 1999; TS/Ph-4 & 5 since 1997 to 2006; SRS-1b, 2, & 3 since 2000; SRS1c for 2005 to 2006, and SRS1d since 2006. Three 1 m2 plots are placed on each site. The sites are measured every two months. The number of sawgrass plants is counted for each 1 m2 plot and one third or a minimum of fifteen plants is measured. For each measured plant, measurements of the total number of live leaves, length of the live leaves, and culm diameter at the base are taken. From these measurements we calculate the average leaf length, and the sum of the length of the leaves. We created a model for biomass using a stepwise regression to see which of the variables measured and calculated are more correlated to explain plant biomass. Obtaining the mean biomass for the plants within the plot and multiplying it by the number of plants counted in the plot calculates biomass for each plot. The total biomass for each plot is summed with the other two plots in the same site, and they are averaged to obtain one biomass number per site. To validate our model, plant clippings are obtained in which four plants are clipped (small, medium, large, inflorescence) from each site. The same measurements are applied to the clipped plants as those applied to the measured plants in the plots. The plant clippings are oven dried at 70 degrees C and weighed.

Precipitation from the Taylor Slough, just outside Everglades National Park (FCE), South Florida from August 2000 to December 2006

Rain level is recorded at least every thirty minutes at TS/Ph4 and TS/Ph5 (data since 2000). Rain level data are collected using ISCO rain level gages attached to ISCO autosamplers, which also act as dataloggers. We condense these data into daily cumulative rainfall, although hourly rain level data are also available.

Water Levels from the Taylor Slough, just outside the Everglades National Park (FCE), South Florida from October 1997 to December 2006

Water level is recorded at least hourly at TS/Ph4 and TS/Ph5. Water level is measured with acoustic water level gages that digitally record relative water height relative to the local soil surface.

openCustomJun 2006View details →

Groundwater and surface water phosphorus concentrations, Everglades National Park (FCE), South Florida for June, July, August and November 2003

Seawater intrusion into a coastal aquifer mixes with the discharging fresh water to form a zone of mixed composition. This mixing zone is considered to be geochemical important in a carbonate aquifer as an area of enhanced carbonate mineral dissolution and,or precipitation. Ion exchange reactions are also common within the mixing zone as the dominant cation in seawater, sodium, replaces other ions adsorbed to the aquifer matrix. Phosphorus has a strong affinity for adsorption to calcium carbonate minerals. Both the dissolution of calcium carbonate minerals as well as ion exchange reactions have the potential to release phosphorus from the aquifer matrix to the groundwater. Discharge of this phosphorus-laden groundwater, as induced by the fresh/saline water interface, may then be an additional source of phosphorus to the overlying coastal environments. Both surface water and groundwater were collected across the seawater intrusion zone of the coastal Everglades in south Florida during the summer of 2003. Hydrogen sulfide was released from the groundwater wells during sampling, indicating the groundwater was most likely anoxic. In order to reduce the potential exposure of the groundwater to oxygen during sampling, groundwater samples were collected in the following manner. Groundwater wells were first purged of at least three well volumes prior to sampling. Water samples were then collected using a submersible pump with a 16-gauge needle fitted at the end of the discharge hose. The needle was pushed through a rubber stopper covering an acid-washed vacutainer that was first flushed with nitrogen gas to remove and oxygen, then evacuated with a vacuum pump to establish a negative pressure within the vacutainer. Water samples were stored on ice and transported to the laboratory. Samples were processed for total phosphorus using colorimetery following dry-oxidation/acid hydroloysis methods within 1 to 5 days following sample collection. Salinity of the groundwater and surf

openCustomNov 2008View details →

Water Temperature measured at Shark River, Everglades National Park (FCE) from October 2007 to August 2008

American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are top predators in the Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE), but their movement patterns and role in the ecosystem are largely unknown. Proposed restoration and management efforts in the Everglades are likely to influence both alligator movements and the spatiotemporal patterns of their effects on ecosystem and community dynamics, making studies of the factors influencing alligator movements important at this time. In October 2007, we initiated a study of alligators in the Shark River Slough of Everglades National Park using two tracking techniques that have yet to be used on crocodilians: GPS tracking and passive acoustic telemetry. GPS units attached to two alligators have provided 120 positions over a two month period while acoustic transmitters attached to 12 alligators have been detected 34,000 times on an array of 8 monitoring stations within the river system. GPS positions are more accurate than acoustic monitoring and can provide data over the entire range an alligator might move, but acoustic transmitters provide more temporally detailed information on movements within a monitoring array and over a longer duration (potentially years rather than months). Our preliminary results show that alligators may remain in localized areas for weeks at a time, but make long-distance moves from the mouth of the river system to the marsh-mangrove ecotone and likely into the marsh. In general, most alligators moved upstream as freshwater inputs decreased, but some individuals remained near the river mouth even when salinities were high. Ultimately, by characterizing alligator movements in relation to spatiotemporal variation in environmental factors we will be able to predict how alligator distributions and populations will respond to planned increases in freshwater flow. Furthermore, movement data combined with dietary and stable isotopic studies may shed light on the possible role of alligators in the redistribution of nutri