Ecological Models for Evaluating Effects of Restoration Alternatives on Coastal Ecosystems of Southwest Florida

Project Investigators: Frank J. Mazzotti, Leonard Pearlstine, Kenneth G. Rice Project Personnel: Kevin Chartier, ZongBo Shang Project Start Date: 2004 End Date: 2006 Recent Funding: (FY06) USGS GE PES, (FY05) ENP CESI, USGS GE PES Work Plans Project Summaries Publications Related Links

Summary

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effects of restoration alternatives on coastal ecosystems of southwest Florida.

The objectives of this project are to develop and apply forecasting models to evaluate the impacts of CERP projects on ecological attributes selected from the conceptual models developed for coastal ecosystems as part of the SWFFS.

Project Background and Relation to CERP:The SWFFS is a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The SWFFS will result in an independent but integrated implementation plan for CERP projects. The SWFFS will provide a framework to address the health and sustainability of aquatic systems. This includes water quantity and quality, flood protection, and ecological integrity. The SWFFS was initiated in recognition of the fact that there were additional water resource issues (needs, problems, and opportunities) within southwest Florida that were not being addressed directly by CERP. A purpose of the SWFFS is to identify alternatives that address those issues in the study area. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effects of those alternatives on coastal systems of southwest Florida.

Work Plans

• 2005
• 2006
• 2007

Project Summaries

• 2005
• 2006

Publications

Abstracts

• Landscape Evaluation Measures for Inland Southwest Florida Feasibility Study: Wading Birds, Amphibian, Aquatic Fauna and Large Mammal (from the GEER Conference, June 2006)

Related Links

• Across Trophic Level System Simulation (ATLSS)