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publications > flyer > FCSC Restoration Ecology Branch
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Florida Caribbean Science Center
Restoration Ecology Branch
The USGS Florida Caribbean Science Center's Restoration Ecology Branch in South Florida conducts and coordinates research related to sustainable restoration of south Florida's greater Everglades and coastal ecosystems. The Branch addresses critical information needs of resource managers by integrating biological inventorying, monitoring, and empirical research on species and ecosystem processes through development of predictive ecological models. The Branch works in collaboration with resource managers and scientists from a multitude of other agencies and universities. In addition, the Branch is developing a digital library capability to ensure that all of its information, data, metadata, and ecological modeling tools are widely available to resource managers, other scientists and the general public. |
Major Research Areas and Initiatives
Fire Ecology of South Florida Pinelands
Dr. James R. Snyder (jim_snyder@usgs.gov)
Scientists at the Big Cypress National Preserve Field Station are investigating the ecological effects of fire on South Florida pine forests. Their long-term experimental study of fire regimes in Big Cypress examines the effect of repeated fires on pine forests and cypress domes at different seasons and frequencies. A shorter-term study comparing the response of pine rockland vegetation to winter and summer burning is being conducted on Big Pine Key within the National Key Deer Refuge. |
NPS fire crew lighting off prescribed fire
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Aerial view of seagrass die-off in the dense grass beds of Johnson Key Basin, Western Florida Bay, 1989
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Empirical and Modeling Studies in Support of Florida Bay Ecosystem Restoration
Dr. Michael B. Robblee (mrobblee@fiu.edu)
Understanding the responses of seagrasses and their fauna to changes in habitat and in the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of freshwater inflows is critical to linking upstream water management to salinity and biotic structure and function in Florida Bay and other coastal waters. |
Vegetation and Hydrology of Land-Margin Ecosystems- The Mangroves of South Florida in Relation to Disturbance, Global Change and Response to Restoration
Dr. Thomas J. Smith III (tom_j_smith@usgs.gov)
Critical research for the restoration of land margin ecosystems of South Florida involves understanding the responses of mangrove forests to changes in the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of freshwater inflows, response to global change (e.g., sea level rise) and catastrophic disturbances such as hurricanes. |
An aerial view of young and old mangrove stands along Broad Creek in Everglades National Park
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Studies Supporting Restoration of Mangrove Habitat in Everglades National Park: Faunal Component
Dr. Carole C. McIvor (mcivorc@fiu.edu)
Critical research for restoration of the faunal support function of the mangrove zone and adjacent waters involves understanding the responses of mangrove-associated fauna to changes in the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of freshwater flows. Initial efforts will focus on fish and macrocrustaceans (shrimp and crabs). A second high priority is to link avifaunal use of mangroves and adjacent inland marshes to patterns of hydrology and secondary productivity of forage organisms. |
Green-backed heron forages from mangrove prop roots, Everglades National Park
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Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Biological Resources Division
Florida Caribbean Science Center
http://www.fcsc.usgs.gov (now http://cars.er.usgs.gov/)
March 31, 1999 |
For more information on South Florida Restoration contact:
G. Ronnie Best, Ph.D., PWS, Chief, Restoration Ecology Branch, FCSC
c/o Florida International University, OE Building, Room 148
Miami, Florida 33199
305-348-3965 (voice) 305-348-4096 (fax) ronnie_best@usgs.gov (E-mail) |
Click here for a printable PDF version of this flyer (note: this is a 588KB PDF document that requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to be read)
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