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Twomey AJ, Nunez K, Carr JA, Crooks S, Friess DA, Glamore W, Orr M, Reef R, Rogers K, Waltham NJ, Lovelock CE. Planning hydrological restoration of coastal wetlands: Key model considerations and solutions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:169881. [PMID: 38190895 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The hydrological restoration of coastal wetlands is an emerging approach for mitigating and adapting to climate change and enhancing ecosystem services such as improved water quality and biodiversity. This paper synthesises current knowledge on selecting appropriate modelling approaches for hydrological restoration projects. The selection of a modelling approach is based on project-specific factors, such as costs, risks, and uncertainties, and aligns with the overall project objectives. We provide guidance on model selection, emphasising the use of simpler and less expensive modelling approaches when appropriate, and identifying situations when models may not be required for project managers to make informed decisions. This paper recognises and supports the widespread use of hydrological restoration in coastal wetlands by bridging the gap between hydrological science and restoration practices. It underscores the significance of project objectives, budget, and available data and offers decision-making frameworks, such as decision trees, to aid in matching modelling methods with specific project outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice J Twomey
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Karinna Nunez
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062, USA
| | - Joel A Carr
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, USA
| | - Steve Crooks
- Silvestrum Climate Associates, LLC, Sausalito, CA 94165, USA
| | - Daniel A Friess
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - William Glamore
- Water Research Laboratory, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michelle Orr
- Silvestrum Climate Associates, LLC, Sausalito, CA 94165, USA; Environmental Science Associates, 575 Market Street, Suite 3700, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
| | - Ruth Reef
- School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Kerrylee Rogers
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Nathan J Waltham
- Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Catherine E Lovelock
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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Anderson KJ, Kominoski JS, Nocentini A, Hoffman S. Dissolved organic matter in peat and marl marshes varies with nutrient enrichment and restored hydrology. Restor Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth J. Anderson
- Institute of Environment & Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199 U.S.A
| | - John S. Kominoski
- Institute of Environment & Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199 U.S.A
| | - Andrea Nocentini
- Institute of Environment & Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199 U.S.A
- South Florida Natural Resource Center, National Park Service, Homestead, FL 33034 U.S.A
| | - Sophia Hoffman
- Institute of Environment & Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199 U.S.A
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Onwuka IS, Scinto LJ, Fugate DC. High-Resolution Estimation of Suspended Solids and Particulate Phosphorus Using Acoustic Devices in a Hydrologically Managed Canal in South Florida, USA. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:2281. [PMID: 36850879 PMCID: PMC9960507 DOI: 10.3390/s23042281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Conventional methods of measuring total suspended sediments (TSS) and total particulate phosphorus (TPP) are typically low-resolution and miss critical processes that impact their exports in aquatic environments. To create high-resolution TSS and TPP estimates, echo intensity (EI), a biproduct of velocity measurements from acoustic devices, was utilized. An acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) and an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) were deployed in three locations in the L-29 Canal in South Florida, USA, to obtain estimates near the canal bed and in the water column, respectively. Corrections for transmission losses from the ADCP proved unnecessary due to the low vertical variability in the measured EI. EI calibrations were performed using artificially created TSS obtained from bed sediments (ADV) and gravimetrically measured TSS from water samples that matched the depths and times of the ADCP deployments. The measured TSS values were then analyzed for total phosphorus and converted to TPP estimates. The results showed that high TSS and TPP were caused by the rapid discharge releases typical of managed canals. This work demonstrates that high-resolution estimates are imperative for assessing the effects of such swift hydrologic changes on the potential export of sediments and nutrients to delicate ecosystems downstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikechukwu S. Onwuka
- Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Leonard J. Scinto
- Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - David C. Fugate
- Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd. South, Fort Myers, FL 33965, USA
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Exploring Spatial Relationship between Restoration Suitability and Rivers for Sustainable Wetland Utilization. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19138083. [PMID: 35805741 PMCID: PMC9266254 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19138083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Wetlands are important ecosystems for biodiversity preservation and environmental regulation. However, the integrity of wetland ecosystems has been seriously compromised and damaged due to the reckless and indiscriminate exploitation of wetland resources during economic development by human society. Hence, wetland restoration has now attracted wide attention. Understanding wetland restoration suitability and its relationship with river grade and river distance is an important step in further implementing wetland restoration and ensuring an orderly wetland development and utilization. In this study, wetland restoration suitability is evaluated combining natural and human factors. Taking its result as an important basis, the spatial distribution characteristics of different levels of wetland restoration suitability are discussed for the studied region; the percentage distribution of different levels of wetland restoration suitability is analyzed for 10 km long buffer zones of rivers of different grades, and the association between the distribution of different levels of wetland restoration suitability and the river distance (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 km) is also analyzed for different buffer zones of rivers in different grades. Our findings show that the spatial distribution of wetland restoration suitability is closely associated with the grade of rivers and the distance of the wetland patches from the river. The higher the river grade, the higher the percentage of the wetland with high restoration suitability within the same river distance. The percentage of wetlands with high restoration suitability has shown a notably decreasing trend as the river distance increases for the areas beside rivers of all grades, while the percentage of a wetland area with relatively high restoration suitability tends to increase as the river distance increases for the areas beside rivers of grade I and II and does not have a noticeable trend to change as the river distance changes for the area beside rivers of other grades. Results of this can provide technical support for wetland restoration suitability evaluation for plain areas, a spatial reference for wetland restoration prioritizing, and an orderly wetland development and utilization in future studies and planning.
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Kalla P, Cyterski M, Scheidt D, Minucci J. Spatiotemporal effects of interacting water quality constituents on mercury in a common prey fish in a large, perturbed, subtropical wetland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 792:148321. [PMID: 34153761 PMCID: PMC8791233 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We present results of a multiyear study of the Everglades (Florida, USA) detailing how differences in environmental variables can alter mercury concentrations in the food web. About 1000 random locations throughout the freshwater Everglades marsh have been sampled for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Everglades Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program ("REMAP") since 1995. REMAP sampling is synoptic and multimedia, including an abundant prey fish (eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki) as an indicator of mercury bioaccumulation. Amplifying an approach we reported to Everglades National Park, we used Generalized Boosted Models on the REMAP data to estimate how much of the mercury concentration in mosquitofish could be explained by water quality constituents or indicators of ecological health (covariates). The resulting model accounts for 60% of the environmental influence on variation in mosquitofish mercury, a robust outcome for a large, disturbed ecosystem such as the Everglades, given its seasonal, annual, and spatial differences. Of the eight most influential covariates, two were methyl mercury in periphyton and water, two can be indicators of trophic state (alkaline phosphatase and chlorophyll-a), one can be a marker of stormwater transport (conductivity), and two can be enablers of mercury methylation (sulfate in soil and water). While these covariates had an average individual influence ranging from 4.0% to 10.1%, together they accounted for 52.2% of the total relative influence. Water with low phosphorus, but with sulfur and carbon above background, moved into the less disturbed parts of the Everglades via modifications to the existing water management system, could increase mercury bioaccumulation in those parts of the marsh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kalla
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, Laboratory Services and Applied Science Division, 980 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30605, USA.
| | - Michael Cyterski
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Environmental Processes Division, 960 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30605, USA
| | - Daniel Scheidt
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, Water Division, 980 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30605, USA
| | - Jeffrey Minucci
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Public Health and Environmental Systems Division, Research Triangle Park, 109 TW Alexander Drive, Durham, NC 27709, USA
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Lee DY, Kominoski JS, Kline M, Robinson M, Roebling S. Saltwater and nutrient legacies reduce net ecosystem carbon storage despite freshwater restoration: insights from experimental wetlands. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dong Yoon Lee
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, U.S.A
- South Florida Water Management District, Everglades Division West Palm Beach, FL 33411, U.S.A
| | - John S. Kominoski
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, U.S.A
| | - Michael Kline
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, U.S.A
- Everglades Science Center National Audubon Society, Tavernier, FL 33070, U.S.A
- Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science Clemson University, Georgetown, SC 29440, U.S.A
| | - Michelle Robinson
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, U.S.A
- Everglades Science Center National Audubon Society, Tavernier, FL 33070, U.S.A
- Planning and Environmental Resources, Monroe County, Key West, Florida 33040 U.S.A
| | - Suzy Roebling
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, U.S.A
- Everglades Science Center National Audubon Society, Tavernier, FL 33070, U.S.A
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, FL 32399 U.S.A
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