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Analysis of Environmental Data and Landscape Characterization on Multiple WetlandTypes Using Water Level Loggers and GIS Techniques in Tampa, FL
Citation:
Dantin, D., A. Teague, M. Russell, A. Almario, AND A. From. Analysis of Environmental Data and Landscape Characterization on Multiple WetlandTypes Using Water Level Loggers and GIS Techniques in Tampa, FL. Presented at Gulf Estuarine Research Society Conference, November 08 - 09, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
To better characterize the relationships between both adjacent hydrology/precipitation and nutrient processing with groundwater level fluctuations, continuous water level data are being collected across three dominant wetland types, each with varied landscape characteristics.
Description:
To better characterize the relationships between both adjacent hydrology/ precipitation and nutrient processing with groundwater level fluctuations, continuous water level data are being collected across three dominant wetland types, each with varied landscape characteristics. These data are essential for refinement of dynamic simulation models for predicting wetland flooding/drying cycles to link estimates of biochemical processes to impacts on wetland ecosystem services and for significantly enhancing our ability to utilize environmental data in interpreting ecosystem condition and processes. Presented are summary results from water level logger data from 18 freshwater wetland study sites in the eastern Tampa Bay and an analysis of landscape influence on watersheds based on a hydrological analysis of the study sites using LIDAR data. With the incorporation of a relatively simple field component -- using cost-effective remote instrumentation -- and desktop GIS techniques, we demonstrate an approach for significantly expanding information used to support our primary Agency objective for quantification of ecosystem services (e.g., nutrient processing, carbon sequestration, water storage) in freshwater forested and marsh wetlands as part of EPA’s Tampa Bay Ecosystem Services Research Program.