Multi-disciplinary assessment of Everglades natural resources

Ecological conditions in Florida’s Greater Everglades worsened over the last century due to human activities, including the construction of canals and levees for flood control and water supply. Because of unanticipated consequences to all facets of the Everglades ecosystem, planning began in the 1990s to return the 28,000 km² wetland ecosystem to a more natural state. One of the goals of Everglades restoration is to capture fresh water that is currently discharged to Florida’s east and west-coast estuaries, and to redirect that water to restore sheetflow southward, partially restoring pre-development hydrologic conditions. To better understand the challenges and impacts of such large-scale restoration, scientists are collecting data and studying many aspects of the Everglades ecosystem. For example, Everglades hydrology has been studied to understand pre-impact timing, distribution, depths, and flow velocities of water delivery southward. From this understanding, hydrologic models have been developed to understand how proposed restoration projects may impact the landscape. Scientists study the ecology of the Everglades to understand the relationships between hydrologic conditions and the biological communities that depend on this seasonally dynamic wetland. Ecological models have been developed to help restoration planners examine predicted impacts of restoration plans on ecological communities.