Hydrologic Restoration of the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands: mosquito and drainage ditch inventory and recommendations

The management and restoration of the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands (BBCW) is a complex issue. Unlike other natural areas under the supervision of the National Park System, the BBCW had endured many years of neglect and abuse by homesteaders who, prior to the establishment of Biscayne National Monument in 1968, had free reign of the area and tried to farm and develop the land by ditching and infilling. Furthermore, public works projects, dating back to the early 1900’s for mosquito control, land reclamation, and storm surge protection along with homesteader activities have combined to compartmentalize the coastal wetlands of present Biscayne National Park and adjacent marshes.

The 2008 Terrestrial Vegetation of Biscayne National Parko FL, USA Derived From Aerial Photography, NDVI, and LiDAR

Established as a National Park in 1980, Biscayne National Park (BISC) comprises an area of nearly 700 km2 , of which most is under water. The terrestrial portions of BISC include a coastal strip on the south Florida mainland and a set of Key Largo limestone barrier islands which parallel the mainland several kilometers offshore and define the eastern rim of Biscayne Bay. The upland vegetation component of BISC is embedded within an extensive coastal wetland network, including an archipelago of 42 mangrove-dominated islands with extensive areas of tropical hardwood forests or hammocks. Several databases and vegetation maps describe these terrestrial communities. However, these sources are, for the most part, outdated, incomplete, incompatible, or/and inaccurate. For example, the current, Welch et al. (1999), vegetation map of BISC is nearly 10 years old and represents the conditions of Biscayne National Park shortly after Hurricane Andrew (August 24, 1992). As a result, a new terrestrial vegetation map was commissioned by The National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program South Florida / Caribbean Network.

Effect of Hydrologic Restoration on the Habitat of the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, 2008 – Final Report

This document summarizes the activities that were accomplished in 2008, the sixth year of the research project “Effect of hydrologic restoration on the habitat of the Cape Sable seaside sparrow”, a collaborative effort among the US Army Corps of Engineers, Everglades National Park, Florida International University, and the US Geological Survey (Florida Integrated Science Center). The major activities in 2008 included field work, data analysis, and presentations. Jay Sah presented the results of 6th year field work at the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS) Fire Meeting 2008, held on December 2-3 at the Krome Center, Homestead, Florida. In the same meeting, Mike Ross presented results from a related USFWS-funded project on encroachment pattern of woody plants in Cape Sable seaside sparrow habitat.