4th Edition
The Everglades Handbook Understanding the Ecosystem, Fourth Edition
The fourth edition presents expanded treatment of subjects where our knowledge of the Everglades and its restoration has greatly improved. This more detailed coverage includes:
- Computer modeling and its applications to the Everglades environment
- Quantified role of water flow in shaping the Everglades landscape
- The origin and evolution of fixed tree islands
- Sulfur and related mercury as wetland pollutants
- Up-to-date summary of the now quantified economic benefits of restoration, shown to be far in excess of the cost
The Everglades Handbook: Understanding the Ecosystem, Fourth Edition is a scholarly reference packed cover to cover with scientific information about the ecosystem of the Everglades - taking into account how drastically the Everglades has changed. Topically, the book covers disciplines ranging from ecology, geology, climatology, hydrology, anthropology to conservation biology. Written in Tom Lodge’s trademark accessible style, this extensively researched text is essential reading for anybody trying to understand the challenges we face in restoring this unique ecosystem.
I Background
1 An Ecosystem Overview—What Is (or Are?) the Everglades?
A Unique and Valuable Ecosystem
Terms and Definitions
South Florida Climate and Weather
The Historic Everglades Region
Origin and Evolution of the Everglades
2 The Everglades in Space and Time
Florida, Geologic Time, and Plate Tectonics
Limestone and Aquifers
Emergence of Land on the Florida Platform: The Peninsula
Sea Level, Climate, and the Birth of the Everglades
II Environments of the Everglades Region
3 Freshwater Marshes
Marsh Vegetation and Plant Communities
Sawgrass Marsh
Wet Prairies
Slough
Pond (Alligator Hole) and Creek
Water Levels in Everglades Peatlands
Water Quality
Periphyton: A Plant Community Atop Others
Marsh Soils
Weather and Fire
Ridge-and-Slough Landscape and Flow: The Cutting Edge of Everglades Science
4 Tree Islands
Size and Location of Everglades Tree Islands
Kinds of Tree Islands: The Vernacular Names
Bayheads
Willows and Willow Heads
Cypress, Cypress Domes, and Cypress Heads
Tree Island Evolution
Pop-up or Battery Tree Islands
Strand Tree Islands
Fixed Tree Islands
Other Processes
Tree Island Moats
Pond Apple (Custard Apple)
Integrity of Tree Islands
5 Tropical Hardwood Hammocks
The Hammock Environment
Tree Height
The Strangler Fig
Hammocks, Fire, and Succession
Unpleasant Aspects of Hammocks
Hammocks and Wildlife
6 Pinelands
Pinelands and Fire
South Florida Pine Rockland and Endemic Species
Pinelands in South Florida Ecological History
7 The Big Cypress Swamp
Public Conservation Units and Native American Lands
Surface Waters of the Big Cypress Region
Geology and Soils
Big Cypress Vegetation
Hammocks
Pinelands
Cypress Forests and Domes
Mixed Pine and Cypress Forest
Mixed Swamp Forest
Marl Prairies
Sloughs
Hydrology of Big Cypress Plant Communities
Integrity of the Big Cypress
8 Mangrove Swamps
Kinds and Characteristics of Mangroves
Red Mangrove
Black Mangrove
White Mangrove, Buttonwood, and the Buttonwood Embankment
Mangrove Reproduction and Dispersal
Mangroves Swamp Soils and Soil-Building
Oysters and Mangrove Swamps
Mangrove Swamps and Everglades Wildlife
Mangrove Swamps and Marine Fisheries
Legal Protection of Mangroves
Visiting a Mangrove Swamp
9 Coastal Lowland Vegetation ... and Hurricanes!
Impacts of Hurricane Andrew on the Everglades
Hurricane Frequency and Environmental Impact in Southern Florida
Impacts of Hurricane Donna
The Hurricane Legacy: Coastal Lowland Vegetation
The White Zone—A Hurricane-Prone Landscape
Hurricanes and Glacial Cycles
10 Estuarine and Coastal Marine Waters
Florida Bay: A Geologist’s Classroom
Florida Bay as Part of Everglades Restoration
Historic Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Environments
Marine Transgression and the Future of Mangrove Swamps
11 Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades Headwaters
The Lake Okeechobee Watershed
Lake Okeechobee’s Discovery and Name
Origin of Lake Okeechobee and Its Basin
The Predrainage Lake
Beginnings of the Modern Lake: Hamilton Disston and the State of Florida
Federal Involvement: From the Okeechobee Waterway to the C&SF Project
Lake Okeechobee’s Water Levels: Nature Versus Regulation Schedules and the Hoover Dike
Vegetation and Wildlife
Littoral Zone
Pelagic Zone
Fishes
Other Wildlife
Water Quality
Summary
Elevation Surveys, NGVD, and NAVD [inset explanation box]
12 Peripheral Ecosystems of the Everglades
The Caloosahatchee and Charlotte Harbor
The Caloosahatchee—Historic Condition
The Caloosahatchee—Modified Condition
Caloosahatchee Restoration
The St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon
The Watershed of the St. Lucie River–Southern Indian River Lagoon
Alterations of the St. Lucie River and Southern Indian River Lagoon Wa tershed
The St. Lucie–Southern Indian River Lagoon Restoration Plan
Loxahatchee Slough and the Loxahatchee River
Loxahatchee Slough
Loxahatchee River Northwest Fork—Environmental Impacts and Restora tion
The Lake Worth Lagoon
Biscayne Bay and Its Coastal Wetlands
Biscayne Bay’s General Features
Predrainage Freshwater Inputs and Estuarine Values
Modern Biscayne Bay’s Estuarine Decline
Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands and Everglades Restoration
III The Flora and Fauna of Southern Florida
13 Origins of the Flora and Fauna
Tropical versus Subtropical
Elements of the Flora
Origin of the Tropical Flora
Trees
Palms
Epiphytes
Ferns
Bromeliads
Orchids
Marine Flora
Hurricanes and Dispersal
Proximity and Dispersal
Origin of the Temperate Flora
Trees
Marsh Vegetation
Origins of the Fauna
14 Invertebrates
Marine and Estuarine Invertebrates
Freshwater Invertebrates
Florida Applesnail
Seminole and Mesa Rams-Horns
Crayfish
Riverine Grass Shrimp and Side-Swimmer Amphipod
Aquatic Insects
Terrestrial Invertebrates
Spiders
Scorpions
Insects
Florida Tree Snail
Importance of Invertebrates
15 Freshwater Fishes
Primary Freshwater Fishes
Secondary Freshwater Fishes
Peripheral Freshwater Fishes
The Florida Gar
Introduced Fishes
Freshwater Fishes and the Food Chain
The Fisherman’s Perspective
16 Marine and Estuarine Fishes
Diversity of Marine and Estuarine Fishes
Game Fishes
Mullet
Threatened and Endangered Species
Importance of the Region’s Marine and Estuarine Fishes
17 Amphibians
Amphiuma and Sirens
Treefrogs and Toads
True Frogs
The Importance of Amphibians
18 Reptiles
Reptiles of the Everglades Region
The American Alligator
Alligators and Other Crocodilians Compared
Size and Danger to Man
Alligators as Predators and as Prey
Alligator Distribution
Alligator Protection
The Alligator’s Life Cycle
Alligator Holes and Their Importance
The American Crocodile
19 Mammals
Land Mammals of the Everglades
The White-Tailed Deer
The Florida Panther
Marine Mammals
20 Birds
Breeding Land Birds
Breeding Waterbirds
Feeding Behavior of Wading Birds
Wood Stork (WOST)
White Ibis (WHIB)
Glossy Ibis (GLIB)
Roseate Spoonbill (ROSP)
Great Blue Heron (GBHE)
Great White Heron (GWHE)
Tricolored Heron (TRHE)
Reddish Egret (REEG)
Great Egret (GREG)
Snowy Egret (SNEG)
Little Blue Heron (LBHE)
Green Heron (GRHE)
Black-Crowned Night-Heron (BCNH) and Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron (YCNH)
Wading-Bird Rookeries
Threatened and Endangered Birds
Snail Kite
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
A Contest of Beauty
21 Synthesis—Ecological Relationships, Processes, and Models for the Everglades
Succession
Everglades Peatland Succession
Food Chains and Food Webs
Everglades Food Web
Lake Okeechobee Food Web
Mangrove Swamp Food Web
Conceptual Ecological Models
Hydrologic Modeling
EDEN – The Everglades Depth Estimating Network
An Example Hydrologic Model Application: L-31N Seepage Barrier
Ecological Models: Putting Food Chains, Landscapes, and Hydrology Together
Small Fishes Example and Trophic Implications
IV Environmental Impacts
22 Humans and the Everglades
Native Americans and the Everglades
Paleo-Indians
Archaic Period
Formative Period
Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes
Overview of Native American Impacts
Hydrology, Land Use, and the C&SF Project
Everglades Features of the C&SF Project
Everglades National Park and the C&SF Project
Modifications to the C&SF Project
The Development of South Florida
Agriculture and the C&SF Project
The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA)
South Miami-Dade Agricultural Area
Rock Mining and Land Development
Coastal Waters
Ecological Effects of Altered Hydrology on the Everglades: A Summary
Everglades Water Quality Issues
Phosphorus
Sulfur and Mercury
Sulfate and Sulfide in the Everglades
Mercury and Methylmercury
Sulfate, Sulfide, and the Methlmercury Connection
Sulfide Toxicity
Sulfate Regulation
Changes in Wildlife
Wading Birds
The Alligator
Specimen Collecting
Introduced Exotic Species
Plants
Melaleuca
Brazilian Pepper
Old World Climbing Fern
Animals
Invertebrates
Fishes
Reptiles and Amphibians
Birds
Mammals and the House Cat Dilemma
Controlling the Introduction of Plants and Animals
Off-Road Vehicles
Solving Deterioration: Everglades Restoration
The Everglades Forever Act and Everglades Construction Project
Modified Water Deliveries, "Mod Waters"
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
Everglades Expedited Projects (formerly "Acceler8")
The Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP)
Restoration and the Endangered Species Act
Restoration Versus Climate Change and Rising Sea Level
The Economics of Everglades Restoration
What Lies in the Future?
References
Index
Biography
Thomas E Lodge, Ph.D., is a self-employed ecologist. He has led numerous environmental projects directly relating to the Everglades, including the development of methodology for evaluating the ecological functions and values of historic Everglades wetlands for the purpose of providing "no net loss" of wetlands. Dr. Lodge has served on the Board of Directors of the Tropical Audubon Society and was an appointed member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s "Multi-Species Ecosystem Restoration Team," which assisted in Everglades restoration strategies dealing with listed species. He has also occupied an invited faculty position to teach South Florida Ecology at Florida International University, where the all editions of The Everglades Handbook: Understanding the Ecosystem have been used as course texts.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Lodge has a B.A. with a major and departmental honors in zoology from Ohio Wesleyan University (1966) and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Miami in Florida (1974). In graduate school, he became fascinated with the Everglades, both academically and personally. In addition to publishing magazine articles on the Everglades, he wrote and directed an educational film ("The Everglades Region, An Ecological Study", John Wiley and Sons, 1973), and published on the fishes of the region. After receiving his Ph.D., he became an environmental consultant, specializing in wetlands and aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Lodge still works as a consultant, with two recent examples being a reassessment of Everglades restoration options in a team effort with The Everglades Foundation and protection of Grassy Waters Preserve, part of the historic Loxahatchee Slough. His professional interest in the Everglades is mirrored in his personal interests. For more than 40 years he has been a regular observer and photographer of Everglades wildlife, his ultimate relaxation.
"This fourth edition covers the key subjects of previous editions with major updates of the new science and understanding. If there ever was a necessary book for Everglades advocates, students, authors, members of government and their agencies, The Everglades Handbook: Understanding the Ecosystem is an absolute must!"
—Nathaniel P. Reed, from the Foreword
“This book is far and away the best guide now in print to Everglades issues -- authoritative, well-illustrated, well-indexed, and readable."
— Martha Musgrove, retired Miami Herald journalist, founding President of the Decision Makers Forum, and Southeast Regional Director of the Florida Wildlife Federation
"Given the astonishing breadth and depth of scientific activities in the Everglades, Tom Lodge once again illustrates his savvy as an articulate science writer in condensing the complex dynamics of this remarkable ecosystem. …In summary, the Handbook reviews a vast literature into a compelling read about the natural treasures of the Everglades."
—Evelyn E. Gaiser, Executive Director, School of Environment, Arts and Society, and Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences, Florida International University, modified from Wetlands (2011) 31
