Workshop Purpose Workshop Purpose Identify Areas of Critical - PDF document

Workshop Purpose Workshop Purpose � Identify Areas of Critical Ecological Identify Areas of Critical Ecological � Concern for Everglades Concern for Everglades Restoration Restoration Workshop Guidelines � Information should be broad in scales – think system-wide; it is ecosystem restoration � Discussions should consider the entire South Florida Ecosystem � Describe the science-based information in a way that will be useful in assisting policy-makers

What are Attributes of an What are Attributes of an Area of Critical Ecological Area of Critical Ecological Concern Concern � Frames of reference to Frames of reference to � include? include? � Spatial or Regional Context Spatial or Regional Context � � Time and Trends Time and Trends � � Scale or Relative Magnitude Scale or Relative Magnitude � � Level of data or empirical Level of data or empirical � knowledge knowledge

ARE CEMS A GOOD STARTING POINT? ARE CEMS A GOOD STARTING POINT? � Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee � � Southern Estuaries Southern Estuaries � Biscayne Bay Biscayne Bay � � Florida Bay Florida Bay � � � Northern Estuaries Northern Estuaries � Caloosahatchee Estuary Caloosahatchee Estuary � � Lake Worth Lagoon Lake Worth Lagoon � � St. Lucie Estuary & Indian River Lagoon St. Lucie Estuary & Indian River Lagoon � � Loxahatchee Watershed Loxahatchee Watershed � � � Greater Everglades Greater Everglades � Everglades Ridge & Slough Everglades Ridge & Slough � � Southern Marl Prairies Southern Marl Prairies � � Big Cypress Regional Ecosystem Big Cypress Regional Ecosystem � � Everglades Mangrove Estuaries Everglades Mangrove Estuaries � � ARE THERE OTHER APPROACHES THAT MIGHT BE MORE USEFUL OR PRODUCTIVE?

Sources of Science Information Sources of Science Information � System Status Report System Status Report � � System System- -wide Indicator wide Indicator � Reports Reports � Conceptual Ecological Conceptual Ecological � Models Models � Technical Reports, Journal Technical Reports, Journal � Articles Articles � Technical Expert Opinion Technical Expert Opinion � � Other? Other? �

Where Science Converges - Locations • Excess Phosphorus Kissimmee River • Extremes in water stage • Alterations of vegetation communities Lake • Poor timing of water releases • Insufficient flows of fresh water Okeechobee • Altered Geomorphology • Altered water chemistry • Excess Phosphorus • Extremes in water stage • Loss of littoral vegetation St. Lucie Estuary & • Poor timing of water releases Indian River Lagoon Loxahatchee Watershed Caloosahatchee Estuary Lake Worth • Excess Phosphorus Lagoon • Extremes in water stage • Too much water in summer • Too little water in winter • Excess Phosphorus • Poor timing of water releases • Extremes in water stage • Too much water in summer • Too little water in winter • Poor timing of water releases Big Cypress Everglades R & S S. Marl Prairies • Excess Phosphorus in N • Changes in vegetation • Insufficient flows of freshwater • Too little water in winter Everglades • Altered Geomorphology Mangrove Estuaries Biscayne Bay • Insufficient flows of freshwater • Too little water in winter • Insufficient flows of freshwater • Too little water in winter Florida Bay Tan areas/black boundary = Cerp planning regions • Insufficient flows of freshwater Particularly NE FL Bay Purple hatch = N Estuaries West Coast • Too little water in winter Blue Hatch = N Estuaries East Coast • Altered water chemistry Green Hatch = Greater Everglades Brown Hatch = Southern Estuaries Red Outline = CEM boundaries

“…the restoration effort risks being data rich the restoration effort risks being data rich “… and information poor in the absence of and information poor in the absence of ecosystem- ecosystem -wide wide “ “synthesis synthesis” ” and and “integration integration” ”. .” ” “ NRC 2006 NRC 2006 “ Synthesis “ Synthesis is a complex process of accumulating, interpreting, and is a complex process of accumulating, interpreting, and articulating scientific results (NRC 2006).” ” articulating scientific results (NRC 2006). To put together; the composition or combination of parts or elements so as to To put together; the composition or combination of parts or elem ents so as to form a whole (Wikipedia 2008).” ” form a whole (Wikipedia 2008). “ Integration Integration is the process of applying the resultant scientific information is the process of applying the resultant scientific information to to “ project planning (NRC 2006).” project planning (NRC 2006). ” This workshop is intended to help synthesize information from a This workshop is intended to help synthesize information from a scientific point of view to assist policy- scientific point of view to assist policy -makers in integrating this makers in integrating this information, along with other information, into IDS sequencing decisions ecisions information, along with other information, into IDS sequencing d Synthesis Integration Science Information Ecological Urgency for input to IDS Policy .

Next Steps Next Steps � potential topics potential topics � � Identify areas of scientific uncertainty Identify areas of scientific uncertainty � � Help clarify the distinction between scientific Help clarify the distinction between scientific � uncertainty and policy decisions uncertainty and policy decisions � Ecological Metrics (system and project level) Ecological Metrics (system and project level) � � Modeling Workshop Modeling Workshop � � Determining Ecological Lift Determining Ecological Lift � � Determining Interdependencies Determining Interdependencies � � IAR IAR � � Benefit Analysis Benefit Analysis �