Transcript Ecosystem Study of the Ichetucknee River

An Ecosystem-Level Study of
Florida’s Major Spring Systems
Jackson Blue Springs Working Group
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Robert L. Knight, Ph.D.
An Ecosystem-Level Study of Florida’s
Major Spring Systems
• A State Wildlife Grant administered through the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission *
• Funding Partners– Three Rivers Trust, Inc.
– St. Johns River Water Management District
– Southwest Florida Water Management District
– Florida Springs Initiative & Florida Park Service
– Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
* http://myfwc.com/wildlifelegacy/
OBJECTIVES & BENEFITS
• Ecosystem level study of 12 of Florida’s major spring
ecosystems, using quantitative and reproducible sampling
methods.
• Ten of which have historic data (50+ years ago).
• Have trends occurred?
• Analysis of the environmental factors affecting ecosystem
productivity
• and therefore the systems’ ability to support fish and wildlife.
• We can address the question, “What factors affect a springs
ecosystem (and metabolism) the most?”
– Physical?
– Flow?
– Recreation?
Nutrients?
SAV type (none, vascular, algal)?
Other?
Selected Springs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
De Leon
Homosassa
Ichetucknee
Jackson Blue
Madison Blue
Manatee
Ponce De Leon
Rainbow
Silver Glen
Silver
Wakulla
Weeki Wachee
ID
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Spring Name
De Leon Springs
Homosassa Springs Group
Ichetucknee Springs Group
Jackson Blue Spring
Madison Blue Spring
Manatee Spring
Ponce De Leon Springs
Rainbow Springs Group
Silver Glen Springs Group
Silver Springs Group
Wakulla Spring
Weeki Wachee Spring
Selection of Study Springs
Name
De Leon Springs
Homosassa Springs Group
Ichetucknee Springs Group
Jackson Blue Spring
Madison Blue Spring
Manatee Spring
Ponce De Leon Springs
Rainbow Springs Group
Silver Glen Springs Group
Silver Springs Group
Wakulla Spring
Weeki Wachee Spring
b
County
Volusia
Citrus
Columbia
Jackson
Madison
Levy
Holmes
Marion
Marion
Marion
Wakulla
Hernando
Magnitude Ownership a
Previously
Studied b
Discharge
(ft3/s) *
pH
2nd
1st (Group)
1st
1st
1st
1st
2nd
1st (Group)
1st (Group)
1st
1st
1st
F,O
F, O, S
F, S
F, S
F, S
F, O, S
F, S
F, O, S
F, S
F, O, S, W
F, S
F, O, S
28
87*
186*
61*
71*
154*
20
634*
109*
556*
129*
161*
7.53
7.70
7.73
7.58
7.75
7.04
7.53
7.67
7.42
7.23
7.20
7.68
State Park
State Park
State Park
County Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Federal
State Park a
State Park
State Park
Researchers
F = Florida Geological Survey (water quality)
O = H.T. Odum (1950s)
S = Jan Stevenson (FDEP algae study)
W = Wetland Solutions, Inc. (ecosystem metabolism)
* From First magnitude springs of Florida. Florida Geological Survey. Open File Report No. 85.
Silver Springs is managed as a private attraction, Weeki Wachee became a state park Nov. 2008
a
NO3/TP
SpCond DO NO3-N
TP
(uS/cm) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) Ratio (wt)
821
4,520
306
243
277
430
180
274
1,141
461
328
320
0.46
3.97
1.95
7.26
1.76
1.60
3.44
5.53
3.02
3.09
2.39
1.29
1.14
0.52
0.53
3.30
1.40
1.80
0.20
1.13
0.05
1.30
1.00
0.70
0.05
0.03
0.04
0.02
0.04
0.02
0.10
0.03
0.02
0.04
0.03
0.01
23
19
16
165
35
90
2
35
3
33
33
100
Springs Selection – Range in
Nitrate Concentrations:
6.00
5.00
Average NOx-N (mg/L)
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
Spring
ID Spring
ID Spring
ID
Beecher Spring
1 Fenney Spring
45 Cedar Head Spring
89
Copper Spring
2 Hornsby Spring
46 Wakulla Tubing D-Tunnel
90
Green Cove Spring
3 Horn Spring
47 Gum Spring Main
91
Holton Creek Rise
4 Cypress Spring
48 Little River Spring
92
Orange Spring
5 Starbuck Spring
49 Wakulla Tubing C-Tunnel
93
Suwannee Springs
6 Turtle Spring
50 Double Spring
94
Newport Spring
7 Salt Spring (Hernando)
51 Jackson Mill Pond Spring
95
Waldo Spring
8 Hunter Spring
52 Wakulla Tubing B-Tunnel
96
Warm Mineral Spring
9 Ellaville Spring
53 Rainbow Spring #6
97
Santa Fe Spring (Columbia)
10 Falmouth Spring
54 Silver Spring Main
Nutall Rise
11 Alapaha River Rise
55 Hart Springs
99
Alexander Springs
12 Wacissa Springs #2
56 Otter Spring
100
Silver Glen Springs
13 Wakulla Tubing A/K-Tunnel
57 Bubbling Spring
101
Washington Blue Spring (Choctawhatchee)
14 Black Spring (Jackson)
58 Wekiwa Springs
102
Steinhatchee River Rise
15 Wakulla Tubing K-Tunnel
59 Rainbow Spring #1
103
Santa Fe River Rise (Alachua)
16 Wakulla Tubing A/D-Tunnel
60 Deleon Spring (Volusia)
104
Welaka Spring
17 Holmes Blue Spring
61 Ginnie Spring
105
Williford Spring
18 Jackson Blue Hole Spring
62 Reception Hall Spring
106
Juniper Springs
19 Homosassa #1
63 Devils Ear Spring (Gilchrist)
107
Columbia Spring
20 Sanlando Springs
64 Blue Grotto Spring
108
Fern Hammock Springs
21 Suwanacoochee Spring
65 Madison Blue Spring
109
Treehouse Spring
22 Gator Spring (Hernando)
66 Rainbow Spring #4
110
Salt Springs (Marion)
23 Homosassa #2
67 Rock Springs
111
Crays Rise
24 Chassahowitzka Spring Main
68 Mearson Spring
112
Washington Blue Spring (Econfina)
25 Citrus Blue Spring
69 Gilchrist Blue Spring
113
Big Spring (Big Blue Spring) (Jefferson)
26 Levy Blue Spring
70 Manatee Spring
114
Morrison Spring
27 Mission Spring
71 Sun Springs
115
Spring Creek Rise #1
28 Allen Mill Pond Spring
72 Telford Spring
116
St. Marks River Rise (Leon)
29 Chassahowitzka Spring #1
73 Owens Spring
117
Gainer Spring #1C
30 Magnolia Spring
74 Troy Spring
118
Spring Creek Rise #2
31 Homosassa #3
75 Buckhorn Spring
119
Tarpon Hole Spring
32 Rock Bluff Springs
76 Crystal Springs
120
Gainer Spring #3
33 Bugg Spring
77 Lafayette Blue Spring
121
Poe Spring
34 Blue Hole Spring (Columbia)
78 Running Springs
122
Shepherd Spring
35 Springboard Spring
79 Unknown 11365
123
Brunson Landing Spring
36 Volusia Blue Spring
80 Lithia Springs Major
124
Gainer Spring #2
37 Branford Spring
81 Hays Spring (Jackson)
125
Ponce De Leon Springs
38 Siphon Creek Rise
82 Jackson Blue Spring
126
Sulphur Spring (Hillsborough)
39 Little Springs (Hernando)
83 Shangri-La Springs
127
Rhodes Spring #1
40 Weeki Wachee Main Spring
84 Lafayette Ruth Spring
128
Rhodes Spring #2
41 Ichetucknee Head Spring (Suwannee)
85 Fanning Springs
129
Rhodes Spring #4
42 Guaranto Spring
86 Apopka Spring
130
Natural Bridge Spring
43 Wakulla Spring
87
Beckton Springs
44 Gadsen Spring
88
Stats
Average
Min
Max
98
0.00
Spring ID
NOx-N
0.803
0.004
5.10
PROJECT TIMELINE
• July – September 2008 – project planning and
mobilization
• October 2008 – September 2009 – synoptic sampling
of 12 springs
– De Leon, Homosassa, and Madison Blue completed
– Sampling Jackson Blue this week
• October – December 2009 – data analysis and
reporting
PARAMETERS
• Physical characteristics of the spring run segments (length,
width, cross sections, discharge and estimated volume)
PARAMETERS cont.
• Incident solar radiation and vertical light attenuation
measured continuously in each spring segment
PARAMETERS cont.
• Diffusion of oxygen from air to water measured
PARAMETERS cont.
• Water temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen,
chlorophyll a, chloride, color, nutrients - at the upstream and
downstream end of each spring run segment
PARAMETERS cont.
• SAV characterized in each spring segment - species, percent
cover estimates for macroalgae and vascular plants
PARAMETERS cont.
• Aquatic insect (adult Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Lepidoptera)
emergence rates measured using floating, pyramid traps;
PARAMETERS cont.
• Particulate export measured using plankton net;
PARAMETERS cont.
• Visual counts of macro fauna (reptiles, fish, birds, mammals)
PARAMETERS cont.
• Human use observations such as park attendance numbers,
recreation, etc.
PARAMETERS cont.
• Ecosystem metabolism
–
–
–
–
Gross and net primary production [GPP & NPP],
Community respiration [CR],
P:R ratio,
Photosynthetic efficiency)
– in a single, representative spring run segment,
– using the upstream-downstream dissolved oxygen change method
– for a continuous 72-hour period (or more);
• Benthic algae
oxygen production
• Sunfish respiration
Why measure metabolism
(via changes in dissolved oxygen)?
• Integrated measure of the spring ecosystem
(includes biotic and abiotic factors)
• Provides an estimate of primary productivity
(organic carbon production with the release of
oxygen)
• Provides a rate (typically in grams of oxygen per
square meter per day) that can be extrapolated in
time and/or space
Silver Springs Ecosystem Metabolism
(6,390 g dw/m2/y)
Top Consumers
Bass, Birds, and Alligators (1.53 g/m2)
1o Consumers
Fish and Midges (10.7 g/m2)
Herbivores
Turtles, Snails, Mullet (36.8 g/m2)
Primary Producers
(Submersed Aquatic Vegetation community)
Sagittaria kurziana w/ periphyton (809 g/m2)
EXAMPLE DETERMINATION OF ECOSYSTEM METABOLISM BASED
ON UPSTREAM-DOWNSTREAM DISSOLVED OXYGEN DATA
10
2500
Upstream
9
Air
Downstream
Plant Level
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)
8
2000
Air = 39.30 mol/m2/d
PAR (umol/m /s)
7
2
6
5
4
1500
Plant Level = 28.52 mol/m2/d
1000
3
2
500
1
0
5/15/05 0:00
5/15/05 6:00
5/15/05 12:00
5/15/05 18:00
0
5/15/05 0:00
5/16/05 0:00
5/15/05 6:00
5/15/05 12:00
5/15/05 18:00
5/16/05 0
1.5
Corrected
1.2
Corrected DO Rate-of-Change (g/m /hr)
0.5
0
-0.5
-1
5/15/05 0:00
1.0
GPP = 8.45 g/m2/d
2
2
DO Rate-of-Change (g/m /hr)
Uncorrected
1
5/15/05 6:00
5/15/05 12:00
5/15/05 18:00
5/16/05 0:00
0.8
0.6
0.4
CR = 8.40 g/m2/d
0.2
0.0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
-1.0
5/15/05 0:00
NPP = GPP- CR = +0.05 g/m2/d
PAR Eff. = GPP / PAR = 0.30 g O2/mol
5/15/05 6:00
5/15/05 12:00
5/15/05 18:00
5/16/05 0
Summary
• Ecosystem study methods will help to synthesize
spring response to a variety of stressors
• Last spring-wide baseline conducted in 1950s – this
study will update and expand on that work
• Jackson Blue field work is being conducted this
week. A summary report is due by December 2009.
Discussion…