156-33 Physiochemical Effects of Increasing Salinity on Organic Soil Structure in the Southern Everglades.



Monday, October 17, 2011
Henry Gonzalez Convention Center, Hall C, Street Level

ABSTRACT WITHDRAWN

The low-lying Everglades consists of several dynamic communities that naturally evolve with the varying hydrology. With the expected sea level rise of one meter in the next 100 years, the Everglades will shift from a fresh water ridge and slough habitat to a saltwater-inundated, mangrove coastal forest. The existing organic soils, important for unique habitat diversity, nutrient storage, and sequestration of atmospheric carbon, will shift from freshwater-inundated wetlands to tidal salt marshes. Disturbing the organic soil structure will cause a dramatic shift in the ecology of the Everglades. Increasing salinity will initially cause a decrease in vegetative productivity and an increase in anaerobic decomposition, resulting in a decline of hemic and sapric soils. With the organic soil structure no longer intact, hydrologic flow will increase, displacing the organic matter and mineralized nutrients into Florida Bay. Peat collapse has already been observed in the coastal margin of Everglades National Park, a landscape that has taken thousands of years to diversify and self-organize could be upset within a century. This research assesses changes in soil structure (bulk density, cohesion) and chemistry after salt-water inundation of histosols under simulated sea level rise conditions.
See more from this Division: S10 Wetland Soils
See more from this Session: General Wetland Soils: II (Includes Graduate Student Competition)