Progress 05/15/17 to 09/14/22
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:Hurricanes and COVID-19 caused delays and challenges in this project. Hurricane Irma passed directly over our study site in 2017 which not only disturbed our field efforts (i.e., water level remained too high for sampling for an extended period of time) but also impacted much of the team in terms of access to our labs and in some cases homes. Team members were diverted to other efforts and a variety of tasks relating to the storm including rapid post-storm assessments as well as ongoing post-storm recovery monitoring. While this did delay the project, we have benefited scientifically from pre and post-storm data which includes a Nature Communications publication. Smoak (USF) had very limited access to his lab from March 2020 to March 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions.Essentially all laboratory work stopped in my USF lab in March 2020 except for gamma counting. In addition, computers and software used to analyze the gamma spectrum are located within the facility, therefore, progress was slowed. A graduate student who originally was going to pursue a field-based project switched to a modeling approach due to university COVID-19 travel restrictions. FWRI staff began working from home in March 2020 and had limited access to lab or office spaces for much of the summer of 2020. While hiring of new staff was allowed during the pandemic, part-time hours were greatly reduced and projects were unable to bring on any new interns or volunteers until 1 July 2021. Full-time return to labs and offices at FWRI occurred 14 June 2021, with some staff still only working from home or hybrid schedules due to childcare needs at home. Other investigators experienced similar at their respective institutions including delays in hiring for the project. Furthermore, like many others, we have had additional burdens on our time due to COVID-19 such as remote schooling for our children, and training and shifting to online remote teaching for our university courses. This dramatically affected our productivity. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two USF M.S. students have been funded and trained through this project. Carolyn Schafer (CS) graduated in 2019. During her time as a student on this project, CS participated in the ComSciCon Conference for science communication in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2018. CS also presented results at the 2018 and 2019 Fall Meetings of the American Geophysical Union, attended by over 20,000 Earth scientists. Tynisha Martin (TM) graduated in 2022. TM became a student shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began and switched from a field-based M.S. project to a modeling project. TM developed sensitivity tests for an advective model written in open-source Python code, with the goal of ultimately publishing the findings and the code. CS is currently employed as a project manager with EcoAdapt in Seattle, Washington, and TM is seeking employment in Florida related to work on this project. Two UCF graduate students, Sarah Harttung (graduated 2021) and Anthony Mirabito, have received training and professional development at UCF as a result of this project, including one-on-one work with PI Chambers in scientific writing, data analysis, and laboratory method development. Both students also presented at an international conference, the Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands. Shannon Brew (undergrad from U of North Florida) was a member of the University of Central Florida, Department of Biology National Science Foundation REU Site: Conservation, Restoration and Communication conducted a summer 2022 research project on methods to quantify active carbon in coastal wetlands utilizing samples from this project. Over the course of this project, FWRI field and laboratory components provided opportunities for training a total of five undergraduate interns, as well as early career experience and training for three recently graduated paid staff coming to the project from undergraduate and graduate programs. Two ECU postdocs advanced their professional skills by learning new remote sensing analytical techniques through one-on-one mentoring. Postdocs attended virtual Google Earth Engine training webinars hosted by the NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training Program. One postdoc learned about new space-based lidar sensors and is currently integrating this information into regional mapping of mangrove canopy height. Postdocs also attended the NASA Biodiversity and Ecological Forecasting Meeting in College Park, MD. A Ph.D. student at Florida International University was also trained in lidar data analyses. She was using data collected as part of this research project along with 3 other projects to examine mangrove structural changes over time. Dr. Lagomasino (ECU) is on her dissertation committee and regularly meets with her. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The team has published journal articles and made numerous scientific presentations and, additional peer-reviewed manuscripts are in progress. The additional manuscripts include a manuscript initially prepared by Carolyn Schafer (USF Grad student), however, the group of authors involved in the preparation of the manuscript felt it would be improved with 1. Modeling and 2. A global dataset. Tynisha Martin conducted sensitivity tests of the model that PI Rosenheim created. Recently to expand the dataset, samples from Brazil (Amazon) were acquired by PI Rosenheim and they are currently being analyzed using the template established in this project. With these two pieces (modeling and expanded dataset) in place, a manuscript will be submitted within the next year crediting this funding for its ultimate publication. UCF team members created a science education video "Wonderful Wetlands" for Walker Elementary School 2nd Grade to teach children about the study and value of wetlands (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbixVGoSpEY). Project results have been highlighted by several news and media outlets: Bates, S. 2021. Trapped Saltwater Caused Mangrove Death After Hurricane Irma, NASA Data Show,NASA.https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/trapped-saltwater-caused-mangrove-death-after-hurricane-irma-nasa-data-show/ Smith, M. 2021. Edited by Waddington, E. Florida's Mangroves Aren't Recovering After Hurricane Irma--Here's What It Means for Coastal Communities.TreeHugger.https://www.treehugger.com/study-resilience-issues-for-coastal-communities-5191799 Smith, M. 2021. ECU-led storm study has takeaways for coastal communities.The Reflector.https://www.reflector.com/news/local/ecu-led-storm-study-has-takeaways-for-coastal-communities/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Our team completed major field expeditions, determined aboveground biomass at field plots, acquired remote sensing data, measured the Surface Elevation Tables, examined transects across the salt and freshwater boundaries, collected short and long soil cores, and have now completed measurements on these samples and data synthesis. Goals 1 through 4 are complete. Summary highlights: Above- and belowground C stock data were compiled from field efforts for this project in Southwest Florida and from published georeferenced C data. These data were used in conjunction with ecosystem maps, remote-sensing parameters, and existing vegetation models to create 30-m resolution spatial models quantifying aboveground C stocks and belowground C stocks up to 1-m depth in mangroves and salt marshes along 360 km of coast in Southwest Florida (Goals 1 and 4). The resulting product can be viewed at https://gis.myfwc.com/SWFLCarbonStocksMap/ and a manuscript has been submitted to Estuaries and Coasts. Satellite-based assessment of the annual change in mangrove area over time for the past 4 decades was conducted. The annual area extents are estimated using historical Landsat imagery, machine learning algorithms and break point detection analyses. Furthermore, we synthesized literature values on carbon stock chronosequences to calculate the amount of soil or biomass gain or loss that occurred during each time step. Remote sensing analyses were completed that captured changes in mangrove forest structure and mangrove forest extent over time. Using our initial 3D lidar data we quantified the structural changes in mangrove forests caused by Hurricane Irma, which struck our study site not long after initial fieldwork, at 1 m resolution on mangrove forests across the Everglades. Lastly, we also quantified Vegetation maps developed by the National Park Service to identify key mangrove vegetation communities. Lead-210 chronologies were determined on soil cores and used to calculate soil accretion rates as well as mass and carbon accumulation rates. Carbon-14 ages were determined on bulk, filtered sediment in long cores allowing the calculation of long-term millennial-scale belowground carbon accumulation. Lead-210 dating was used to establish accretion and accumulation rates on shorter time scales along with Surface Elevation tables. Both Pb-210 chronology and C-14 surveys of upper portion of cores were used to assess carbon cycling on decadal to centennial timescale. In addition, C-14 measurements using ramped pyrolysis-oxidation techniques were used to ascertain turnover rates of whole carbon pools while acid-base treated bulk samples were used to determine the impact of untreated root hairs on these measurements. This level of detail offers an unprecedented view of carbon cycling from the lens of radiocarbon content - a useful tool in soil carbon cycle studies. Coupled with accretion rates, this information is invaluable to assessing how C-accumulation in these systems will react to sea level rise. The effects of habitat switching on soil biogeochemistry and how saltwater intrusion alters microbial community composition was examined. We found that biogeochemical patterns follow soil organic matter distribution across the landscape, regardless of plant community, and that mangroves in mesohaline salinity regimes emit more methane than expected.
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Coastal Riverine Wetland Biogeochemistry in the Anthropocene: Relationships with Vegetation Transition and Saltwater Intrusion; Sarah Harttung, University of Central Florida
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Coupling 210Pb and 14C to constrain carbon burial efficiency of blue carbon ecosystems; Tynisha R. Martin, University of South Florida
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Mirabito, A. and L.G. Chambers; Mineral-Associated Organic Matters Role in Carbon Storage within Wetland Soils. Oral presentation at the Joint Aquatic Science Meeting, Grand Rapids, MI.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Brew, S., Mirabito, A. and L.G. Chambers; Investigating Active Carbon Pools Across Coastal Wetlands. Poster presentation at Student Scholar Symposium at UCF.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Radabaugh KR, Moyer RP, Lagomasino D, Rosenheim B, Chambers L, Chappel A, Dontis E, Breithaupt J, Smoak J. Blue carbon stocks in Southwest Florida mangroves and salt marshes. Oral presentation given at the Tampa Bay Area Scientific Information Symposium.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Radabaugh KR, Moyer RP, Lagomasino D, Rosenheim B, Chambers L, Chappel A, Dontis E, Breithaupt J, Smoak J. Modeling above- and belowground blue carbon stocks in southwest Florida coastal wetlands. Oral presentation given at the Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation Virtual Conference.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Xiong, L., Lagomasino, D., Charles, S., Cook, B., Castaneda, E., and Fatoyinbo, L. Quantifying mangrove forest canopy regrowth after a major hurricane with multiple, large-scale repeat G-LiHT airborne lidar. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Goldberg, L., Lagomasino, D., Thomas, N. and Fatoyinbo, T. Global declines in human?driven mangrove loss. Global Change Biology, 26(10), pp.5844-5855.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Breithaupt, J.L., Steinmuller, H.E., Rovai, A., Engelbert, K.M., Smoak, J.M., Chambers, L.G., Harttung, S.A., Radabaugh, K.R., Moyer, R.P., Chappel, A.R., Vaughn, D.R., Bianchi, T.S., Twilley, R.R., Pagliosa, P., Cifuentes-Jara, M., and D. Torres; An improved framework for estimating organic carbon content of mangrove soils using loss-on-ignition and coastal environmental setting, Scientific Reports, submitted.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Mirabito, A.J. and L.G. Chambers (in review) Quantifying mineral-associated organic matter in wetlands as an indicator of the degree of soil carbon protection. Geoderma
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Radabaugh, K., Moyer, R., Chappel, A., Breithaupt, J., Lagomasino, D., Dontis, E., Russo, C., Rosenheim, B., Chambers, B., Peneva-Reed, E., and Smoak, J. A spatial model comparing above- and belowground blue carbon stocks in Southwest Florida mangroves and salt marshes. In review
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Charles, S., Lagomasino, D., Payton, A., Castaneda, E., Radabaugh, K., Moyer, R., and Fatoyinbo, L. Mangroves gain area, but lose carbon across the State of Florida, USA as mangroves migrate inland. Submitted.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Lagomasino, D., Charles, S., Payton, A, Roman-Cuesta, M., Castaneda, E., and Fatoyinbo, L. Decreases in mangrove forest recovery following cyclones in the Caribbean. Submitted
|
Progress 05/15/21 to 05/14/22
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Per instructions: PLEASE NOTE: if this is the final year of the project and it will not be extended for any reason, then you may disregard this notice and should complete the Final Report instead.
Publications
|
Progress 05/15/20 to 05/14/21
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:Changes and problems Hurricanes and COVID-19 have caused delays. I (USF) have had very limited access to my lab since March 2020.Essentially all laboratory work stopped in March 2020 with the exception of gamma counting. In addition, computers and software used to analyze the gamma spectrum are located within the facility, therefore, have progressed slowly.FWRI staff began working from home in March 2020, and had limited access to lab or office spaces for much of the summer of 2020. While hiring of new staff was allowed during the pandemic, part-time hours were greatly reduced and projects were unable to bring on any new interns or volunteers until 1 July 2021. Full-time return to labs and offices at FWRI occurred 14 June 2021, with some staff still only working from home or hybrid schedules due to childcare needs at home. The co-Investigators experienced similar at their respective institutions including delays in hiring for the project. One student changed their academic focus from a field-based to modeling project based on university travel restrictions due to COVID-19.While the student desired a field-based project, the modeling should prove helpful in explaining some interesting carbon data found early in the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate student Carolyn Schafer (USF) graduated with a MS degree and became a Science Policy Fellow in the National Academy of Sciences Program for Local Adaptation to Climate Effects: Sea-Level Rise. Ongoing training involves biweekly meetings between current graduate student, Tynisha Martin, and project Co-Is from the group and semiannual thesis committee meetings which involve several of the Co-Is of this project. Two graduate students, Sarah Harttung and Anthony Mirabito, have received training and professional development at UCF as a result of this project, including one-on-one work with PI Chambers in scientific writing, data analysis, and laboratory method development. Both students also presented at an international conference, the Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands. Over the course of this project, FWRI field and laboratory components provided opportunities for training a total of five undergraduate interns, as well as early career experience and training for three recently graduated paid staff coming to the project from undergraduate and graduate programs. Two ECU postdocs advanced their professional skills by learning new remote sensing analytical techniques through one-on-one mentoring. Postdocs attended virtual Google Earth Engine training webinars hosted by the NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training Program. Additional Professional development included Postdocs attended several Blue Carbon Accounting virtual workshops and webinars, hosted by Global Environmental Facility, Pew Trust, and the Global Mangrove Alliance. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In addition to scientific presentations and publications, team members at UCF created a science education video "Wonderful Wetlands" for Walker Elementary School 2nd Grade to teach children about the study and value of wetlands (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbixVGoSpEY). Recent project results have been highlighted by several news and media outlets. Bates, S. 2021. Trapped Saltwater Caused Mangrove Death After Hurricane Irma, NASA Data Show,NASA.https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/trapped-saltwater-caused-mangrove-death-after-hurricane-irma-nasa-data-show/ Smith, M. 2021. Edited by Waddington, E. Florida's Mangroves Aren't Recovering After Hurricane Irma--Here's What It Means for Coastal Communities.TreeHugger.https://www.treehugger.com/study-resilience-issues-for-coastal-communities-5191799 Smith, M. 2021. ECU-led storm study has takeaways for coastal communities.The Reflector.https://www.reflector.com/news/local/ecu-led-storm-study-has-takeaways-for-coastal-communities/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will be finalizing data and submitting additional manuscripts under Goal #3 investigating the effects of saltwater intrusion on soil microbial communities that cycle carbon. We will also be collecting new samples in mangrove systems to quantify mineral associated organic matter as a proxy for long-term carbon stability. Complete and outstanding lab work and radiocarbon measurements. The individual project PIs will work together to complete some tasks towards finalizing the integration and modeling of above- and belowground data. Team coordination and project synthesis will be the focus and final task in the spring and summer of 2022.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
What was accomplished under these goals? Our team has completed the major field expeditions, determined aboveground biomass at field plots, measured the Surface Elevation Tables, examined transects across the salt and freshwater boundaries, collected short and long soil cores, and complete most measurements on these samples. In addition, remote sensing data has been acquired. The in situ aboveground measures and remote sensing are complete (goal 1). Concerning determining rates of organic C accumulation on multiple time scales (goal 2), most has been completed with some radiocarbon measurements remaining. Considerable progress has been made on goal 3 include lab experiments on the effects of saltwater intrusion in the microbial community which are 80% complete with qPCR in progress. In examining the physiochemistry effects on soil organic matter stability, new methods have been developed to quantify mineral-associated organic matter in mangrove soils and additional cores were collected. South Florida vulnerability to seawater intrusion maps, historical change assessment over the 21st century, carbon stock changes are complete (goal 4). Approximately 90% of the regional carbon stock modeling is complete. A graduate student who originally was going to pursue a field-based project has switched to a modeling approach due to university COVID-19 travel restrictions. The student is in the process of developing a numeric model of carbon transport to assess the stability of belowground C stocks measured in this project (goals 1 and 2). The impact of hurricane Irma to mangroves within the study domain was quantified. The results of this analysis were published recently inNature Communications. An additional manuscript has been accepted (Harttung et al.) in Science of the Total Environment and a manuscript examining the relationship between Loss-on-ignition and organic carbon is in the final stage of preparation for submission.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Harttung, S.A., Radabaugh, K.R., Moyer, R.P., Smoak, J.M., and L.G. Chambers (2021) Coastal Riverine Wetland Biogeochemistry Follows Soil Organic Matter Distribution along a Marsh-to-Mangrove Gradient (Florida, USA). Science of the Total Environment, 797, 149056. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149056
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Harttung, S. and L.G. Chambers (2021) Soil Biogeochemistry and Microbial Activity Along the Marsh-to-Mangrove Transition. Oral presentation at 13th International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands, Virtual Conference.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Radabaugh KR, Moyer RP, Lagomasino D, Rosenheim BE, Chambers LG, Chappel AR, Dontis EE, Breithaupt JL, Smoak JM. (2020) An above- and belowground model of blue carbon stocks in southwest Florida coastal wetlands. Poster presentation at Restore Americas Estuaries 2020 Virtual Summit. 29 Sept 1 Oct 2020.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Radabaugh KR, Dontis EE, Chapel AR, Russo CR, Moyer RP (2020) Blue carbon dynamics in stressed and restored mangrove habitats in Tampa Bay. Oral presentation given at Restore Americas Estuaries 2020 Virtual Summit. 29 Sept 1 Oct 2020.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Breithaupt, J.L., Smoak, J.M., Bianchi, T.S., Vaughn, D., Sanders, C.J., Radabaugh, K.R., Osland, M.J., Feher, L.C., Lynch, J., Cahoon, D.R., Anderson, G.H., Whelan, K.R.T., Rosenheim, B., Moyer, R.P. and L.G. Chambers (2021) Reply to Comment by R. Parkinson on Increasing Rates of Carbon Burial in Southwest Florida Coastal Wetlands by J. Breithaupt et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 126, e2021JG006245. DOI: 10.1029/2021JG006245
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Cite this article
Lagomasino, D., Fatoyinbo, T., Casta�eda-Moya, E. et al. Storm surge and ponding explain mangrove dieback in southwest Florida following Hurricane Irma. Nat Commun 12, 4003 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24253-y
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Lagomasino, David; Fatoyinbo, Temilola; Cool, Bruce D; Montesano, Paul; Neigh, Christopher; Corp, Lawrence A; Ott, Lesley; Chavez, Selena; Morton, Douglas C (2020): South Florida Mangrove Damage from Hurricane Irma. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.920522
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Mirabito, A. and L.G. Chambers (2021) Quantifying Mineral Associated Organic Matter in Subtropical Peatlands. Poster presentation at 13th International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands, Virtual Conference.
|
Progress 05/15/19 to 05/14/20
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In previous years the University of Maryland's (UMD) remote sensing work has included assistance from undergraduate and graduate interns. The PI from UMD moved to East Carolina University (ECU) as a tenure-track assistant professor recently and will be incorporating ECU students soon. FWRI field and lab work included assistance from two undergraduate and one recently graduated volunteer interns. We also provide a field opportunity for a visiting Ph.D. student scientist from Brazil. UCF soil biogeochemistry fieldwork and analyses have been led by one graduate student and assisted by four undergraduate students. USFs work on this project has included numerous students, graduate and undergraduate. The highlight is the graduation of Carolyn Schafer (M.S.) from the program and she is starting a Gulf Coast Research Fellowship in August. This project has provided an MS level student with the training necessary to obtain a job even during a global pandemic. Carolyn Schafer participated in the ComSciCon Conference for science communication in Atlanta, Georgia, the year before last, and is pursuing a career that involves increasing the awareness of science and the scientific method amongst Americans. Thus, by supporting both her training in analytical techniques and scientific writing as well as opportunities like this, this project has contributed to her professional development and positioned her to contribute to science and society in a meaningful way. Tynisha Martin, the current USF graduate student funded by this project, will be working on quantitatively relating the carbon translocations in both ecosystems through numeric modeling. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated at conferences, symposiums and via journal articles.See Products. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Work during the next reporting period will focus on analyzing the remaining cores, expanding modeling efforts across a wider geographic range in southwest Florida, and including habitat switching and accretion into modeling efforts. Pre-storm field data along with recent post-storm field data will be combined with airborne and satellite imagery to model the loss and potential recovery of biomass across mangrove areas of South Florida. In addition, the annual change/disturbance maps combined with the aboveground biomass will be used in a prediction analysis to forecast future changes in blue carbon. Results will be presented at the Restore America's Estuaries 2020 Virtual Summit. However, there is great uncertainty in future plans due to COVID-19. COVID-19 Impact: The lead PI (Smoak) has his office and laboratory located within the US Geological Sciences facility in St. Petersburg, Florida. Due to COVID-19 mid-March access to this facility become extremely limited and has remained as such. All laboratory work stopped at that time. In addition, computers and software used to analyze the gamma spectrum are located within the facility therefore that aspect of the project remains on pause. Due to USF policies, no fieldwork can currently occur. We had intended to collect additional cores during the Spring semester. USF entered in March and remains in Phase I, which allows up to 25% of staff on campus based on space configuration. This has had a particularly negative impact on Martin (new USF graduate student) as she had been unable to engage in fieldwork or further analyses. The situation was similar at UCF with an extended period of the work stoppage. At ECU circumstances delayed the project transfer to ECU from UMD, and similarly delayed the hiring of a research specialist. Human Resources paperwork was delayed due to the initial closing of the university and later background checks have been delayed the hiring process for the research specialist. On 16 March 2020, most staff at FWRI began working from home due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Florida. While guidance continues to evolve, and as the situation has significantly worsened in Florida, all staff continue to be operating on work-from-home assignments indefinitely, with laboratory activity significantly reduced, and field work being limited during this time (local only, extremely limited overnight travel allowances). Most project-related field work is being considered on a case-by-case basis and any field work that is conducted by the FWRI Coastal Wetlands staff requires approval by the Administrator for the Habitat Research sub-section of FWRI. This has also impacted planned participation in conferences and other opportunities for information dissemination. Like many others, we have had additional burdens on our time due to COVID-19 such as remote schooling for our children, and training and shifting to online remote teaching for our university courses. This has dramatically affected our productivity. At the time of report submission, the situation remains critical throughout the State, including locally in the Tampa Bay region. Thus, significant impacts to project spending and timelines are expected in the coming project year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These limitations will be monitored and fully reported in the next annual report as necessary.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Overview: Our team conducted a major field expedition along the southwest coast of Florida in May 2017. We measured the Surface Elevation Tables that were established in the 1990s at 12 sites and collected 12 short cores (0.5 m) and 3 long cores (>1.5 m). To examine the effects saltwater intrusion into freshwater systems has on soils, transects were established along three rivers. Continuous measurements of water level and salinity have been occurring along these transects, and biogeochemical sampling is ongoing. NASA Goddard's LiDAR, Hyperspectral and Thermal (G-LiHT) airborne imager flights were conducted over the study area in the first year. Ground truth data to determineaboveground biomass havebeen collectedat mangrove and salt marsh plots. Specific Accomplishments by objective: 1. G-LiHT flights were conducted in the first year to determine canopy height, terrain and generate aboveground biomass maps. We have mapped the location of mangrove and marshes for the 2017 time period and have used that information to look back in the satellite record to estimate the change over time. A linear calibration has been created using aboveground carbon stocks and vegetation height for use with G-LiHT surveys for large-scale extrapolation of carbon stocks. Additional field efforts were undertaken in January and February 2020 in the Peace and Myakka rivers. Five sample plots in a variety of wetland habitats were established underneath G-LiHT flight paths. Sediment cores were collected in duplicate on Long Island in the Peace River to 160 cm depth for joint14C and loss-on-ignition analysis. 2. All SETs were measured in the first year of the project. The gamma measurements have been completed on 12 short cores. Dating models have been run which allows soil accretion rates (mm per year) to be calculated for comparison with sea-level rise, and mass accumulation rates, as well as organic carbon accumulation, will be determined on the dated cores.We have measured14C ages of bulk, filtered sediment in long push cores from two main sites in Southwest Florida - Faka Union and Cat's Claw.This was the focus of Carey Schafer's Master's thesis which she successfully defended and earned her M.S. degree this reporting period support by this project. She has prepared a manuscript that is under review by co-authors. It summarizes the radiocarbon (long time scale accumulation rates) measurements and recognizes a process of advection of young carbon to older soils. This mechanism is likely related to root activity and has launched an effort to observe this phenomenon in other mangrove systems worldwide. As such, this project has resulted in a finding of significance to our understanding of how mangrove ecosystems carry out carbon sequestration and may lead to a comparative study being published that recognizes this mechanism as a global mangrove soil ecosystem function rather than a local FL mangrove soil process. Several members of the team published a paper examining increasing rates of carbon accumulation over the last century (Breithaupt et al. 2020, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences). A publicly accessible dataset was published along with the paper and the paper was highlighted by the American Geophysical Union publication EOS (1 April 2020). This work leverages data from several soil cores collected in coastal Florida, dated using multiple different methods, and suggests accretion and burial rates are increasing in response to sea-level rise. 3. The field efforts included wetland sites in saline, transitional, and freshwater conditions at Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve and the Little Manatee River and Peace River. One investigated the effects of habitat switching on soil biogeochemistry and the other on how saltwater intrusion alters microbial community composition have been completed. All data have been collected and analyzed for the first study (habitat switching). We found that biogeochemical patterns follow soil organic matter distribution across the landscape, regardless of plant community, and that mangroves in mesohaline salinity regimes emit more methane than expected. Components of this study were to be presented at the 13thInternational Symposium on the Biogeochemistry of Wetlands in Baton Rouge, LA, in April 2020 but conference plans were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection for the second study (microbial communities and saltwater intrusion) is nearing completion and the project is entering the manuscript preparation phase. Quantitative PCR is being used to determine if saltwater intrusion caused a shift in either the abundance or the composition of the microbial community. 4. We have mapped the long-term changes in mangrove forests for the past 30 years which will be instrumental in predicting and evaluating the effects of habitat switching on carbon stocks. To compare our radiocarbon (long time scale results) from mangroves with other coastal environments, we have conducted measurements in marsh ecosystems that are adjacent to mangroves. These preliminary measurements seem to confirm the pumping of young carbon to older soils by coastal wetland ecosystems, however to a lesser effect in marshes than in mangroves. Tynisha Martin (USF), the current graduate student funded by this project, will be working on quantitatively relating the carbon translocations in both ecosystems through numeric modeling. Over the past year, Lagomasino has developed several mangrove biophysical maps of South Florida following Hurricane Irma in 2017. These datasets were derived from combining NASA G-LiHT data with satellite imagery before and after the hurricane. Datasets are currently being archived at Pangaea. Various map layers included wall-to-wall mangrove canopy height (1 m and 12 m resolution), mangrove extent for 2017 (30 m resolution), mangrove hurricane damage (30 m resolution), and mangrove vulnerability (30 m resolution). These data have been presented at several conferences, and the results and findings from these analyses are currently under review for publication. Using data collected from G-LiHT, hurricane disturbance models were developed for mangroves Caribbean-wide from 2009 to 2017 and were recently published in Environmental Research Letters (Taillie et al, 2020). The results here show that 2017 was an extremely devastating year for Caribbean mangroves, in general, when compared to any year after 2009. Additional time-series analyses now capture extreme hurricane years in 2005 and 1992. New data suggest that 2017 was an exceptional year over the past three decades. These new annual datasets will be used to model changes in vegetation carbon during habitat switching between mangroves, marshes, and open water. Post-hurricane Irma field data were also collected to model storm-related changes in aboveground biomass which were leveraged from other ongoing NASA and NPS projects. Modeling and predicting carbon stocks across southwest Florida has commenced. Progress includes the compilation of belowground carbon data from this project and carbon stock data from the Coastal Carbon Atlas. A model is being created in R using a machine-learning random forest structure. A variety of modeling predictors have been evaluated from satellite-derived data products available from NASA's Earthdata and Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. Carbon density is modeled in 3D (as a function of depth). Modeling efforts thus far have resulted in R2and root mean square errors comparable to previously published global models for mangrove forest soil carbon.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Breithaupt, J.L., Smoak, J.M., Bianchi, T.S., Vaughn, D., Sanders, C.J., Radabaugh, K.R., Osland, M., Feher, L.C., Lynch, J.C., Cahoon, D.R., Anderson, G.H., Whelan, K.R.T., Rosenheim, B.E., Moyer, R.P. and L.G. Chambers; Increasing rates of carbon burial in southwest Florida coastal wetlands, Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences, 125, DOI: 10.1029/2019JG005349, 2020.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Breithaupt, J.L., J.M. Smoak, T.S. Bianchi, D. Vaughn, C.J. Sanders, K.R. Radabaugh, M. Osland, L. Feher, J. Lynch, D. Cahoon, B. Rosenheim, G. Anderson, K.R.T. Whelan, R.P. Moyer, and L.G. Chambers (2020). Increasing rates of carbon burial in southwest Florida coastal wetlands. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25573/serc.9894266.v1 (dataset)
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Dontis ED, Radabaugh KR, Chappel AR, Russo CE, Moyer RP (2020) Carbon storage increases with site age as created salt marshes transition to mangrove forests in Tampa Bay, Florida (USA). Estuaries & Coasts. 19 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00733-0
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Taillie, P.J., Roman-Cuesta, R., Lagomasino, D., Cifuentes-Jara, M., Fatoyinbo, T., Ott, L.E. and Poulter, B., 2020. Widespread mangrove damage resulting from the 2017 Atlantic mega hurricane season. Environmental Research Letters, 15(6), p.064010.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Lagomasino, D., Fatoyinbo, T., Casta�eda-Moya, E., Cook, B., Montesano, P., Neigh, C., Ott, L., Chavez, S. and Morton, D., 2020. Storm surge, not wind, caused mangrove dieback in southwest Florida following Hurricane Irma. Nature Communications, submitted.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Smoak, J.M., Breithaupt, J.L., Moyer, R.P., Radabaugh, K.R., Bianchi, T., Vaughn, D., Rosenheim, B.E., Schafer, C., Chambers, L., Harttung, S. and J. Kominoski; Sea-level rise and storms alter soil carbon dynamics of southwest Florida mangrove forests. Fall AGU, San Francisco, CA, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Schafer, C., Rosenheim, B., Smoak, J.M., Moyer, R.P. and J.L. Breithaupt; Increased Accommodation Space and OC Stabilization Enhance the Efficiency of the Mangrove Blue Carbon Sink. Fall AGU, San Francisco, CA, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Chavez, S., Wdowinski, S., Lagomasino, D., Fatoyinbo, T., Cook, B., Castaneda, E., Moyer, R.P., Radabaugh, K. and J.M. Smoak; Observing changes in mangrove forests of south Florida Everglades following Hurricane Irma using remote sensing measurements. Fall AGU, San Francisco, CA, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Moyer, R.P., Smoak, J.M., Radabaugh, K.R., Rosenheim, B.E., Schafer, C.A., Lagomasino, D., Chambers, L.G., Breithaupt, J.L., Harttung, S. and C.J. Sanders; Coupled field-based and remote-sensing measurements to quantify carbon burial and sequestration in southwest Florida across multiple timescales on a large geographic scale. Chapman Conference on Understanding Carbon Climate Feedbacks, San Diego, CA, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Lagomasino, D., Fatoyinbo, T., Payton, A., Taillie, P.J., Goldberg, L., Montesano, P., Neigh, C.S., Cook, B., Morton, D.C. and Roman-Cuesta, R.M., 2019. Hurricane-related forest degradation and dieback across the Caribbean. AGUFM, 2019, pp.GC43A-11.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Harttung, S. and L. Chambers; Microbial community composition and carbon dynamics
under new salinity regimes: an intact core study. Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation 25th Biennial Conference, Mobile, Alabama, 2019.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Mechanisms of Carbon Movement and Stabilization in Mangrove Wetlands, Thesis, University of South Florida, 2020.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Lagomasino, D., Fatoyinbo, T., Goldberg, L., Lee, SK., Taillie, P.J., and Roman-Cuesta, R.M., 2019. Delayed Mangrove Morality from Hurricanes in the Caribbean. Mangroves, Macrobenthos, and Management Meeting 5, 2019.
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Progress 05/15/18 to 05/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Carolyn Schafer, the M.S. student on this project, participated in the ComSciCon Conference for science communication in Atlanta, Georgia, this past year in addition to other conference presentations. She is planning on finishing her degree within the next academic year and pursuing a career that involves increasing the awareness of science and the scientific method amongst Americans. Thus, by supporting both her training in analytical techniques and scientific writing as well as opportunities like this, this project has contributed to the professional development of an M.S. level student. In addition, several University of South Florida students have assisted in processing and radiometric counting of soil samples. FWRI field and lab work included assistance from undergraduate and recently graduated volunteer interns. UMD remote sensing work has included assistance from undergraduate and graduate interns. UCF soil biogeochemistry fieldwork and analyses have been led by one graduate student (Sarah Harttung) and assisted by four undergraduate students. Ms. Harttung has presented her result at several conferences and meetings. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated at conferences, symposiums and via journal articles (accepted and submitted). See Products. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Work during the next reporting period will focus on relating above- and belowground carbon stocks as determined using ground truthing data and remote sensing data from G-LiHT and satellite platforms. We will also focus on estimating fluxes of carbon from losses and gains over the past and use that to predict future changes in carbon stocks. Lead-210 and 14C is onging and will continue. Several abstracts have been submitted and are planned for such meetings as AGU Chapman Conference on Carbon-Climate Feedbacks, Mangroves, Macrobenthos and Management Meeting 5, and Fall AGU. Outlines for the several manuscripts are in progress with the goal to submit within the next year.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the first year of the project, 12 short cores (0.5 m) and 3 long cores (>1.5 m) were collected and the processing and analysis are ongoing. To examine the effects saltwater intrusion into freshwater systems has on soils, transects have been established along three rivers. Continuous measurements of water level and salinity are occurring along these transects, and biogeochemical sampling is ongoing. NASA Goddard's LiDAR, Hyperspectral and Thermal (G-LiHT) airborne imager flights were conducted over the study area in the first year of the project to determine canopy height, terrain and generate aboveground biomass maps. Ground truth data to determineaboveground biomass havebeen collectedat 10 mangrove plots and 11 salt marsh plots. This will enable creation oflocation-specific height vs. biomass equations for calculating biomass fromG-LiHT vegetation height data. Cores were also collected adjacent to vegetation plots for quantification of belowground organic carbon stocks. Many of these cores have alreadybeen analyzed via loss-in-ignition to quantify amounts of organic matter. Specific Accomplishments by objective: 1. Quantify above and belowground C stocks through a combination of in situ sampling and remote sensing techniques for regional upscaling. G-LiHT flights were conducted in the first year to determine canopy height, terrain and generate aboveground biomass maps. Mappings efforts have been underway to estimate the distribution of various land cover types within the study region. We have mapped the location of mangrove and marshes for the 2017 time period and have used that information to look back in the satellite record to estimate the change over time. A major field effort was conducted in July-August 2018 in the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve and greater Ten Thousand Islands region. Fourteen sample plots in a variety of wetland habitats were established underneath G-LiHT flight paths. Vegetation metrics were collected for determination of aboveground biomass and the plot locations were surveyed by Real-time Kinematic (RTK) GPS. Soil strength was measured with a shear vane and cores of up to 1 m depth were collected with a Russian-style peat corer. A portable Picarro detector was also used to quantify methane and CO2 concentration and flux from the substrate over 10-minute intervals. Additional field efforts applied this same protocol (with the exception of methane measurements) to field sites on the Little Manatee River and Peace River in October 2018. All cores have been analyzed via loss-on-ignition methodology to determine dry bulk density, percent organic matter composition, and calculate belowground carbon stocks. A linear calibration has been created using aboveground carbon stocks and vegetation height for use with G-LiHT surveys for large-scale extrapolation of carbon stocks. 2. Determine rates of organic C accumulation on multiple time scales and utilize local elevation and accretion rates to evaluate the likelihood of coastal wetlands keeping pace with sea-level rise. The gamma measurements have been completed on 9 of the 12 short cores with the other three in progress. Once all gamma measurements are completed the Pb-210 dating models will be run which allows soil accretion rates (mm per year) to be calculated for comparison with sea-level rise, and mass accumulation rates, as well as organic carbon accumulation, will be determined on the dated cores. We have measured 14C ages of bulk, filtered sediment in long push cores from two main sites in Southwest Florida - Faka Union and Cat's Claw. A total of 33 radiocarbon dates have been measured using this method, allowing calculation of long-term millennial-scale belowground carbon accumulation. In addition, we have conducted detailed 14C surveys of upper portions of cores from these two sites. By overlapping the 14C measurements and the 210Pb chronology, we have enabled a detailed assessment of carbon cycling on the decadal to centennial timescale. Measurements of 14C have been conducted using ramped pyrolysis-oxidation (RPO) techniques to ascertain the turnover rate of the whole carbon pool (10 samples, 50 radiocarbon dates), we have measured acid-base-acid treated bulk samples to determine the effects that untreated root hairs may have on these measurements, we have conducted measurements of filtered vs. unfiltered samples to determine to what extent root hairs are responsible for observed younger carbon in old portions of these cores, and we have conducted direct measurement of the root hairs from these samples . This level of detail offers an unprecedented view of carbon cycling from the lens of radiocarbon content - a useful tool in soil carbon cycle studies. Coupled with accretion rates, this information is invaluable in assessing how C-accumulation in these systems will react to sea-level rise. 3. Identify regions of early saltwater intrusion and habitat switching to evaluate the effects on soil biogeochemistry, C balance, and surface soil stability. The field efforts included wetland sites in saline, transitional, and freshwater conditions at Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve and the Little Manatee River and Peace River. Surface soil stability was quantified via soil shear strength. Carbon stocks were quantified via loss-on-ignition methodology and dry bulk density. Substantial mapping efforts have been made to identify the spatial distribution of mangrove loss, degradation, and resilience over the past 30 years (1989-2019) using the Landsat satellite record. From this information we have been able to identify areas within the study regions that have transitioned from mangrove forest to open water and areas that have been disturbed by recovered. The transitions to open water are associated with both natural disturbances (e.g., hurricanes) as well as human modifications (e.g., road and levees). We have also estimated the average time of recovery (back to baseline) for hurricane disturbance events. From the G-LiHT data collected we have determined the spatial variability in canopy height across the South Florida coast and estimated the amount of canopy loss, which is correlated with biomass and carbon) caused by Hurricane Irma. This was achieved through a leveraged NASA Rapid Response project, capitalizing on the data collected from this project. Moreover, we were able to identify the regions that showing the highest mortality and vulnerability to collapse. In particular, regions with black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) were most susceptible and forests that were in the lowest elevations. This work is currently in draft and will be submitted within the next two months. An investigation on the effects of habitat switching on soil biogeochemistry has been completed and another on how saltwater intrusion alters microbial community composition is nearing completion. All data have been collected and analyzed for the first study (habitat switching) and it is currently in the manuscript preparation phase. We found that biogeochemical patterns are not consistent across the landscape. Components of this study were presented at AGU Fall Meeting 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Harttung et al. 2018). Data collection for the second study (microbial communities and saltwater intrusion) is nearing completion. Quantitative PCR is being used to determine if saltwater intrusion caused a shift in either the abundance or the composition of the microbial community. Components from this work were presented in part at GEER 2019 in Coral Springs, FL, (Harttung et al. 2019) and the complete study will be presented at CERF 2019 in Mobile, AL. 4. Predict and model C stocks as a function of future habitat switching and local rates of accretion and inundation? We have mapped the long-term changes in mangrove forest for the past 30 years which will be instrumental in predicting and evaluating the effects of habitat switching on carbon stocks.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Zhang, C., Durgan, S. D., & Lagomasino, D.; Modeling risk of mangroves to tropical cyclones: A case study of Hurricane Irma. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 224, 108-116. (accepted April 30, 2019, online May 2, 2019).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Breithaupt, J.L., Smoak, J.M., Bianchi, T.S., Vaughn, D., Sanders, C.J., Radabaugh, K.R., Osland, M., Feher, L.C., Lynch, J.C., Cahoon, D.R., Anderson, G.H., Whelan, K.R.T., Rosenheim, B.E., Moyer, R.P. and L.G. Chambers; Increasing rates of carbon burial in southwest Florida coastal wetlands, Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences, submitted.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Harttung, S.; Dry Season Carbon Dynamics Along Vegetation Gradients in Three Riverine Systems on the West Coast of Florida, USA. Fall AGU, Washington, D.C., 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Harttung, S. and L. Chambers; Saltwater Intrusion in the Everglades: Microbial Community Composition and Carbon Dynamics Under New Salinity Regimes. Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference, Coral Springs, FL, 2019.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Smoak, J.M., Breithaupt, J.L., Radabaugh, K.R., Lagomasino, D., Moyer, R.P., Rosenheim, B.E., Schafer, C., Chambers, L.G., Harttung, S., Lynch, J.C. and D.R. Cahoon; Fate of coastal wetlands under rising sea level and punctuated by major hurricanes. Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference, Coral Springs, FL, 2019. (Invited)
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Breithaupt, J.L., Anderson, G.H., Whelan, K.R.T., Smoak, J.M., Feher, L.C., and M.J. Osland; Comparing rates of vertical change in mangrove and marsh soils of the coastal Everglades using measurements from surface elevation tables, feldspar marker horizons, Cs-137, Pb-210 and C-14. Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference, Coral Springs, FL, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Lagomasino, D., Fatoyinbo, L., Morton, D., Cook, B., Montesano, P., Neigh, C., Ott, L., Castaneda, E., Moyer, R.P., Radabaugh, K.R., Smoak, J.M. and T. Troxler; Winners and losers after Hurricane Irma in the Everglades mangrove forests: A NASA Perspective. Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference, Coral Springs, FL, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Moyer, R., Smoak, J.M., Radabaugh, K. Lagomasino, D., Rosenheim, B., Chambers, L., Chappel, A., Dontis, E., Schafer, C., Harttung, S., Breithaupt, J., and C.J. Sanders; Coupled Field-Based and Remote-Sensing Measurements to Quantify Carbon Stocks in Southwest Florida. Restore Americas Estuaries Summit, Long Beach, CA 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Smoak, J.M., Breithaupt, J., Bianchi, T.S., Vaughn, Derrick, Rosenheim, B. and L.G. Chambers; Increasing accumulation of soil organic matter in mangrove forests could indicate greater-than-expected resilience to sea-level rise and enhance the ongoing carbon sink capacity. Fall AGU, Washington, D.C., 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Schafer, C., Rosenheim, B., Smoak, J.M., Moyer, R.P. and A.R. Chappel; Are Mangroves More Effective Carbon Sinks than Previously Thought? A Comparison of Sediment Ages Versus Radiocarbon Ages Seems to Suggest So. Fall AGU, Washington, D.C., 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Lagomasino, D., Fatoyinbo, T., Morton, D.C., Cook, B., Montesano, P., Castaneda-Moya, Neigh, C.S., Moyer, Radabaugh, K., Smoak, J.M. and T. Troxler; Heterogeneous patterns of mangrove disturbance and recovery from Hurricane Irma. Fall AGU, Washington, D.C., 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Moyer, R.P., Smoak, J.M., Radabaugh, K.R., Lagomasino, D., Rosenheim, B.E., Chambers, L.G., Schafer, C.A., Harttung, S., Chappel, A.R., Breithaupt, J.L., Bownik, M., and C.J. Sanders; Coupled Field-Based and Remote-Sensing Measurements to Quantify Blue Carbon in Southwest Florida. Foundations and Frontiers in Mangrove Ecology, Rookery Bay Reserve Symposium, Florida, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Chavez, S., Lagomasino, D., Fatoyinbo, L., Cook, B., Morton, D., Castaneda, E., Moyer, R., Radabaugh, K., and J.M. Smoak; Determining coarse woody debris in mangrove forest of the Florida Everglades after Hurricane Irma using airborne lidar imagery. ForestSAT, College Park, Maryland, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Lagomasino, D., Fatoyinbo, L., Cook, B., Morton, D., Castaneda, E., Moyer, R., Radabaugh, K., Paynter, I. and J. M. Smoak; Structural gradients of hurricane damage across the mangrove forests of South Florida. ForestSAT, College Park, Maryland, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Smoak, J.M., Moyer, R.P., Radabaugh, K.R., Lagomasino, D., Rosenheim, B.E., Schafer, C., Chambers, L.G., Harttung, S., Breithaupt, J.L., Lynch, J.C., Cahoon, D.R., Joyce, K., Cook, B., Fatoyinbo, L. and C.J. Sanders; Tropical cyclone impact on mangrove forest of southwest Florida, USA. Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association Meeting (ECSA57), Perth, Australia, 2018.
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Progress 05/15/17 to 05/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project supports four graduate students; 3 at the University of South Florida and 1 at the University of Central Florida. In addition field and lab work have involved the assistance of numerous volunteer grad, undergraduate and high school students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Smoak, J.M., Moyer, R.P., Lagomasino, D., Radabaugh, K.R., Rosenheim, B.E., Schafer, C., Chambers, L.G., Harttung, S., Breithaupt, J.L. and C. Sanders; Coupled soil carbon measurements and remote sensing to quantify above and belowground carbon stocks in mangrove forest of the Ten Thousand Islands region of Southwest Florida, USA. 12th International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands, Coral Springs, FL, 2018. Moyer, R.P., Smoak, J.M., Breithaupt, J.L., Chappel, A.R., Khan, N., and K. Radabaugh; Spatial and Temporal Variations in Carbon Biogeochemistry and Sea-Level Change in Coastal Wetlands of the Southwest Florida Peninsula (USA). Ocean Science, Portland, OR, 2018. Smoak, J.M., Rosenheim, B.E., Moyer, R.P., Radabaugh, K., Chambers, L.G., Lagomasino, D., Lynch, J. and D.R. Cahoon; Controls on Soil Organic Matter in Blue Carbon Ecosystems along the South Florida Coast. Fall AGU, New Orleans, LA, 2017. Harttung, S. and L.G. Chambers (2018) Seasonal Wetland Biogeochemistry Along A Tidal Riverine Vegetation/Salinity Gradients on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Poster presentation at UCF Graduate Research Forum, Orlando, FL. In addition, preliminary findings have been highlighted at NASA.GOV (Ramseyer, 2018), The Miami Herald (Staletovich, 2018), The Palm Beach Post (Miller, 2018) and Earther (Stone, 2018). Level 3 G-LiHT lidar data products (Digital Terrain Models (DTM) and Canopy Height Models (CHM)), and fine-resolution imagery collected by G-LiHT have been publically released for areas of southwest Florida at the G-LiHT webpage (https://gliht.gsfc.nasa.gov/). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Lead-210 dating on the remaining 9 short cores is underway and will continue in order to generate accretion and carbon accumulation rates. Cores collected on the most recent sampling effort in August 2018 will be analyzed via loss-in-ignition. Collected plants will also be weighed and measured to create allometric equations for aboveground biomass calculations. Height vs. biomass equations will be created for use with G-LiHT. Published blue carbon stock data for the region will be compiled to expand thedataset generated in this effort. Additional work on below ground carbon stock based on high-density radiocarbon dating will be the focus of the next reporting period, with continued effort in disseminating our carbon turnover rate synthesis through publication in a peer reviewed journal. During the next reporting period, wet season biogeochemical sampling will take place along all three rivers using the same procedures as the dry season sampling to determine the influence of hydrology/salinity on surface biogeochemical carbon cycling. Continuous salinity and water level data will continue to be collected at all sites. Above and belowground biomass data, deep soil biogeochemical data, and soil dating will also be conducted at these locations to begin analyzing carbon dynamics across scales, and across vegetation communities. Additionally, the UCF team will be conducting an intact soil core experiment to test the impact of increased salinity (mimicking sea level rise) on surface soil carbon loss and microbial community composition using soils from selected sites within 2 of the 3 research rivers.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Our team conducted a major field expedition in the Ten Thousand Islands area along the southwest coast of Florida in May 2017. We measured the Surface Elevation Tables that were established in the 1990s at 12 sites, and collected 12 short cores (0.5 m) and 3 long cores (>1.5 m). It should be noted that on September 10th Hurricane Irma past right over our sites and some additional sampling occurred funded via other sources. Several cores have already been dated using Pb-210 (i.e., 100 year time scale) which allows accretion rates (mm per year) to be calculated for comparison with sea-level rise, and organic carbon accumulation has been determined on the dated cores. We will be dating the longer cores using C-14, but we are also using C-14 to examine carbon turnover rates. To examine the effects of saltwater intrusion into freshwater systems has on soils, transects have been established along three rivers. Continuous measurements of water level and salinity are occurring along these transects, and biogeochemical sampling has begun. NASA Goddard's LiDAR, Hyperspectral and Thermal (G-LiHT) airborne imager flights were conducted over the study area to determine canopy height, terrain and generate aboveground biomass maps. Ground truth data to determineaboveground biomass havebeen collectedat 10 mangrove plots and 11 salt marsh plots. This will enable creation oflocation-specific height vs. biomass equations for calculating biomass fromG-LiHT vegetation height data. Cores were also collected adjacent to vegetation plots for quantification of belowground organic carbon stocks. Many of these cores have alreadybeen analyzed via loss-in-ignition to quantify amounts of organic matter. Being the first year of the project the primary accomplishments were samples collection, establishing transects, and beginning sample analysis. Objectives 1. Quantify above and belowground C stocks through a combination of in situ sampling and remote sensing techniques for regional upscaling. G-LiHT flights were conducted over the study area to determine canopy height, terrain and generate aboveground biomass maps. Ground truth data to determineaboveground biomass havebeen collectedat 10 mangrove plots and 11 salt marsh plots. This will enable creation oflocation-specific height vs. biomass equations for calculating biomass fromG-LiHT vegetation height data. Soil cores were also collected adjacent to vegetation plots for quantification of belowground organic carbon stocks. Many of these cores have alreadybeen analyzed via loss-in-ignition to quantify amounts of organic matter. 2. Determine rates of organic C accumulation on multiple time scales and utilize local elevation and accretion rates to evaluate the likelihood of coastal wetlands keeping pace with sea-level rise. Lead-210 dating has been completed on 3 short cores with others in progress and C-14 on the longer cores is in progress. Organic carbon has been measured on the three Pb-210 dated cores, and organic carbon accumulation and accretion rates have been calculated. All SETs were measured. 3. Identify regions of early saltwater intrusion and habitat switching to evaluate the effects on soil biogeochemistry, C balance, and surface soil stability. Three rivers with varying degrees of urbanization within their watersheds have been identified as research sites (from most to least urbanized, and also north to south along FL's SW coast: Little Manatee, Peace, and Fakahatchee). Within each river, the vegetation transition from mangrove to backish/oligohaline/freshwater herbaceous species was identified and three permeant sampling points were established. On each river, site 1 is the freshest and dominated by herbaceous species, site 2 represents and transition (mix of herbaceous and mangrove species), and site 3 is the most saline and dominated completely by mangrove. At each site, on each river, a piezometer well was installed and equipped with a continuous water level and salinity logger. The dry season biogeochemical samplings of each river were completed between March and April, 2018. This consisted of collecting triplicate soil cores (0-30 cm) at every site, and analyzing them for bulk density; moisture content; pH; extractable nutrients phosphate, nitrate, and ammonium; dissolved organic carbon; microbial biomass carbon; extracellular enzyme activity; potential greenhouse gas production; total carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous. In addition we are examining carbon turnover with application of Ramped PyrOx C-14 dating on sections of cores with existing Pb-210 chronologies. The first set of results for a complete core section have illuminated a possible mechanism for younger carbon to be pumped into older sediment implying a previously undocumented ecosystem service provided by blue carbon sequestration of mangrove ecosystems. Results from other sites in our study will ascertain how unique or representative this mechanism is in SW Florida mangrove ecosystems.
Publications
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