Term Paper on "Mangrove Restoration of the Indian River Lagoon in the Face of Global Climate Change"

Term Paper 10 pages (3248 words) Sources: 10

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Indian River Lagoon Mangrove Restoration

Global Climate Change and Mangrove Restoration of the Indian River Lagoon

Mangrove forests form an important part of the Florida coastal ecosystem. The Indian River Lagoon is an important global resource, as this area is the only place in North America where tropical waters meet temperate waters. Mangrove forests protect coastal areas in the event of storm surges. Rising ocean waters are expected to increase the number and intensity of coastal storms in Florida (WWF, 2005). In addition to the ecological benefits, the Indian River Lagoon is important to the economy of the lagoon counties.

Currently, the mangrove forests in the Indian River Lagoon are disappearing at anywhere from 44% to over 80% of 1940s and 1950s levels, as determined by aerial photos (Department of Environmental Protection, n.d). These findings make restoration and preservation of Indian River mangrove forests a priority. Storms destroy mangrove forests, as well as other natural events. However, humans also have a significant impact on the destruction of mangrove forests.

The Indian River Lagoon is a federally protected estuary and home to numerous threatened and endangered species. Legislation is already in place to help prevent further human destruction of the lagoon and its valuable resources. Several replanting programs are already underway, with varying degrees of success. Efforts thus far are not enough to offset the rate of destruction. In addition, many plantings suffer heavy losses as young saplings fail to thrive.

The purpose of this project is to oversee a major replanting effort in an area that has suffered enormous economic losses due to mangrove deforestation. The area chosen will be the City of Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County. This county receives approximately $5 million dollars a year from industries based on lagoon resources. Fishing activities from the lagoon outpace other agricultural activities. The lagoon brings in approximately $3 million dollars from recreation and tourism (Nocera, 1998).

Replanting efforts in St. Lucie County will cost approximately $2 billion dollars, but this is expected to be recovered through new industry and agricultural activities within ten years of the replanting effort. The reason for the extended recovery is that it is expected that the new plantings will not be an effective habitat for at least 5 years. Once established, it will take approximately four years to recover the investment. This project will be the first in an effort to regain the Indian River Lagoon and the important natural resources that if offers to surrounding citizens and the world.

Introduction/Background

Lagoons represent fragile ecosystems that are highly susceptible to the effects of the environment. They are rich with a diverse abundance of plant and wildlife that are important to coastal regions. The Indian River Lagoon is a restricted type lagoon, which is highly dependent on wind patterns for circulation and mixing. This type of lagoon tends to demonstrate a net transport of water towards the sea. Wind patterns result in surface currents in a downwind accumulation of water (Hill, 2001).:Lagoons such as this are well-mixed and typically demonstrate a homogeneous salinity in the vertical column (Hill, 2001).

The tide plays a role in water transport within the Indian River Lagoon, although wind remains the most significant factor that influences the characteristics of the lagoon (Hill, 2001). Global climate change is expected to increase the number of storms and hurricanes over time and Florida is one of the key areas expected to be influenced heavily by these climate changes. The mangrove forests of the Indian River Lagoon are considered to be species of special concern in Florida. As storms and hurricanes increase, it is feared that mangrove fringe habitat of the region will suffer, placing many other species in danger. This research study will examine the problems associated with mangrove fringe ecosystem loss in the Indian River Lagoon and will examine solutions to help prevent this environmental disaster in the face of environmental change.

Loss of the mangrove forests could perpetrate a global level extinction of species. This problem is a global concern as mangrove trees represent highly specialized species that are adapted to survive in environmental conditions that would be detrimental to other species. Mangrove fringe forests provide nutrition to a wide variety of organisms that would otherwise not be able to tolerate such conditions (Hill, 2001). They are an important part of the coastal ecosystem. Loss of the mangrove forests means the loss of many other species due cascade effect. Loss of the mangrove fringe forests could potentially affect as many as 400 species including fish, reptiles, mammals, and birds (Hill, 2001). Birds and fish constitute a majority of the speciation of the coastal lagoon. Barnacles, sponges, mollusks, segmented worms, insects, crabs, and shrimp are only a few examples of the species the utilize mangrove roots as habitat. In addition, mangroves have proven beneficial in slowing tsunamis by breaking up the wave in Asian coastal communities (WWF, 2005).

Florida's mangroves are highly susceptible to fluctuations in temperature, tidal fluctuations, salinity, and soil changes (Department of Environmental Protection, n.d.). It is estimated that Florida has approximately 469,000 acres of mangrove forests. Environmental damage can have an impact on mangrove populations. However, humans also contribute to the overall loss of the mangrove forest. Mangrove forests are highly susceptible to polluted runoff from urban areas and from agriculture in the area (Department of Environmental Protection, n.d). By comparing aerial photographs of the area from the 1940s and 1950s with today's photographs of the same areas, it is possible to quantify the mangrove forest loss and the rate of destruction. Mangrove loss varies from area to area. For instance, it is estimated that over the past 100 years, the Tampa Bay area has lost over 44% of is coastal wetland acreage. The Indian River has lost 86% of the mangrove areas available as fisheries since the 1940s (Department of Environmental Protection, n.d). Currently, there are approximately 8,000 acres of mangroves within the Indian River Lagoon area, only 1900 are still available for use as fisheries (Department of Environmental Protection, n.d).

The Indian River Lagoon is unique and the only environment of its kind in North America. It is the only place where tropical ocean waters meet temperate zone waters, creating an important environment that supports one of the most diverse habitats in the world. Due to this unique ecosystem, the Indian River Lagoon has been named an estuary of national significance by the EPA (Nocera, 1998). The Indian River Lagoon is home to 36 animal species that are currently listed as threatened or endangered, making it a critical area for conservation efforts.

Not only is the Indian River Lagoon an important resource for the environment, it is also an important source of income for lagoon counties. These counties consider the lagoon to be an important source of income stemming from recreation and tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and commercial fishing, Lagoon countries receives an estimated $3 billion per year from the combined income of these activities (Nocera, 1998). Approximately 80,000 acres of lagoon represent nearly $12,500 / acre/year, with $10,000 revenue in fish/acre/year (Nocera, 1998). As one can see, loss of habitat in the mangrove forests means a devastating loss in income to the local economy of the lagoon area.

The mangrove forests of the Indian River Lagoon are an important global treasure from an environmental standpoint. They are also an important resource for the local economy. There are many reasons to be concerned over the decrease in viable lagoon area. This research will explore the feasibility of a Mangrove Restoration project that will help to expand the existing mangrove stand to historical levels where possible.

Climate Change and the Solution to Lagoon Restoration

Coastal storms mean instant havoc on mangrove forest areas. As these storms increase, they are expected to add to the destruction of the mangrove forests already underway due to human practices. It is difficult to quantify the potential storm losses to the mangrove forests, as the number of storms used for this type of prediction would be speculative, at best. However, the further loss of Indian River Lagoon mangrove forests will have a devastating environmental and economic impact, regardless of the causes of the destruction. Therefore, efforts must be undertaken to help restore what was lost and to preserve this precious commodity.

The goal of any restoration project is to return the area to the pristine condition that existed before the habitat destruction occurred. However, this is an unrealistic goal in many cases as the soil, salinity, companion species and other components of the ecosystem may have been irrevocably altered. The area may no longer support the mangrove species that once existed there. A more realistic approach is to return the area to its natural function (Lewis & Streever, 2000). This will be the approach taken in this research study. The goal will be to restore the mangrove forests to their natural function, rather than focusing on only the original species in the area. The focus will be to restore the area using species… READ MORE

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