Short-term changes in phosphorus storage in an oligotrophic Everglades wetland ecosystem receiving experimental nutrient enrichment

Authors

Gregory B. Noe, Southeast Enviromental Research Center, Florida International UniversityFollow
Daniel L. Childers, Southeast Enviromental Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International UniversityFollow
Adrienne L. Edwards, Southeast Enviromental Research Center, Florida International University; Illinois Natural History SurveyFollow
Evelyn Gaiser, Southeast Enviromental Research Center, Florida International UniversityFollow
Krish Jayachandran, Southeast Enviromental Research Center, Department of Environmental Studies, Florida International UniversityFollow
David W. Lee, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International UniversityFollow
John Meeder, Southeast Enviromental Research Center and Department of Environmental Studies, Florida International University
Jennifer Richards, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International UniversityFollow
Leonard J. Scinto, Southeast Enviromental Research Center, Florida International UniversityFollow
Joel C. Trexler, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International UniversityFollow
Ronald D. Jones, Southeast Enviromental Research Center and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University

Date of this Version

7-2002

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Natural, unenriched Everglades wetlands are known to be limited by phosphorus (P) and responsive to P enrichment. However, whole-ecosystem evaluations of experimental P additions are rare in Everglades or other wetlands. We tested the response of the Everglades wetland ecosystem to continuous, low-level additions of P (0, 5, 15, and 30 μg L−1 above ambient) in replicate, 100 m flow-through flumes located in unenriched Everglades National Park. After the first six months of dosing, the concentration and standing stock of phosphorus increased in the surface water, periphyton, and flocculent detrital layer, but not in the soil or macrophytes. Of the ecosystem components measured, total P concentration increased the most in the floating periphyton mat (30 μg L−1: mean = 1916 μg P g−1, control: mean = 149 μg P g−1), while the flocculent detrital layer stored most of the accumulated P (30 μg L−1: mean = 1.732 g P m−2, control: mean = 0.769 g P m−2). Significant short-term responses of P concentration and standing stock were observed primarily in the high dose (30 μg L−1 above ambient) treatment. In addition, the biomass and estimated P standing stock of aquatic consumers increased in the 30 and 5 μg L−1 treatments. Alterations in P concentration and standing stock occurred only at the upstream ends of the flumes nearest to the point source of added nutrient. The total amount of P stored by the ecosystem within the flume increased with P dosing, although the ecosystem in the flumes retained only a small proportion of the P added over the first six months. These results indicate that oligotrophic Everglades wetlands respond rapidly to short-term, low-level P enrichment, and the initial response is most noticeable in the periphyton and flocculent detrital layer.

Recommended Citation

Noe, G. B., Childers, D. L., Edwards, A. L., Gaiser, E., Jayachandran, K., Lee, D., Meeder, J., ... Jones, R. D. (July 01, 2002). Short-Term Changes in Phosphorus Storage in an Oligotrophic Everglades Wetland Ecosystem Receiving Experimental Nutrient Enrichment. Biogeochemistry, 59, 3, 239-267.