Please use the below Christmas Bird Count Spreadsheet to compare two sites collected at a Stormwater Treatment Area. I am expecting for the Shannon Diversity Index to be used for the two sites (provide a table) and the results to be discussed in your Discussion section.
You will find detailed directions (first link), data, + supplemental docs below:
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Restoration Ecology Lab
Shannon Diversity Index
âs
H = â – (Pâiâ * ln Pâiâ)
â i=1
where:
H = the Shannon diversity index
Pâi â= fraction of the entire population madeâ âup of species i
S = numbers of species encountered
â = sum from species 1 to species S
Note: The power to which the base e (e = 2.718281828…….) must be raised to obtain a
number is called theâ natural logarithmâ (ln) of the number.
To calculate the index:
1. Divide the number of individuals of species #1 (Nâ1â) you found in your sample by
the total number of individuals of all species. For this exercise, we will use the
Christmas Bird Count Data found in supplemental spreadsheet for field trip #3 to
STA. This is Pâi
2. Multiply the fraction by its natural log (Pâ1â * ln Pâ1â)
3. Repeat this for all of the different species that you have. The last species is
species âsâ
4. Sum all the – (Pâiâ * ln Pâiâ) products to get the value of H
For example:
H = 0.223
High values of H would be representative of more diverse communities. A community
with only one species would have an H value of 0 because Pâi âwould equal 1 and be
multiplied by ln Pâi âwhich would equal zero. If the species are evenly distributed then the
H value would be high. So the H value allows us to know not only the number of species
but how the abundance of the species is distributed among all the species in the
community.
For this lab report I want you to calculate the Shannon Diversity Index for TWO sites
found in STA 5/6 [choose from: L1, Vitambi, Miami, West, East, 3B/3A, Deer, Gate,
Manly, Blumberg]. I will want to see two tables (one for each site) like the above
example. Please note that there are many blanks in the data for species that were not
observed â I am expecting to see only observed species at each site in the table.
Total Number reported 1329 403 528 970 1712 2588 303 60 188 289 1673 10043
Species: 106
S O U T H F L O R I D A W A T E R M A N A G E M E N T D I S T R I C T
Excess nutrients found in stormwater runoff pose a risk to the
Everglades. These nutrients flow from lawns, farms, roadways and
other developed areas. Stormwater treatment areas are
constructed wetlands that remove excess nutrients. They play a
vital role in protecting and restoring America’s Everglades.
Rainfall is South Floridaâs primary source of fresh water. It nourishes plants, fills ponds and
seeps into the underground aquifer, replenishing the drinking water supply. In excess, it drains
away in the canal system that protects
South Florida from flooding.
Stormwater runoff also carries nutrients
off the landscape, especially fertilizers
used in suburban, agricultural and urban
settings. Scientists have determined that
a common ingredient in fertilizer, phos-
phorus, has put the fragile Everglades
environment at risk. Phosphorus is a
mineral that is essential for all life. It
forms genetic material, builds bones and
teeth and aids metabolism. But when
excess phosphorus reaches natural wet-
lands like the Everglades, it does more
harm than good.
ON THE INSIDE
n Phosphorus and its
impact
n Investing in a solution
n âGreenâ technology at
work
n Meeting mandated goals
n Operating and
maintaining an STA
n Sustainability for the
future
Everglades Stormwater Treatment Areas
Managed wetlands improving water quality
Phosphorus and Its Impact
Nutrient concentrations, particularly
phosphorus, were naturally ultralow in the
Everglades. Its native wetland plants are
adapted to this condition and thrive there.
When a nutrient, such as phosphorus, enters
this ecosystem in excess, plant growth is
stimulated, producing an overabundance of
undesirable vegetation. Cattail and other
species respond with vigor, crowding out
native wetland plants such as sawgrass and
preventing the sunâs rays from reaching
plants in the water. When this happens,
aquatic insects, crustaceans and other
invertebrates do not have enough to eat or
enough oxygen to live, which means the fish
and birds do not have enough to eat either.
Investing in a Solution
The State of Florida has invested more than
$1.8 billion in water-quality improvements
aimed at lowering phosphorus levels. Two
decades ago, before these improvements
were put into place, phosphorus
concentrations in Everglades-bound waters
averaged more than 170 parts per billion
(ppb). Today, as a result of Floridaâs efforts,
the concentrations in some discharges to the
Everglades are as low as 12 ppb.
Recognizing that more needs to be done to
achieve the ultralow phosphorus water
quality standard established for the
Everglades, the State is committing
significant additional funding and resources
toward implementing further strategies.
âGreenâ Technology at Work
Floridaâs Everglades Forever Act of 1994
provided the momentum for this success
story to date. It mandated and funded
construction of treatment wetlands, known
as Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs). At
present, 57,000 acres of land south of Lake
Okeechobee have been converted to STAs. In
western Palm Beach County, STA-3/4, at
more than 16,000 acres, is the largest
constructed wetland in the world. And more
STAs are on the way, along with additional
water storage features designed to improve
STA performance.
Everglades Stormwater Treatment Areas use
âgreenâ technology to remove phosphorus
from the water. Wetland plants, such as
cattail, southern naiad and algae, uptake
phosphorus and use it in metabolic life
processes. Phosphorus is stored in their
roots, stems and leaves. Even after the plants
die, sediments in the wetland retain
phosphorus from the decaying plant matter.
As a result, water flowing out of an STA has
significantly less phosphorus than
stormwater runoff flowing in.
By building STAs in key locations north of
the Everglades, phosphorus in stormwater
runoff can be reduced before it flows south
into protected wetlands. The South Florida
Water Management Districtâs regional canal
system brings water to the treatment
wetlands and then carries it into the
Everglades.
Meeting Mandated Goals for
Reducing Phosphorus
The Everglades Forever Act and other legal
requirements provided the District with
specific guidelines to improve Everglades
water quality. A regulatory source control
component required the implementation of
improved farming methods to reduce
phosphorus amounts leaving the Everglades
Agricultural Area and the C-139 Basin.
Another key component was the Everglades
Construction Project, which provided for
initial construction of the STAs now in
operation. At most locations throughout the
Everglades, the long-term target
concentration of 10 parts per billion of
phosphorus is already being met.
In 2003, the Florida Legislature adopted the
Long-Term Plan to provide for structural and
vegetation enhancements to the STAs,
including STA expansions completed in
2006 and 2012. To further improve water
quality, in 2012, the State of Florida and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
reached consensus on additional Everglades
Restoration Strategies. The agreed-upon
technical plan includes more than 6,500
acres of new treatment area and 116,000
acre-feet of additional water storage.
Expanded source controls will also be
implemented, and a science plan will ensure
continued research to further improve STA
performance.
Stormwater treatment areas
use âgreenâ technology to
remove excess phosphorus, a
nutrient that can harm the
Everglades environment.
Plants are sometimes airlifted and
released into an STA to help establish
submerged aquatic vegetation.
Collecting and analyzing water samples
is vital to wetland management.
Wildlife in the Wetlands
Stormwater treatment areas are built specifi-
cally for improving Everglades water quality.
However, their vast, shallow waters and rich
plant life also make them outstanding habitat
for wildlife, including threatened and endan-
gered species.
Wading birds, ducks and American alligators
are found year-round in the treatment wet-
lands. Migratory birds use them, too, visiting
in abundance during winter months. Rabbits,
bobcats, wild hogs, deer and the occasional
Florida panther roam the banks and levees.
Because the STAs have a specialized cleansing
function, public recreation is limited to activi-
ties that do not disturb the water and soils.
Visitors can enjoy nature viewing, and some
fishing and hunting is allowed, under guide-
lines of the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission.
Keeping the treatment wetlands healthy and
undisturbed is vital for Everglades restoration.
Enhanced wildlife habitat is a great bonus!
Operating and Maintaining an STA
An STA is a living wetland, affected by natural conditions such as weather (rainfall,
drought, hurricanes), plant growth rates, wildlife and invasion of undesirable plant
species. STAs have never before been used on the large scale now at work in the
Everglades, so their operation and management is a process of ongoing learning and
continual improvement.
Water quantity and water quality monitoring is a vital part of STA operations. Each
treatment cell is monitored regularly to determine how the STA is performing.
Operational decisions are then based on real-time data. STA performance data are
continually assessed and are reported weekly, monthly and yearly. An annual summary
is available in the South Florida Environmental Report, viewable online at
www.sfwmd.gov/sfer.
Structural components of the STAs must be operated and maintained as well. These
include more than two dozen pump stations, 350 water control structures and more
than 600 miles of levees and canals. Mechanical repairs, preventative maintenance,
erosion control and debris cleanup are essential and ongoing tasks.
Responding to extreme weather is a large part of the job, too. In 2005, hurricane winds
uprooted much of the aquatic vegetation in the STAs and stirred up sediments. Repairing
these living wetlands presented challenges, and the District has incorporated new design
strategies to help protect STAs during high wind and rainfall events. The District has
also learned to deal with prolonged droughts by altering STA operation and
incorporating more water pumping flexibility into STA designs.
Sustainability for the Future
Protecting Everglades water quality is a core mission responsibility and a strategic
priority. STAs will continue to play a vital role in this effort. Sustaining and improving
their effectiveness is essential. Continued construction, research and monitoring will help
optimize the performance of water quality treatment technologies. The State of Florida
and the South Florida Water Management District remain committed to achieving
optimum phosphorus-reducing results.
Great egret
American alligator
Stormwater treatment areas are constructed wetlands that remove and store nutrients
through plant growth and the accumulation of dead plant material in a layer of sediment.
The South Florida Water Manage ment District is a regional, governmental
agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state. It is the
oldest and largest of the stateâs five water management districts.
Our Mission is to manage and protect water resources of the region by balancing
and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply.
JW06/14
DID YOU KNOW?
n Plants that cleanse water in
stormwater treatment areas
include emergent aquatic
vegetation (EAV) like cattail,
bulrush and spikerush.
Submerged aquatic vegetation
(SAV) examples include hydrilla,
southern naiad and algae.
n Vegetation management is vital
to STA success. Some herbicides
are used to prevent invasive
species from crowding out target
plants.
n Treatment wetlands are also used
in other parts of South Florida to
improve water quality. North and
east of Lake Okeechobee,
treatment wetlands remove
nutrients from water flowing into
the lake, St. Lucie estuary and
Indian River Lagoon.
n During the dry season, the STAs
provide important foraging
habitat for a wide variety of
wading birds and ducks.
n Birds found in the treatment
wetlands include roseate
spoonbills, whistling ducks, white
storks, little blue herons, eagles
and hawks.
Varying in size, configuration and period of operation, STAs are shallow, freshwater marshes
divided into treatment cells by interior levees, with water flows managed via pump stations, gates
or culverts. By building STAs in key locations north of the Everglades, phosphorus in stormwater
runoff can be reduced before it flows south into protected wetlands. The Everglades Stormwater
Treatment Areas collectively comprise 57,000 acres of effective treatment area.
For more information
Up-to-date information about STA research, enhancement projects and other components
of managing and improving the stormwater treatment areas can be found at
www.sfwmd.gov/sta.
South Florida Water Management District
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
561-686-8800 ⢠800-432-2045
www.sfwmd.gov
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 24680
West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4680
For more information on this
subject, scan this QR code
using a barcode reader app
on your smartphone.
http://www.sfwmd.gov/sta
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