Location: Florida--Palm Beach County, Boynton Beach, Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (ARM-LNWR)
Title: Everglades Restoration, Cypress Tree Planting

Goals of this Restoration Project:

As a component of Everglades restoration, this project was designed to fulfill several goals:

1. to serve as a pilot project focusing on restoration of 10 acres of wetlands with about 8,000-10,000 mainly cypress, maple, and pond apple trees, as the first part of a 15-year program to plant 200,000 trees in the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (ARM-LNWR);
2. to increase awareness of the local community regarding the critical importance of the presence and health of the Everglades to future environmental residential and commercial interests; and
3. to effectively organize, train, and manage over 400 grassroots volunteers with varying backgrounds.

The Everglades watershed in southern Florida dominates the land area from the East Coast to the center of the peninsula, and from Lake Okeechobee south to Florida Bay. Lake Okeechobee is the primary freshwater reservoir for south Florida. The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is the northeastern-most remaining natural Everglades region and receives water from the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) and Lake Okeechobee (Figure 1). This irreplaceable ecosystem has attracted international attention for many years and hosts a unique blend of beautiful sunsets, savage storms, great fishing, diverse flocks of colorful wading birds, dangerous swamp-dwelling wildlife, and most importantly, its "river of grass" mosaic of wetland landscapes.

Even before the turn of the 21st century, an objective of governmental agencies was to drain this vast marsh and make it more habitable for human use. By the 1940s, plans were developed to manage the Everglades through a series of structures, including dikes, levees, pump stations, storage areas, etc. These facilities changed the amount, timing, and delivery of water, which in turn influenced landscape features and habitats for wildlife and migrating faunal visitors. Food, shelter, and nesting sites for fish, alligators, and birds were heavily impacted. Since about 1988, more emphasis has been placed on identifying factors or events that cause degradation of Everglades habitats and subsequent impacts on wildlife.

Aerial mapping, satellite imaging, modeling, and field studies by governmental agencies and academic institutions indicate that there has been a loss of over 50% of the original Florida Everglades. About 9,000 square kilometers remain today. Up to 98% of Everglades tree islands, key features of Everglades habitats, have been lost or changed. Primary factors impacting flora and fauna include 1) managed water levels that do not coincide with natural timing and flows, 2) contamination by substances, such as phosphorus, entering the water column from farms through the EAA, and 3) air-borne industrial pollutants, including mercury, transported from nonpoint sources.

The $7.8 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and the 1994 Everglades Forever Act mainly address problems related to water quality, quantity and timing and flow, and associated land acquisition, but do not include restoration of Everglades forests. Cypress (Figure 2), pond apples, and maples, as well as other vegetation, are key components of the ecosystem. They provide critical habitat for wildlife and help improve water quality by removing potentially harmful nutrients. Cypress trees, known as "trees eternal" due to their resistance to decay, provide nesting sites for birds and nurseries for fish, as well as collection areas between "knees" for sediments that help build land. Dead and decomposing tree parts furnish colonization sites for bacteria, periphyton, and algae that are used as food by animals on the lower end of the food web.

Figure 2. Typical Everglades cypress trees

This project was initiated in April 2000, through the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, which is directed by John R. (nephew of Arthur R. Marshall) and Nancy G. Marshall, to further Arthur's vision of restoring and preserving the Everglades ecosystem and to promote citizen involvement, especially that of young people. To help fulfill the goals, the Palm Beach Atlantic College Science Club and senior level Environmental Science Class, under the guidance of the club advisor, a PBAC Biology professor, became involved as team captains to direct interested volunteers from the local community.

Through a special community service program at PBAC, Workship, about 40 faculty, staff, and biology students were trained to teach the biology and ecology of the ancient cypress forests that are so vital to the Everglades, along with proper planting techniques. One of the students was given an internship/scholarship by the foundation, to act as student liaison between the scientists at the refuge and the foundation. Refuge personnel chose Compartment B-3 (see Figure 1) for planting. The 10-acre parcel was divided into 20 smaller plots. A specific number of cypress, maple, and pond apple were assigned to each plot.

At check-in, each volunteer was given a piece of red string (easy to see in green vegetation) for measuring, and assigned to a team of two to four team captains for 3 to 4 hours on the morning of the planting. Team captains, who were trained in all aspects of planting and in using scientific field techniques, were then able to instruct volunteers. Instructions included: 1) carry a certain number of trees into the field at one time to reduce erosion, 2) use the string to measure specific distances of trees from each other, at an angle from the nearest tree, 3) walk along a designated path in each plot so as to avoid trampling previously planted trees, 4) begin planting in the east end of the compartment and move toward the west, and 5) bring out all trash, planting tools, string, etc. Cypress planting took place in the refuge during Everglades Day, in February 2001. Interns from the refuge set up a program to monitor water quality and tree growth and survival.

Key Ecological Principles Applied to this Project:

1. Understanding interactions between flora and fauna and the environment is vital to Everglades restoration. Political factions and special-interest groups have driven most of the investigation in the Everglades. The investigation has focused on amount, delivery, and timing of water to farming areas, industry, and residential areas to the detriment of flora and fauna. Impact of minimum flows and levels of water, nutrients, and pollutants on wildlife is not well known. Animal inhabitants of the Everglades have not been well studied; previous studies have focused on highly visible animals such as game fish, wading birds, and alligators. The ARM-LNWR is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), based on federal scientific guidelines. These guidelines mandate specific levels of harmful pollutants, such as phosphorus, entering refuge waters and affecting vegetation and, hence, wildlife habitat. The refuge is the most protected area of the Everglades through limited access and uses and includes areas of preservation for the most pristine habitats. Cypress forest restoration should enhance abundance and biodiversity, as well as help restore ecological functions of flora and fauna.
2. 1. The role of habitat is crucial to management and restoration of the Everglades ecosystem. Primary factors destroying habitat include loss of vegetation, widely fluctuating water levels, and encroaching adjacent land development for residential and agricultural use. Departing from the natural aquatic cycles, improper water management has caused long hydroperiods with deeper water in some parts of the Everglades and short hydroperiods with lower water levels in other Everglades wetlands. Florida's torrential rains, along with managed hydroperiods, can enhance flooding of habitat, thus drowning nests and young of birds, causing loss of shelter for terrestrial animals, and decreasing foraging opportunities. During times of drought, areas that dry out not only may become anoxic and show dramatic impacts on vegetation, but are more vulnerable to fires caused by seasonal frequent and severe lightening storms. Cypress, which often grow in "dome" shapes, trap coliform bacteria, heavy metals, and nutrient pollutants and, hence, improve water quality through filtration of the water column. Restoration of cypress forests will help to stabilize habitat (Figure 3).
   

   Figure 3. A portion of the 10 acre planting field in Compartment B-3. Volunteers are planting small cypress trees. Cypress trees form far background.

   
   
3. State and federal politics play an important role in financing and management of the $7.8 billion CERP project, of which about $3.9 billion derives from nonfederal sources. The remainder will be shared equally between state sources and local interests. The state of Florida has set aside some funds for research and land acquisition, but dedicated state funding sources for the entire project are not known at this time. This project was supported primarily by Dr. Larry Harris (UF), Banrock Wine Station and Wetlands Center (South Australia), Florida Crystals, the National Tree Trust, and the Nature Conservancy.

Ethical Considerations:

1. FWS personnel and the foundation's student intern collated biological and ecological information on cypress trees into a database and used this information to preserve the integrity of cypress forests on the refuge. Research included information determining historical locations and genetic lineage of Everglades cypress forests and identification of species and distribution of each of the two cypress tree strains: bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, and pond cypress, Taxodium distichum var. nutans, that are found on the refuge. Trees with Everglades lineage were tracked to nurseries, academic institutions, and other organizations, to be donated or purchased for planting. Cypress pods were picked from trees located within the refuge to be reared by members of the Forest Hill Community High School Magnet Academy of Environmental Science and Technology, Inc., for future plantings.
2. Restoration of the Everglades is a balancing act between development of land areas and conservation of wildlife habitat. North and west of the refuge is the Everglades Agricultural Area, land east of the refuge is zoned agricultural, and coastal residential and industrial developments surround these areas. There are several major problems in relation to the refuge: a) nutrient enrichment enters the refuge from sugar farms in the EAA and the adjacent Wellington community, b) there is a need to acquire private land to build filter marshes in stormwater treatment areas (STAs), and c) urban and residential interests compete with wildlife for water during the seasonal south Florida dry period.

   Run-off from sugar farms and fertilizers from residences add high levels of phosphorus to refuge waters, harming Everglades vegetation and resulting in the growth of dense stands of cattails that replace more desirable sawgrass communities. Historical values of this nutrient were about 10 PPB, insufficient for most vegetation. A long-term goal of water managers is to maintain phosphorus values below 50 PPB. Eutrophication is likely to occur above this level. Filter marshes (STAs) are located to the northeast and northwest of the refuge, and when fully operational, are expected to remove large amounts of phosphorus before it reaches refuge waters. Land was acquired from agricultural interests to form STAs, and local business leaders were concerned about possible job losses. (When agricultural lands become eroded due to over-farming, developers purchase the land for residential development, putting more pressure on natural resources). The federal government mandates minimum levels of water stored within the refuge. However, during times of drought, water can be pumped out of the refuge to coastal areas. Adequate quantity and quality of water must be maintained in the refuge to preserve habitats, such as cypress, and maintain a healthy, balanced ecosystem.

3. The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge was established under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act in 1951 to conserve pristine habitat in the northern Everglades for migratory birds. Most of the 147,392-acre refuge is included in Water Conservation Area 1, which is owned by the state of Florida and licensed to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge was re-named the Arthur R. Marshall-Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in 1986 to honor the famous Florida conservationist, Arthur R. Marshall, who authored a strategic plan to save the Everglades in 1981. His conservation goals relied heavily on citizen involvement, especially that of young people.

The volunteer aspect of this project is of significant importance. Grassroots participation in this project provided interdisciplinary wisdom, labor, and exchange of information and skills among various community factions, such as students in grades K through college, sugar farmers, scout troops, lawyers, environmentalists, scientists, and many others. These people worked together to accomplish a planting goal, teach a large workforce basic planting and organizational skills (Figure 4), and provide valuable insight into Everglades ecology. Continuity of this project and ancillary plantings in the local community may contribute strongly to the success of restoration projects in the Arthur. R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Expanded local interest and understanding of the purpose of CERP may be the key to funding and accomplishing overall Everglades restoration.

Figure 4. PBAC students carrying cypress trees into the field.

This project appears to be a success-all three goals were met. Over 400 volunteers planted more than 8,500 cypress, maple, and pond apple trees. High rates of survival for all trees planted are expected-survivors appear to be healthy and have "leafed out" well. Volunteers enjoyed their environmental encounter with the Everglades and left the refuge with increased understanding of the importance of balanced ecosystems and enhanced awareness of the vital role that cypress, maple, and pond apple trees play in Everglades restoration. Many volunteers developed such a strong commitment to the environment and planned to volunteer for the 2002 planting project. Student and community interest has led to several similar planting projects on a smaller scale at other sites in south Florida. Increased citizen involvement serves to enhance governmental actions and to inform government that taxpayers support restoration of the Everglades ecosystem.