Research Flipcharts from Feb 10, 2011 ‐ meeting Ichetucknee Research Workshop (Matt Cohen, Dina Liebowitz, Wendy Graham) Participants were encouraged to write potential research questions onto orange sticky notes, and potential hypotheses onto blue sticky notes. Those are documented below as well. Major Drivers of Impairment: 1.
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Lower Flow Lower Dissolved Oxygen Higher Nitrate Tubers recreating Important Impairments •
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Too much algae SAV diversity down Fauna diversity and quantity down Water not as clear Lower Flow (significant since 1966) BASELINE to be established? •
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Springshed Drivers: (e.g., matrix vs. conduit contributions (geochem signals), sinkholes/topographic depressions’ contribution to flow) River Drivers: (e.g., backflow in the river regimes, effects of flow on specific species, life history of endemic spp. (e.g. silt snail). Why is snail only there?) Some Baseline Data Needed: •
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Floodplain Mapping Metabolism data Chemistry (started – USGS in 1933) Grassy Flats Some baseline data currently: •
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Veget sampling (1999) Invertebrates (2003‐2009) Flow monitoring (needs to continue?) Priority areas: •
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Relative Roles / Interactions of drivers of impairment (O, high resolution) Process specific questions o What is the age composition and chemical composition of water? ƒ Age proxies o Flow paths of groundwater and dynamic geochemistry o Grazer/algae/sav interactions o Denitrification studies (vadose zone, aquifer, river) •
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Experimental reintroductions, oxygenation? Nitrogen dynamics in springshed; N sources, N processes related to land use Some proposed hypotheses on blue sticky notes •
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Elenia will not eat Lyngbia Increasing NO3 levels are eutrophyzing spring runs – increase SAV follwed by repolacement by benthic algae Loss of flow will lower snail density Denitrification is not occurring in the upper Floridan aquifer The amt of N stored in soils and unsaturated zone are higher beneath animal grazing areas compared to croplands, lawns, and pine stands. P will be a nutrient in the GW at higher levels in the fugure because of limited storage for P of soils. Denitrification (where and how) varies (species vs. conditions) N2 in air in vadose zone high? Transplanting Elenia in non‐drought years into high‐algae spring runs would result in a higher and stable snail population o Ie., will reseeding after drought keep algae in check? Potential research questions on orange sticky notes Related to DRIVERS: •
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Stores/residence times / fluxes of N in the springshed 02/Ca as age proxies LU controls on NO3 Index N by Land Use and quantify cycling Dynamics of age and chemistry in spring flows Discharge Æ chemistry Emerging contaminants What are the relative total sources of N & P from watershed activity? o How much de‐nitrification of surface water o Estimate uncertainty by land use Cohen: o What controls algae accumulation? o How does discharge affect snail abundance? ƒ Eg., has loss of discharge affected snail population? ƒ Eg., Can maintenance or restoration of flow based on the importance of snails, be used to set MFL High? Need to track fertilizer application ratio at farm level Do nitrates & DO concentrations decrease in Spring water during drought conditions and reverse during higher rainfall periods? Effect of consumptive use vs reh?el precipitation cycles on spring river flow Need to track water pumping at farm level to track water use What is the relative contribution of conduit vs matrix flux to spring and what does it depend on? •
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Discharge vs chemisty vs algae in spring vents Is O2/ Ca+ a good proxy for algae of GW, simulated residence time clust o ANO (more Rain more DO, less Rain more Res less DO) Correlate GW nitrate concentration with land use and aquifer vulnerability Reduce uncertainty of link between land use and nutrient inputs o ie – what are the consequences for nutrient loading of Ichetucknee of land use decisions? How has the removal of water lettuce affected other aquatic vegetation in the Ichetucknee? o What about farms? Compare N cycling beneath various land uses above and below the Cody Scarp Refine loading of N/P from septic? Sestic? Tank How well future changes in land use in the spring shed impart nitrate in Spring Water. Can we quantify the rate of N cycling beneath various land uses in the sub surface? Effects of flow on water chemistry What is the fraction of young (recently recharged) water in spring waters during different flow conditions? o How does NO3, N & DO change with age? What are % of all AG operations in Basin Spring Shed use BMP’s? Assessment of BMP effectiveness Need updated land use data What is the impact of pumping/ GW drawdown on spring discharge & chemistry? o With respect to DO especially Katz: Refine loading estimates to groundwater using recent data and more accurate fertilization application What effect does an entire tubing season (SAV disturbance) have on changes in Nitrate budget? Effects of raising temperatures and extreme precipitation events on river ecology Need to estimate nutrient inputs in spring shed with greater accuracy. Don’t know the research question, but what about tops to policy, via political science? Related to CONSEQUENCES: •
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Algal accumulation O2 in Millpond experiment? Grazer physiology in response to O2/NO3 (chem. Controls) Sediment/turbidity Changes and effects on grazers/algae/SAV Changes in food webs with chemical and spatial variation Grazer physiology – Sediments? Sediment effects on Veg, Algae, chemistry Food Webs: Interactions in Spring boil areas and runs What is invert species composition at each of major springs? o How has it changed thru time? Causes of SAV diversity decline How much is too much precipitation on SAV? o Does an excess of periphyton cause decline in snail populations? Can temporal changes in vegetation cover be surveyed more frequently in Springs and spring runs of Ichetucknee (and Santa Fe)? What are the most important predictor of health Ichetucknee system? •
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Increase vegetation monitoring in IR between US27 & SFR What is the greatest stressor to Gastropods, spring Crayfish in Ichetucknee system? Has there been any change in spring crayfish thru time? In the Grassy flats region what is the Nitrate variation by season? Do Sagittaria increasing in the Grassy Flats reach at the expense of Chara? o Does it matter? What has happened to the SAV at Devils Eye (loss of biomass) in comparison with Mission Springs and Blue Hole? Integrated monitoring of flora and fauna What is affecting Chara beds that is changing the color of the beds from emerald green to dull green or grayish? What is the desired future condition for SAV in the Ichetucknee? Can introduction of snail control algae o Or can increase in DO increase snails at millpond?