Monitoring & Research Needs for
Aquatic/Semi--Aquatic Fauna of
Aquatic/Semi
the Ichetucknee River
Robert A. Mattson, CEP, CSE
St. Johns River Water
Management District
Stephen J. Walsh, Ph.D.
U.S. Geological Survey
Florida Springs
p g Task Force
Report (2000)
Information Strategy 1 – Monitoring
9 Strategy 1C – Springs Biological Monitoring
9 Strategy 1D – Integrated Springs Monitoring
Information Strategy 2 – Research
9 Biological questions
Ichetucknee Spring Fauna
Studies
Benthic macroinvertebrates –
SRWMD study (2003);
Dutoit (1979); WSI study (2008-10); Steigerwalt (2004-05); Walsh
and Williams (2003); Franz (2002); DEP (1975-2005)
Fish –
Walsh and Williams (2003); FWCC surveys; WSI study
(2008-10)
Amphibians – WSI study (2008-10)
Reptiles –turtle study (Meylan,
(Meylan 2007); WSI study (2008-10)
(2008 10)
Birds – Christmas bird counts(?); WSI study (2008-10)
Mammals
a
a – WSI studyy ((2008-10))
Spring
p g Fauna
(# taxa in Ichetucknee)
Benthic macroinvertebrates ((~80 spp-SRWMD)
pp
)
Mollusks; aquatic insects; crustaceans (endemics –
hydrobiids, crayfish, troglobytes)
Fishes (~38 spp-Walsh and Williams)
Centrarchidae (bass and sunfish); Cyprinidae
( i
(minnows);
) Fundulidae
F d lid (killifish);
(killifi h) marine
i invasions
i
i
(Atlantic needlefish, mullet, Gulf pipefish, others)
Amphibians (??)
River frog, Pig frog, Leopard frog, hylids
Spring
p g Fauna
(# taxa in Ichetucknee)
Reptiles
p
((5 spp-WSI
pp
study;
y; 7 turtles-Meylan
y
study)
y)
Sliders, loggerhead musk turtles, stinkpots, Florida
snapping turtle, water snakes, American alligator
Birds (16 spp-WSI study)
Wading birds (heron, egret, limpkin, ibis); waterfowl
(
(wood
d duck);
d k) cormorant,
t anhinga,
hi
kingfisher
ki fi h
Mammals (4 spp-WSI study)
Ri
River
otter, beaver,
b
Florida
Fl id manatee
Ichetucknee Springs
p g Fauna
Monitoring Needs
Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data
Data Data Data Data Data . . . . . . . .
You get the idea.
Ichetucknee Springs
p g Fauna
Monitoring Needs
Benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring; semiquantitative (SCI) or quantitative (SRWMD)
Quarterly
Merritt and Cummins approach (surrogate
ratios for
f ecosystem ffunctionall attributes)
b
)
Ichetucknee Springs
p g Fauna
Monitoring Needs
Production/Respiration Ratio Poinsett
Bars are One Standard Error from the Mean
Ratio live//dead plant feed
ders
6
Lake
Poinsett
5
4
3
2
1
0
Station
Month
I
I
II
II
III
III
r
h
r
h
a
s
h
r
a
s
h
s
u
ha
ph
lr
ru l ru
up
p
l
u
u
u
N
u
N
B
N
Bu
B
I
I
II
II
III
III
r
h
r
h
a
s
h
r
a
s
h
u
us
ha
ph
lr
ru
up
p
l
r
u
u
l
u
N
N
u
B
N
Bu
B
ly
Ju
N
r
be
em
ov
Ichetucknee Springs
p g Fauna
Monitoring Needs
Fish community monitoring – annual/biannual
(summer/winter) surveys down the run
Turtle surveys (could be done with fish work);
population monitoring as done in Rainbow and
Wekiva Rivers (mark/recapture work)
Amphibian surveys – night visits to ID via call
identification
Legend
Legend
S. minor
Limits of "reaches"
P. nelsoni
C. serpentina
S. odoratus
T. scripta
P concinna
P. concinna
Limits of "reaches"
Meylan turtle survey
Ichetucknee Springs
p g Fauna
Monitoring Needs
Bird surveys – Christmas bird counts ??;
annual/biannual surveys down the run
(
(summer/winter)
/ i t )
Mammals – manatee counts ?
Ecosystem metabolism
b l
workk (seasonal,
(
l annuall ?))
Ichetucknee Springs
p g Fauna
Monitoring Needs
Maintain spring flow and water quality
monitoring
SAV mapping (per 2003 PBS&J work) every 3
years
Annuall SAV/algal
/ l l surveys down
d
run
Ichetucknee Springs
p g Fauna
Monitoring Needs
4
3
2009
2
2010
1
N
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
N
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
5
Transect
Me
ean Braun‐‐Blanq
ean Braun
quet Score
Mean Braun‐Blanquet Score
e
Rock Springs Run ‐ Vallisneria
5
Rock Springs Run ‐‐ Algae
Rock Springs Run 4
3
2007
2
2008
2009
1
2010
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Transect
Ichetucknee Springs
p g Fauna
Research Questions
Interactions between invertebrates and algae
g (effects
(
of
algal growth on macroinvertebrate habitat and grazer control
of algae)
Eff t off exotics
Effects
ti ((plants
l t and
d animals)
i l ) on spring
i run ecology
l
Food web studies – how algal proliferation may alter trophic
dynamics
Follow-up to nutrient dynamics work (Cohen, Heffernan, et
al.)
Microbial metabolism/dynamics (Inglett, Reddy, et al.)
Ichetucknee Spring
Bi
l
St
di
Biology
Studies
Establish “baseline” condition
( g,
(e.g.,
Odum in Silver Springs)
Trend monitoring
Indicator species
Occupancy/detectability models
Water quality management (TMDL’s)
Minimum flows and levels
Are management efforts working ??