Recovery of Saltmarsh Vegetation and Fauna Following Mosquito Impoundment Restoration in Volusia County, FL
Donnelly M. 2007. Recovery of Saltmarsh Vegetation and Fauna Following Mosquito Impoundment Restoration in Volusia County, FL. University of Central Florida. Orlando, FL
In the 1960s, portion of saltmarsh habitat in the Indian River Lagoon, FL were impounded for mosquito management. Total mangrove habitat was decreased by approximately 70% by the dikes and borrow ditches used to create mosquito impoundments. Restoration began in the 1980s by opening culverts and breaching dikes followed by complee removal of dikes in the 1990s. Vegetation monitoring began in 2005 and was expaned in 2007 to include fiddler crabs and shorebirds. The study found significant recruitment of saltmarsh vegetation; similar plant abundances at restored sites and reference marshes; fiddler crabs were found at restored sites suggesting initial recovery of food web processes; restored sites had higher frequency of wading birds foraging on bare substrate while reference marshes were primarily utilized by perching birds such as redwing black bird and osprey
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Donnelly, Melinda
- Date of Issue
- 2007
- Publisher
- University of Central Florida
- Units
- CANA
- Keywords
- Marsh recovery, Mosquito impoundments, Saltmarsh vegetation