In this section, the vegetation component of constructed wetlands is evaluated. Site visits to over 164 reclaimed and natural wetlands in the central and northern Florida phosphate mining regions were made, data were compiled and synthesized from numerous sources, and trends in wetland plant community establishment and persistence were examined to determine present plant community structure and how it may be changing over time.
The objectives of this component of the larger project were four-fold:
- Collect and synthesize existing information related to the vegetation characteristics of wetlands constructed on phosphate mined lands;
- Evaluate these data to determine whether they are adequate to assess a) the present structure and composition of plant communities on constructed wetlands, b) the likelihood of plant community persistence or future changes, and c) the relationship of vegetation development to site design criteria and post mining treatments;
- Collect, synthesize, and evaluate existing information on the vegetation characteristics of natural wetlands in the Florida phosphate-mining region; and
- Identify vegetation indicators of wetland ecosystem functions and develop systematic quantitative methods of measuring these indicators.
University of Florida, K.L. Erwin Consulting Ecologists, Florida Audubon Society, Missimer International, and The Nature Conservancy. November 1997.