Website

https://apalachicolareserve.com/

Region(s)

NW

Summary

ANERR’s long-term monitoring of emergent vegetation communities follows the NERRS SWMP Bio-Monitoring Protocol: Long-term Monitoring of Estuarine Submersed and Emergent Vegetation Communities in December 2009. The System-Wide Monitoring Program Plan can be referenced although funding for the project was not acquired. The emergent vegetation monitoring approach consists of fixed transects with permanent sampling stations located along transects. Sites were selected based on areas that are representative of natural estuarine vegetation in the region. These sites have also not been historically impacted by natural or anthropogenic factors. Two study areas were chosen; one on Little St. George Island and one in the Lower River Marsh. The marsh segment to be monitored was chosen and three transects were randomly located within each of these segments. A total of 27-30 plots per marsh segment were established. Each plot was permanently marked with labeled stakes driven into the marsh. The permanent vegetation sampling plots which are 1m², are offset approximately 1 meter from the marking stake. They are perpendicular to the transect line and two diagonal corners of each plot were marked with smaller stakes. The Reserve installed a groundwater well at each Sentinel Station (Pilot’s Cove and Little St. Marks) October 16 2015 and plans to install In-Situ Aqua Troll 200 level loggers in summer 2016.

Parameters

Species composition, % cover, blade length, density, canopy height

Notes

Corresponding surface elevation table monitoring (SETs) and pore water (salinity, conductivity) are available upon request.

Application

Vegetation percent cover and species counts

Publications

Available for public dissemination

Start

2014

End

Current

Frequency

Semiannual

Method

Fixed transects

Discontinuity

none

Data Location

NERR Centralized Data Management Office; http://cdmo.baruch.sc.edu/

Data Format

Excel
Excel spreadsheet

Habitats

Coastal Wetlands

SEACAR Citation

Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP); Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection (RCP); Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve. (2023). Apalachicola Emergent Marsh Vegetation Monitoring . Updated 08/09/2023. Distributed by: SEACAR Data Discovery Interface, Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. https://data.florida-seacar.org/programs/details/5009

Alternative Citation

indicates priority attributes