The Rivers of Florida

ISBN-13: 9781461277712 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 289 str.

Robert J. Livingston; L. Ager; D. G. Jr. Bass

Opis

This book addresses basic questions concerning the ecological relationships and current conditions of the major river systems in Florida . . There have been relatively few comprehensive studies made of the rivers of Florida. There is, to be sure, voluminous information that addresses various aspects of riverine ecology. However, little such information has been collected in a way that allows even a preliminary understanding of the driving forces that determine how the diverse freshwater and associated brackish systems function. This lack of useful data is the product of a fundamental ignorance concerning the scale of endeavor, both spatially and temporally, that is needed if we are to understand and, parenthetically, manage the major drainage systems of this area of the country (Livingston, 1987). Research used to address management problems should entail a continuous series of interrelated studies, descriptive and experimental, that answer the immediate (and often less important) questions that are asked on a day-to-day basis. The research should also be designed to answer questions that have not yet been asked. In other words, ecosystem research should be organized on an appropriate scale so that system-wide processes are understood and pr

Spis treści

1. Introduction.- 2. Florida Rivers: The Physical Environment.- 3. Tidal Rivers of Florida.- 4. Florida Rivers: The Vegetational Mosaic.- 5. Riverine Fishes of Florida.- 6. The Oklawaha River System.- 7. The St. Johns River System.- 8. The Everglades.- 9. The Lower Peace River and Horse Creek: Flow and Water Quality Characteristics, 1976–1986.- 10. West-Coastal Rivers of Peninsular Florida.- 11. The Apalachicola Experience: Environmental Effects of Physical Modifications to a River for Navigational Purposes.- 12. Ecology of the Choctawhatchee River System.- 13. Conclusions.