Stable isotope measurements from over 300 sites in the Florida Everglades, collected during 1996 and 1999, document food web structure and contaminant sources. This study represents the largest isotope food web investigation in a marsh ecosystem, conducted through a collaboration involving USGS, SFWMD, FGFFC, and the EPA-REMAP program. Data includes carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotopic compositions for plants and animals across 18 specific monitoring sites.
Use Cases
- Model MeHg bioaccumulation using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios to trace trophic positions.
- Analyze spatial changes in food web base by comparing isotopic compositions of periphyton versus macrophyte detritus across 18 sites.
- Track contaminant sources from agricultural land use by examining sulfur isotope spatial patterns in biota and sediments.
- Evaluate ecosystem restoration by monitoring temporal shifts in trophic structure indicated by compound-specific isotopic ratios.
- Compare isotopic techniques to gut content analysis for determining predator-prey relationships within the marsh.
Strengths
- Samples from over 300 sites provide broad spatial coverage of the Everglades marsh system.
- Long-term trophic and biogeochemical studies at selected, well-monitored sites enable detailed food web construction.
- Combines detailed site data with synoptic survey data from 1996 and 1999 for comprehensive ecosystem analysis.
Limitations
- Data collection ended in 1999, limiting analysis of recent ecosystem changes or restoration effects.
- Specific sample sizes (row counts) and measurement details for individual species or sites are not provided.
- The focus on 18 named intensive sites may not capture fine-grained variability across the entire 300+ site network.
Provenance
- Source
- Collaboration between USGS, SFWMD, FGFFC, and the EPA-REMAP program.
- Collection Method
- Field sampling of plants, animals, dissolved nutrients, and sediments for stable isotope (C, N, S) analysis.
- Time Range
- 1996, 1999
- Freshness
- Last updated in 1999; static historical dataset.
- Geography
- Freshwater Florida Everglades, including 18 specified sites such as Cell 4, L67, and Lostmans Creek.