Areas Of Florida Research Articles

Delineating Hierarchical Hospital Service Areas in Florida

Hospital service area () and hospital referral region (), known as a hierarchical system, have been used as analysis units in a growing body of large‐scale studies of healthcare spending, utilization, and outcome in the United States. However, the popular Dartmouth s and s were produced more than two decades ago and are unable to represent contemporary healthcare markets. This research uses a revised Huff Model to delineate two levels of hospital service areas in Florida, resulting in sixty‐four s nested in twenty‐one s. Three elements distinguish our method from existing work. First, a best‐fitting distance‐decay function derived from the actual travel pattern of hospitalization is embedded in the Huff Model to strengthen the model's theoretical foundation in individual spatial behavior. Secondly, the hierarchal central place structure is supported by the differing travel‐friction coefficients for general versus specialized patients; general patients experience a steeper gradient and thus a shorter average travel range that supports delineating more s of smaller area size, and specialized patients exhibit a flatter gradient and thus a longer average travel range that leads to fewer s of large‐sized areas. Finally, the delineation method automated in geographic information systems () can be easily replicated in other regions to define large‐scale and consistent hierarchical systems.

Climate Change:: Vector-Borne Diseases and Their Control; Mosquitoes and Ticks.

Human infectious diseases are sensitive to weather and climate in a variety of ways: impact on vector-borne disease transmission, pathogen survival outside the host, environmental contamination, food and water- borne infection, and disruptions of public health systems by disasters such as hurricanes and floods. One needs only consider the recent disasters on the United States mainland and in Puerto Rico as examples. In the continental United States during modern times, the most common mosquito-transmitted diseases are West Nile virus and several other encephalitis viruses. In southernmost areas of Florida and Texas, dengue and Zika viruses are found sporadically, usually resulting from travel to out-of-country endemic areas, although local transmissions can also occur. In the U.S. the most common diseases transmitted by ticks are Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis. Vector-borne diseases affecting humans can vary in frequency and intensity depending upon population abundances of the vectors transmitting disease pathogens. In turn, vector population abundances can be influenced by environmental and ecological factors such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, photoperiod, food availability, habitat type, predation, inter-species competition and other parameters. Among these factors, climate change and particularly warming temperature regimes can cause some vector populations to become more abundant in given regions or areas, or to be more prevalent longer throughout the year, and in happening can lead to more disease problems for humans. This paper examines such phenomena for mosquitoes and ticks, which are major arthropod vectors for several kinds of diseases affecting people.

Sugarcane Yield Response to Potassium Fertilization as Related to Extractable Soil Potassium on Florida Histosols

Core Ideas Sugarcane yield responses to K fertilizer were attributable to increases in sugarcane biomass. There was reduced sucrose concentration at higher K rates in 4 of 14 crop years. Maximum K fertilizer requirement determined was 27% less than current recommendation. Soil test K limit for K fertilizer application was within 12% of the current limit. Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) has a large K requirement and so K fertilizer can be a major cost for growers. Histosols in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of Florida are shallower with higher pH than when current sugarcane K fertilizer recommendations were established in the 1970s. This study was conducted to determine sugarcane yield response to K fertilizer as related to extractable soil K on Florida Histosols. Six small‐plot (83, 120, or 138 m2) field experiments were established as randomized complete block (RCB) designs (four or six replications) with annual K rates ranging from 0 to 279 kg K ha−1. There were significant sugarcane and sucrose yield responses to K fertilizer and these were attributable to increases in sugarcane biomass. There was evidence of reduced sucrose concentration at higher K rates in 4 of 14 crop years. Orthogonal contrasts determined significant sucrose yield response to K fertilizer compared to the zero rate in 5 of 14 crop years. Nonlinear regression determined that the acetic acid‐extractable soil K value at or above which K fertilization is not required was within 12% of the current value. Maximum K fertilizer requirement determined in the study was 170 kg K ha−1 at an acetic acid‐extractable K value of 20 g K m−3, which is 27% less than the current recommendation. Results of a previously unpublished K rate trial confirmed the results of the current study, which will be used to update K fertilizer recommendations on Florida Histosols.

Understanding and projecting the restaurantscape: The influence of neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics on restaurant location

To better understand the location patterns of different types of restaurants across the United States, we investigate the relationship between neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics and restaurant location using a unique data set from 2013 covering 30,772U.S. zip codes. The estimation results from negative binomial regression models confirm the significant impacts of various sociodemographic factors (e.g., population density, median age, median household income, average household size, educational attainment, gender distribution, housing tenure, neighborhood urbanization) on restaurant location. We also project future restaurant growth potential based on model estimates and projected changes in sociodemographic characteristics by 2020. The results are analyzed, and several metropolitan areas in Texas and Florida are identified as having high potential for growth. Lastly, implications are provided for restaurant real estate practitioners.

Direct Application of Invasive Species Prioritization: The Spatial Invasive Infestation and Priority Analysis Model

Effective and efficient prioritization of invasive species treatments is an important aspect of land management and ecological restoration, as the number and distribution of invasive species increase and budgets decrease. Land managers have a multitude of prioritization frameworks from which to choose, but the vast majority only consider entire species across a landscape rather than individual populations. Here, we discuss the Spatial Invasive Infestation and Priority Analysis (SIIPA) model (built in ESRI ArcGIS software), a customizable tool for rapid application of a prioritization framework to known invasive populations within a preserve, management area, or region. The SIIPA model is based on the framework provided in The Nature Conservancy's Draft Weed Management Plan and prioritizes invasive species based on four characteristics common to many other schema: 1) current extent of the species; 2) current and potential impacts of the species; 3) value of habitats the species infests; and 4) difficulty of control and establishing replacement species. We describe how the model can be customized to have different classes for each characteristic, different weights for each class, and include other characteristics. To demonstrate how the model performs at different scales and for different land management objectives, we consider the application of this model in three different case studies: the Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve in Kissimmee, Florida; the U.S. Forest Service's Apalachicola National Forest near Tallahassee, Florida; and the Heartland Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area in central Florida. The SIIPA model provides land managers with an adaptable, easy-to-utilize decision support tool for making critical prioritization choices.

Where to catch ‘em all? – a geographic analysis of Pokémon Go locations

In 2016, Niantic Labs released Pokémon Go, an augmented reality smartphone game that attracted millions of users worldwide. This game allows users to “catch” Pokémons through their mobile cameras in different geographic locations that often correspond to prominent places. This paper analyzes the distribution of PokéStops, Pokémon gyms, and spawnpoints in selected urban areas of South Florida and Boston. It identifies which socioeconomic variables and land-use categories affect the density of PokéStops, and how PokéStops and gyms cluster relative to each other. Using nearest neighbor analysis, this paper assesses also how actual PokéStop locations are reflected in Yelp’s “PokéStop nearby” attribute. Results show that black and Hispanic neighborhoods are disadvantaged when it comes to crowd-sourced data coverage, that PokéStops occur more frequently in commercial, recreational and touristic sites and around universities, and that PokéStops tend to cluster around gyms. The latter suggests that these point sets were generated by a similar location selection process. To mitigate geographically linked biases, future versions of augmented reality and geo-games should aim to make them equally accessible in all areas, for example by placing extra resources, such as points of interest, in neighborhoods that are currently underrepresented in data coverage.

Geographic variability in gestational weight gain: a multilevel population-based study of women having term births in Florida (2005–2012)

PurposeWe examined the extent of geographic variability in gestational weight gain (GWG), identified areas where women have suboptimal GWG, and evaluated whether individual- and area-level factors account for such variability. MethodsWe conducted a population-based cohort study including 1,385,574 women delivering term, singleton, and live births in Florida. We used a Bayesian, structured additive regression with a spatial function to analyze data from Florida's birth certificates (2005–2012) and ZIP code tabulation areas (ZCTAs; 2010 Census). ResultsThe prevalence of insufficient (7.7%–42.9%) and excessive (17.1%–82.4%) GWG varied widely within Florida. Geographic variability was not explained by risk factors under study. Clusters in Orlando, Tampa, and Miami exhibited increased likelihood of insufficient GWG, whereas clusters in the Northwest of Florida exhibited increased likelihood of excessive GWG. ConclusionsWe identified areas in Florida with high likelihood of suboptimal GWG that policy-makers should prioritize in the implementation of programs for optimizing GWG.

Developmental Studies of Maize-Infesting Picture-Winged Flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae).

Eleven species of picture-winged flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae) attack maize (Zea mays L.) in the Americas. Field and laboratory studies were used to determine developmental times on sweet corn ears for the three most common species attacking the crop in the United States, Chaetopsis massyla (Walker), Euxesta eluta Loew, and Euxesta stigmatias Loew. Egg plus larval stage developmental times were evaluated in early Spring and late Fall 2009, and late Spring 2010, by placing newly deposited eggs in protected ears in the field. Newly formed puparia were removed daily from cages and held in the laboratory to determine pupal developmental times. Developmental times were compared with flies reared on artificial diet in the laboratory. Ear- and diet-reared adults were held until their death to determine adult longevity. Developmental times, including for pupae from ear-reared larvae, were significantly affected by species and season. All three species required nearly twice as long to complete development in the late Fall compared to late Spring studies. Flies required 3-13 d longer to complete development on artificial diet than on ears. Euxesta eluta adults lived two to three times longer than the other species, and females of all species lived 10-15% longer than males. Species and seasonal developmental times are discussed in relation to ear developmental times and control strategies. It is estimated that 16-19 generations per year of all three fly species can develop in the field in the sweet corn production area of southern Florida.

Four Biofuel Species’ Responses to Periodic Flooding and High Water Tables on a Florida Histosol

Rising energy costs, decreasing soil depth, and best management practices that require on-farm water retention have led to interest in flood-tolerant bioenergy crops for production in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of Florida. Information on the effects of high water tables on sugarcane (Saccharum spp. L.) is available; however, little is known about the bioenergy crops elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.), energycane (Saccharum spp. L.), and giant reed (Arundo donax L.). The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of water-table depth on the yields, morphology, physiology, and early season growth of these three bioenergy species in relation to sugarcane. The species were grown in a greenhouse and subjected to three water management strategies, −40 or −16 cm constant water-table depths, and bi-weekly flooding with drainage to −40 cm. The experiment was conducted in plant-cane, first-ratoon, and successive plant-cane crop cycles. Periodic flooding relative to a −40 cm constant water table significantly reduced dry weights and leaf area index and increased aerenchyma development. Averaged among crops, dry weight declined by 32, 49, 37, and 52% while leaf area index (LAI) decreased by 31, 50, 46, and 57% for giant reed, elephant grass, energycane, and sugarcane, respectively, in response to flooding. Aerenchyma proportional area of the stalk increased by 52, 90, and 95% for elephant grass, energycane, and sugarcane, respectively, but aerenchyma in giant reed decreased by 11%. High yields and stalk populations for all water tables were observed in energycane and elephant grass. These two species show potential for bioenergy production in the EAA. Field trials are recommended to confirm production scale yield.

Nitrogen Source Inventory and Loading Tool: An integrated approach toward restoration of water-quality impaired karst springs

Nitrogen (N) from anthropogenic sources has contaminated groundwater used as drinking water in addition to impairing water quality and ecosystem health of karst springs. The Nitrogen Source Inventory and Loading Tool (NSILT) was developed as an ArcGIS and spreadsheet-based approach that provides spatial estimates of current nitrogen (N) inputs to the land surface and loads to groundwater from nonpoint and point sources within the groundwater contributing area. The NSILT involves a three-step approach where local and regional land use practices and N sources are evaluated to: (1) estimate N input to the land surface, (2) quantify subsurface environmental attenuation, and (3) assess regional recharge to the aquifer. NSILT was used to assess nitrogen loading to groundwater in two karst spring areas in west-central Florida: Rainbow Springs (RS) and Kings Bay (KB). The karstic Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA) is the source of water discharging to the springs in both areas. In the KB study area (predominantly urban land use), septic systems and urban fertilizers contribute 48% and 22%, respectively, of the estimated total annual N load to groundwater 294,400 kg-N/yr. In contrast for the RS study area (predominantly agricultural land use), livestock operations and crop fertilizers contribute 50% and 13%, respectively, of the estimated N load to groundwater. Using overall groundwater N loading rates for the KB and RS study areas, 4.4 and 3.3 kg N/ha, respectively, and spatial recharge rates, the calculated groundwater nitrate-N concentration (2.1 mg/L) agreed closely with the median nitrate-N concentration (1.7 mg/L) from groundwater samples in agricultural land use areas in the RS study area for the period 2010–2014. NSILT results provide critical information for prioritizing and designing restoration efforts for water-quality impaired springs and spring runs affected by multiple sources of nitrogen loading to groundwater. The calculated groundwater N concentration for the KB study area (1.45 mg/L) was approximately three times higher than the median N concentration (0.45 mg/L) for wells located in urban land use areas.

An assessment of iron and calcium amendments for managing phosphorus release from impacted Everglades soils

The recent implementation of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) and treatment wetlands called stormwater treatment areas (STAs) have reduced phosphorus (P) concentrations and loadings to the Everglades Protection Area (EPA) in Florida (USA). There is a concern that despite reductions in external P loadings, internal loading from the legacy P enrichment of the EPA wetland soils will continue to elevate water column P concentrations, and may impede restoration outcomes. In an effort to explore ways to reduce soil P efflux, we retrieved intact, vegetated (cattail, Typha domingensis) soil monoliths from two P-enriched areas of the EPA and deployed them at a location where they received pre-treated (low P) surface water as ex situ flow-through mesocosms for 21 months with a mid-study 7-week dry down to mimic natural hydroperiod conditions. Two treatments were tested for soils from both sites, using triplicate mesocosms for each treatment. After applying a herbicide (glyphosate) to eliminate the cattail vegetation, iron (Fe as liquid FeCl3) amendments provided no P retention benefits in the organic soils from the two sites, and did not yield significantly (P > 0.05; n = 43) lower flux rates (6.1 and 3.5 mg Pm−2 d−1) than the herbicide/no soil amendment control (3.9 and 2.1 mg Pm−2 d−1), as was expected. A combination of low oxidation–reduction potential, heightened organic matter P mineralization, high pH, and sulfide production acted interactively to enhance Fe and P mobilization in the Fe-amended mesocosms. The herbicide/limerock (CaCO3)-amended soils exhibited significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05; n = 43) P flux (1.3 and 1.1 mg Pm−2 d−1) than the herbicide/no soil amendment control soils, but it remains unknown whether the observed reduction in P efflux (ranging from 48 to 67%) would justify the expense and potential environmental impacts of applying a surficial limerock amendment to large regions of the P-enriched wetlands.

Snap, crackle, and pop: Acoustic-based model estimation of snapping shrimp populations in healthy and degraded hard-bottom habitats

Human use of the ocean and its ecosystems continues to degrade coastal habitats around the world. Assessing anthropogenic impacts on these environments can be costly and manpower-intensive; thus, the development of rapid, remote techniques to assess habitat quality is important. We employed autonomous hydrophone receivers to record the soundscapes of healthy, sponge-rich hard-bottom habitat in Florida Bay, Florida (USA) and hard-bottom areas impacted by sponge die-offs. We also recorded sounds emanating from individual sponges of three species that were isolated in underwater sound booths, and then enumerated the invertebrates (mostly snapping shrimp) dwelling within the canals of each sponge. From these recordings, a modified cylindrical sound propagation model was used to estimate distances to individual snapping shrimp snaps. Using the program Distance, we estimated snapping shrimp population density and abundance within both habitat types. More snapping shrimp snaps per unit time were recorded in healthy hard-bottom areas as compared to degraded hard-bottom areas. In addition, the average distance to a snap source was greater within degraded hard-bottom areas than within healthy hard-bottom areas. As a consequence, the estimated density and abundance of snapping shrimp were one to two orders of magnitude greater within healthy habitat than within degraded habitat. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using acoustic sampling and modeling to rapidly assess populations of soniferous benthic indicator species, whose vocalizations may yield indirect estimates of habitat quality.

Enhancing Extension Program Effectiveness by Examining Regional Differences in High Water Users

Competition for water sources in urban areas of Florida has increased due to increased population and human activities. High water users have been identified as a specific group on which Extension should focus water conservation education due to their low awareness of water issues and active landscape water use. In order to ensure the effectiveness of Extension programs targeting high water users statewide, this study sought to explore regional differences in water conservation behavior engagement within Florida high water users. An online survey was conducted to capture responses of high water users (N = 932) in three distinct regions for this comparative study. Respondents were asked to indicate their current engagement in water use behavior, application of water conservation strategies, and likelihood of engaging in water conservation and related societal behaviors. Regional differences were found in all four examined constructs. The findings imply Extension educators should tailor educational programs to regional audiences’ behavior patterns instead of designing statewide programs to ensure program effectiveness.

Shifting nutrient sink and source functions of stormwater detention areas in sub-tropics

Two-year field measured water and nutrient fluxes from an agricultural stormwater detention area (SDA) in Florida's Everglades region showed that it was a source of phosphorus (P) for the first year (Y1 retention efficiency=−12%) and a sink for the second year (Y2, 54%). The SDA remained a consistent sink of nitrogen (N). Source function was a combined effect of dilution of incoming drainage from a tropical storm and legacy-based soil P saturation. Denitrification was the main biochemical process contributing to N retention (Y1=23%, Y2=56%). Volume reduction was the main reason for nutrient retention, especially for P because of limited to no remaining soil P sorption capacity. Although a net sink of P for Y2, an event-wise analysis showed the source function for 40% of the outflow events indicating intermittent P release from soil. Because surface P treatment efficiency during both years was either less than or close to the water retention efficiency, volume reduction and not sorption or biological assimilation controlled P treatment. Almost a third of the incoming P was lost through subsurface pathways, highlighting the significance of groundwater P losses from SDAs. Harvesting and removal of biomass can mine P and restore SDA's sink function. For an example sub-basin of Florida Everglades, potentially harvestable P from SDAs was more than the basin P loads. A payment for environmental services project to treat additional P through biomass harvesting is a sustainable approach, especially under future climate projections of more frequent high-intensity storms for the Everglades and beyond.

Non-selective feeding and oviposition behaviour of Cryptocephalus trifasciata (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cryptocephalinae) precludes its use as a biological control agent for downy rose myrtle (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa)

ABSTRACTDowny rose myrtle (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa), a southeast Asian native shrub, invades natural areas in Florida and Hawaii, where it forms dense, impenetrable thickets. We tested the host affinity and survivorship of a case-bearing beetle, Cryptocephalus trifasciata on R. tomentosa and related species. C. trifasciata adults and larvae fed, oviposited and/or completed development on all non-target species tested (N = 11). C. trifasciata has a broad host range and is unsuitable for use as a biological control agent.

Effects of Global Climate Change on Building Energy Consumption and Its Implications in Florida

ABSTRACTMany studies have investigated the impact of global warming on energy consumption. In this study, the morphing method and EnergyPlus (E+) software were used to investigate the impact of climate change on commercial building energy use under the A2 medium-CO2. emission scenario. The study simulated electricity and gas consumption of nine types of commercial buildings in eight cities, representing three climate zones in Florida. The nine types of commercial buildings included apartments, hotels, offices, and schools. The energy simulation results showed the future trends of growth and reduction in electricity and gas consumption for cooling and heating in TMY2 (TMY3), 2020, 2050, and 2080 in the eight selected cities. In general, gas and electricity demands for heating are projected to decrease, and electricity demand for cooling increases, at different rates in various areas of Florida. The study provides guidance for policy‐makers and utility companies as they craft their response to climate change in various regions of Florida.

Potential Hybridization between Two Invasive Termite Species, Coptotermes formosanus and C. gestroi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), and Its Biological and Economic Implications.

The Asian subterranean termite, Coptotermes gestroi, is a tropical species but has increasingly been collected from the subtropics in recent years, making it sympatric to the Formosan subterranean termite, C. formosanus in at least three areas, Taiwan, Hawaii, and Florida. Simultaneous flights by these two species were observed since 2013 in South Florida, during which interspecies tandems were observed. Laboratory mating of C. formosanus and C. gestroi alates produced hybrid incipient colonies of larger population size. Studies are underway to examine the presence in the field of hybrid colonies in sympatric areas of Taiwan and Florida. Other biological characteristics of C. formosanus × C. gestroi hybrids being studied include temperature tolerance and preference, colony growth rate, wood-consumption rate, and reproductive fertility. This current research aims to determine the potential establishment of a hybrid termite population in south Florida and Taiwan. It investigates the risk of introgressive hybridization in field populations, with an emphasis on its potential ecological, evolutionary, and economic consequences.

Major Risk Factors for Leprosy in a Nonendemic Area of the USA

Background178 new cases of leprosy were reported in 2015 with Florida being one of six states and contributing a large number (72%) of registered cases. It was also the only state showing an increasing occurrence compared with the previous years. Studies from other southern U.S. states in armadillos and leprosy patients demonstrate infection with the same strain of Mycobacterium leprae, confirming human armadillo exposure as the main risk factor for leprosy. In contrast, cases from Florida show no clear risk factor. We present three cases of leprosy from Hillsborough county (Florida) with no previous armadillo exposure but a different risk factor in common: being foreign-born.MethodsWe report three cases of leprosy presenting in a non-endemic area of Florida during the past five years and highlight the absence of direct armadillo exposure as a risk factor for developing the disease.ResultsCase 1: A 35-year-old male from Mexico presented with multiple erythematous non-tender cutaneous lesions and numbness in both hands. He had a history of leprosy exposure from a Haitian inmate during incarceration in Florida. Biopsy confirmed borderline lepromatous leprosy.Case 2: A 67-year-old female from Cuba presented with disseminated circular ulcerative lesions and severe hypesthesia of lower extremities. She denied leprosy or armadillo exposure. Diagnosis of borderline lepromatous leprosy was made through biopsy.Case 3: A 38-year-old female from Puerto Rico presented with disseminated painless plaques, edema of the hands with numbness and paresthesias. She worked as a nurse but denied leprosy or armadillo exposure. A biopsy confirmed borderline lepromatous leprosy with erythema nodosum leprosum.ConclusionOur case series demonstrates that a history of armadillo exposure is not always present. Other risk factors need to be considered when leprosy is a possible diagnosis in a patient. Place of birth is a very important factor due to the diverse and increasing foreign-born population in the United States.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Atrotorquata lineata as a proxy for Juncus roemerianus, Part II: Tracking changes in positions of Juncus roemerianus marshes through time by use of the fungal proxy Atrotorquata lineata

Abstract Juncus roemerianus is a species that occurs at the upper reaches of salt water influence in marshes from Delaware to Texas. As such, J. roemerianus is a good marker for sea level, defined for this study as mean highest high water; thus, being able to track its positions over time should enable one to track past changes in relative sea level. In 2006, a palynomorphic fingerprint to identify surface sediment from J. roemerianus marshes was discovered in a South Carolina study (Marsh 2006, Marsh & Cohen 2008). Further study (Marsh & Cohen 2016) showed that one component of this fingerprint, the spore of the fungus Atrotorquata lineata, was so omnipresent in surface sediment from J. roemerianus marshes that the fungus, by itself, can be considered a proxy for J. roemerianus marshes. In this study we investigated the potential to use Atrotorquata lineata to track past positions of Juncus roemerianus marshes. First we investigated whether A. lineata is preserved beneath the surface. Cores from South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida were found to contain A. lineata, including one from the Harney River area of southwestern Florida in which we had previously found A. lineata at ca 250 cm depth at a level that had been radiocarbon-dated to ca 3200 years BP (Cohen 1968, Cohen & Spackman 1972, 1977, Spackman & Cohen 1976, Marsh & Cohen 2016). Building upon that discovery, we then investigated the possibility of tracking changes in the size and position of J. roemerianus marshes over time. Additional sets of cores clearly revealed evidence of expansion and contraction of J. roemerianus patches over time and further suggested recent past fluctuations in sea level that were both higher and lower than at present but contained within an overall transgressive sequence.

Use of the Nitrogen Index to assess nitrate leaching and water drainage from plastic-mulched horticultural cropping systems of Florida

Water quality in Florida is significantly impacted by nitrate (NO3-N) leaching losses from agriculture in a large part of the state. Horticultural crops are planted across large areas of Florida on coarse sandy soils with low soil water retention and soil organic matter, increasing the potential for NO3-N leaching. Nitrate leaching losses from the root zone of vegetable cropping systems can negatively impact groundwater. New tools such as the Nitrogen Index (N-Index) are able to quickly assess N use efficiency and losses via NO3-N leaching from agricultural systems. Furthermore, the N-Index provides technical information about N losses pathways tied to agricultural management practices with a great level of confidence; this information has been used by researchers, growers and policymakers as a decision support system. However, the current version of the N-Index that has been used for different field crops has not been calibrated to be used in plastic-mulched horticultural cropping systems. The aim of this work was to calibrate and validate the N-Index for plastic-mulched horticultural cropping systems of Florida. This study found that the N-Index tool accurately identified and ranked the risk of N losses in the evaluated horticultural systems. The N-Index was calibrated for Florida's plastic-mulched horticultural cropping systems using a sensitivity analysis. The adjusted N-Index was validated using compiled data of vegetables grown under plastic mulching systems during three consecutive seasons. Results from these studies suggest that the N-Index can be an easy-to-use tool capable of assessing nitrogen management practices for vegetable systems. The tool can be used to guide nutrient managers in the implementation of best nitrogen management practices that could contribute to reduced NO3-N leaching losses from vegetable systems in Florida, contributing to a smaller environmental footprint and conservation of water quality.