Human-dominated Systems Research Articles

SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION MAKING IN SOUTH FLORIDA

The ecosystems of South Florida are unique and highly valued by society. Explosive population growth this century has made the Everglades one of our nation’s most endangered ecosystems. The dominant anthropogenic stressor is hydrological modifications instituted to provide flood protection for land selected for agriculture and urban development. Thus, major redesign of the hydrologic system is essential if the Everglades and associated coastal ecosystems of South Florida are to be restored and sustained. Following conceptual frameworks developed for ecological risk assessment, ecological sustainability, and ecosystem management, the U.S. Man and the Biosphere Human-Dominated Systems Directorate has conducted a project on ecosystem management in South Florida. An extremely complex hierarchy of federal, state, and local governmental activities presently underway is directed toward a sustainable South Florida. The scientific community is playing a significant role in this process, but the success or failure of ecosystem management for South Florida is still uncertain. If ecosystem management can result in a sustainable South Florida, this will be a prototype for environmental decision making through the next century.

Science and Environmental Decision Making in South Florida

The ecosystems of South Florida are unique and highly valued by society. Explosive population growth this century has made the Everglades one of our nation’s most endangered ecosystems. The dominant anthropogenic stressor is hydrological modifications instituted to provide flood protection for land selected for agriculture and urban development. Thus, major redesign of the hydrologic system is essential if the Everglades and associated coastal ecosystems of South Florida are to be restored and sustained. Following conceptual frameworks developed for ecological risk assessment, ecological sustainability, and ecosystem management, the U.S. Man and the Biosphere Human-Dominated Systems Directorate has conducted a project on ecosystem management in South Florida. An extremely complex hierarchy of federal, state, and local governmental activities presently underway is directed toward a sustainable South Florida. The scientific community is playing a significant role in this process, but the success or failure of ecosystem management for South Florida is still uncertain. If ecosystem management can result in a sustainable South Florida, this will be a prototype for environmental decision making through the next century.

Ecosystem Management of South Florida

and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149. He is an ecosystems ecologist specializing in methods for ecological risk assessment and ecosystem management. He is also chair of the US Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board (SAB) Ecological Processes and Effects Committee and chair of the US Man and the Biosphere Program (US MAB) Human-Dominated Systems Directorate. The time has come to

Ecosystem Management to Achieve Ecological Sustainability: The Case of South Florida

The ecosystems of South Florida are unique in the world. The defining features of the natural Everglades (large spatial scale, temporal patterns of water storage and sheetflow, and low nutrient levels) historically allowed a mosaic of habitats with characteristic animals. Massive hydrological alterations have halved the Everglades, and ecological sustainability requires fundamental changes in management.The US Man and the Biosphere Human-Dominated Systems Directorate is conducting a case study of South Florida using ecosystem management as a framework for exploring options for mutually dependent sustainability of society and the environment. A new methodology was developed to specify sustainability goals, characterize human factors affecting the ecosystem, and conduct scenario/consequence analyses to examine ecological and societal implications. South Florida has sufficient water for urban, agricultural, and ecological needs, but most water drains to the sea through the system of canals; thus, the issue is not competition for resources but storage and management of water. The goal is to reestablish the natural system for water quantity, timing, and distribution over a sufficient area to restore the essence of the Everglades.The societal sustainability in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) is at risk because of soil degradation, vulnerability of sugar price supports, policies affecting Cuban sugar imports, and political/economic forces aligned against sugar production. One scenario suggested using the EAA for water storage while under private sugar production, thereby linking sustainability of the ecological system with societal sustainability. Further analyses are needed, but the US MAB project suggests achieving ecological sustainability consistent with societal sustainability may be feasible.