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I am a participant in the large multi-disciplinary project conducted by the Southeast Environmental Research Center on the effects of phosphorus on ecosystem function in the Everglades System. I am responsible for research on the effects of phosphorus dosing on macrophytes, and am working with Adrienne Edwards, now a Research Ecologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, on the production ecology and physiological responses of wetlands “macrophytes”. We are particularly interested in the shoot dynamics of Eleocharis cellulosa, an important component of the open sloughs where are research sites are located, and have established an experimental system on the FIU campus. In addition, Wes Rogers, an M.S. student in my lab, just finished work on the anatomy of E. cellulosa with an intent to model gas flows in the stems. Martin Roberts, another M.S. student, just finished a study of the growth and physiological responses to shade of Psychotria nervosa and P. sulznerii, two hardwood hammock understory shrubs native to South Florida.
Research at SERC dosing sites in the
Shark Valley of Everglades National Park.
We are studying the responses of macrophytes to phosphorus dosing within
treatment channels of these flumes, and are particularly interested
in the responses and biology of spike rush (Eleocharis cellulosa) depicted in the photos
at bottom.