hydrologic cycle, five steps?

condensation

precipitation

runoff

evapotranspiration

infiltration

Water vapor in the air condenses to form droplets that eventually merge

and fall as rain.

Rainfall varies in amount, as well as by season, geographic area and intensity (the

quantity of rain that falls within a certain number of hours). Traditionally, 70% of the

state’s rain falls between May and October, with the remaining 30% between November

and April. Most rain falls between July and September

North-central Florida may

experience more total rainfall during the summer months, but recharge of the aquifer

systems usually takes place during the winter. This is due to reduced

evapotranspiration rates. Plants use less water because they are in a semi-dormant state

evaporation

Runoff

is the water that does not

soak into the ground or percolate into aquifers.

Evaporation occurs

when water is returned to the atmosphere in vapor form by the combined effects of

solar radiation, the energy source, and wind

High solar radiation levels means a high level of evapotranspiration activity. The

acreage varies. In

the only area where plants can get water from the roots

Climate

season of the year

volume of grounwater pumped or withdrawn

topography.

When the land surface and water table intersect, water seeps onto the surface. This may result in the formation of a lake, wetland, or spring or simply discharge into a water body.

the floridian aquifer

the biscayne aquifer

the sand-and-gravel aquifer,

the surficial aquifer

and an aquifer are with highly mineralized water.

salt water dneser than fresh water so it tries to go into land mass.

In some places, overpumping of wells can increase saltwater intrusion. As water is

pumped at a rate faster than the aquifer is replenished, the pressure of freshwater over

salt water in the land mass is decreased

When we change the physical, chemical or biological elements of an aquatic ecosystem,

we change its ability to support species and provide the products and services we

depend on. These services include controlling floods, purifying water, recharging

aquifers, restoring soil fertility, supporting recreation, nurturing fisheries and

supporting evolution. Once nature can no longer provide, we must either do without or

find a substitute, usually less effective and at a much higher cost financially and

environmentally.

Streams, creeks or rivers that flow into a larger water

tributaries

The land that is drained by the creeks, streams and rivers that flow into the single major

.

island- land sorrounded by two channels of the river

oxbow- a meander that has been cut off

floodplain- land that can be converd with water by a flood

gravel and sand bars- deposits of sand and gravel in the river

meander-a s shaped curve in the river

braid- a river that splits then rejoins within its channel

wetland- habitats flooded by shallow water for at least a part of the year.

More drastic

elevation changes cause a river to run faster, more gradual elevation changes cause the

river to flow slower

refers to the life-supporting area adjacent to rivers. The habitat for a

particular organism varies in size depending on the needs of the organism. act as buffers between habitats. act as highway or greenway to safely go from one place to another. offer food, cover and water, riparian zone.

1. Maintain their position in moving water and have adapted different lifestyles or

physical features to allow them to remain in one place.

2. Absorb enough oxygen. Many aquatic organisms have gills to help them breathe

and absorb dissolved oxygen.

3. Obtain enough food in spite of water carrying their food downstream.

.

estuaries.\ /.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(current events)

Estuaries

Over time, the movement of the Earth’s

crust has caused cracks in the limestone. Acidic groundwater causes the cracks to

Riparian habitat, like any other part of a natural ecosystem, is constantly changing.

Some of these changes are natural: trees may die and fall to the ground or the river may

slowly erode the bank. However, some are caused by humans. Riparian areas provide

pleasant areas for bicycling, horseback riding, walking and hiking. If an area is

frequently used by people, there are signs of their use left behind. These signs could be

litter, trampled vegetation, eroded paths, campsites or fire pits, etc.

Clearing or tilling land close to a stream or river disrupts groundcover and increases

runoff, and the land dries out much more quickly. As the water table under the land

drops, water eventually begins to seep out of the streambed back into the surrounding

land.

Aquatic systems in Florida are adapted to "             "

disturbances.

through the

engineering of dams, reservoirs and structures, and through navigation and

transportation.

the use of manmade canal connecting periviously unconnected species creates invasion of species.

Altering the structure of a river brings about changes in the water

depth, flow rate, temperature, sediment content, chemistry and oxygen concentration.

These factors influence the composition and abundance of species

The loss of floodplains frequently aggravates or increases the length

and severity of floods. Floodplains were designed by nature to hold excess waters

during a flood until they can be released or slowly absorbed by the river system.

all land of earth is a watershed.

A watershed is the land area from which both surface water and groundwater,

sediment and dissolved materials drain to a common watercourse or body of water. For

each watershed, there is a drainage system that conveys rainfall to its outlet. A

watershed may be the drainage area surrounding a lake that has no surface outlet, or a

river basin as large as that of the St. Johns or Suwannee rivers or the Colorado River.

Within a large watershed are many smaller watersheds that contribute to overall

streamflow.

The point at which the boundaries of two watersheds come together or connect is called

divide

open-water systems that collect and convey surface runoff

generated by rainfall, snowmelt, or groundwater discharge to estuaries and oceans.

The smallest channels in a watershed have no tributaries and are called firstorder

streams. two first order streams are second order streams, two second order make one third order and so on. Watersheds are usully hills only 1% water.

flow indicates a nearly year-round flow (90% or more) in a well-defined

channel. Most higher order streams are perennial

flow generally occurs only during the wet season (50% of the time or less).

In Florida, some streams and creeks have surface water flows that sink beneath the

ground due to fissures and cavities in the underlying limestone formations and then

re-emerge some distance downstream. This is known as spatial intermittency.

flow generally occurs during and shortly after extreme precipitation or, in

other areas of the world, during snowmelt conditions. Ephemeral channels are not well

defined and are usually headwater or low-order (1–2) streams.

climate

area

shape and slope

orientation of the land

soil and geology

vegetation cover

Residual soils

include those

transported by gravity, wind or water. Florida’s soils were transported from other areas

and have been deposited over time to form its current, different soils.

soil.

Soil often determines which plants will establish a protective vegetative cover. Plants

also modify and develop soil. Plant roots create soil spaces and extract water and

minerals through their roots. Plant litter adds organic matter to soil. Plant litter slows

surface runoff and protects the soil surface from rainfall’s beating and the subsequent

puddling effects.

Grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees which  make up the major plant cover types which build up

organic litter and affect soil development. They usually develop under differing

climatic conditions and all are important to watershed management.

The canopy intercepts rain and reduces the force with

which it strikes the ground. The canopy and stems also reduce wind velocity.

When leaves and twigs fall, they produce litter, which decomposes and is eventually

incorporated into the soil. Shade and mulch formed by plant litter reduce evaporation

of soil moisture. Plant litter protects the soil surface, allows infiltration and slows down surface runoff.

Vegetation provides a physical barrier, slowing down the flow of runoff and providing

more time for it to infiltrate the soil. Stems and roots lead water into the ground. Roots

open up soil spaces for water retention and drainage and add organic materials to the

soil. They also help bind or hold the soil in place.

the soils, vegetation and human activities in a

watershed. Human activities include timber harvesting, livestock grazing, agriculture,

recreation and urban or industrial development.

Timber harvesting opens the canopy cover and reduces plant cover density. Timber

harvesting does not negatively affect a watershed if slope and soil are carefully

considered and plant cover rapidly restored. Best management practices (BMPs) are

followed in Florida to ensure consideration of soil and water resources during timber

harvest.

An increase in exotic plants has, in

part, caused decreased streamflows. Many exotics compete more successfully than

other vegetation for available moisture. This reduces groundcover and may cause

increased runoff and less infiltration to groundwater storage. In addition, some exotics

have high transpiration rates that leave less water for stream runoff as summer

progresses.

Domestic livestock tend to concentrate in specific areas when grazing. Concentrated

grazing impacts plant cover and soil. Grass cover is improved by removing some

annual growth, but productivity of the pasture is greatly reduced if overgrazing occurs.

Excessive trampling by grazing animals can contribute to soil compaction, accelerated

runoff and erosion problems.

Management of livestock and grazing wildlife species can enhance watershed values

but is limited by the carrying capacities of the land and the forage species it supports.

Management must consider timing, density and duration of animal use to capitalize on

the positive aspects of grazing. Generally, recovery does not occur if vegetation is

thinned to less than 70% of the natural cover.

Animal waste management should be used in all livestock practices. Any areas where

animals concentrate require waste management techniques. Concentration of animals

increases the waste found in an area. As an area is intensely used by livestock, the soil is

compacted and the land’s natural capacity to use the waste is reduced. The compacted

soils accelerate runoff, which contains fecal material.

Erosion by both wind and water may

remove the finer and more fertile soil particles, reducing land productivity. Crop and

grove production involves adding fertilizers and pesticides to crops which may run off

into natural water systems. Agricultural operations based on careful appraisal of soil,

slope and climatic conditions include erosion control and are compatible with

watershed management.

Many of Florida’s natural ecosystems are based on a “fire ecology.” They are firedependent,

meaning fire is used to maintain the vegetation necessary to the ecosystem.

Fire triggers many plant species to reproduce or seed and eliminates pest or invasive

species. Man uses fire as a conservation tool to maintain or restore altered ecosystems to

a viable functioning system.

It can reduce

available fuel and prevent more-destructive fires which generally happen where fire

has been suppressed for years. Fire thins understory seedlings that compete with larger

trees for available moisture.

Most of the water falling on a burned landscape is lost by rapid

runoff. Streams from burned watersheds at first carry a heavy load of salts dissolved

from ashes, floating debris and sediments. Water quality soon returns to normal, except

for sediment-laden high flows. These conditions may continue for several years until

the plant cover becomes re-established on the watershed.

Their actions

change watershed hydrology as well as damage cover. A beaver dam changes energy

flow in its immediate area by turning part of a stream environment into a pond or

swamp. If high beaver populations coincide with heavy livestock use, the results can be

devastating to streams. On the other hand, their dams can be beneficial as sediment

traps and fish habitat. Water held behind a beaver dam is released more slowly over a

longer period of time.

mining  is done by stripping off the surface soil and rock layers or by drilling tunnels into the earth to reach

minerals.With either method, quantities of waste material are left on the surrounding

land. This waste material is subject to erosion and dissolution, adding to the dissolved

sediment load of streams draining the mined area.

Drainage from mined areas

may contain toxic minerals or salts harmful to the aquatic habitat.

Communication and transportation development includes roads, railroads, airports,

power lines and pipelines. All of these involve disturbance of plant cover, soil and

topography. Road and highway networks, with their impermeable paving and rapid

drainage systems may radically change the runoff characteristics of their immediate

area. They also require changing the natural topography and drainage and moving

huge amounts of soil and rock. Often these networks are responsible for the discharge

of sediments and may become the source of other water pollutants. Railroads and

airports have similar effects. Power lines and pipelines require open paths through

watersheds and access roads for construction and maintenance.

Urban air pollution, especially photochemical smog caused by internal combustion

gasoline engine emissions and industrial smokes, contributes to acid rain. This has an

effect on vegetation, streams and lakes within watersheds, especially on the east coast

and in Canada. The problem continues to grow, however, and no place is immune to

the effects of acid rain

Flood control structures, dams, lined stream channels, dikes and levees to restrict the spread

of floodwaters and channel bed stabilization techniques are all installations that modify

channel capacity as well as the rate and volume of streamflow. All are the consequence of

human efforts to modify the watershed.

Impoundments, if shallow, allow water to warm and, if deep, preserve cooler water. As

streamflow peaks are reduced and low flows increased, streamflow generally becomes

more regular from season to season and year to year regardless of climatic variations.

These changes in streamflow may affect migratory, endangered and threatened species,

increase exotic invasives and otherwise alter the natural habitat of the region.

to maintain useful vegetative cover and soil

characteristics beneficial for good water quality

Land use planning

•

Zoning

•

Permitted and prohibited land uses or types of development

•

Restrictions on water use

•

Limitations and/or requirements on development

•

Pollution control

Minimum flows and levels

Special designations such as Outstanding Florida Waters, Heritage River

Identifying Wetlands

Water levels, soils, and vegetation provide clues toward identifying wetlands.

Along with the wetland
microbial content — the many “critters” that live in the water, soil and air — these
components create the conditions that determine the nature and functions of a
particular wetland.

Coastal wetlands include salt marshes and mangrove wetlands found along the
coastlines

.
• Freshwater wetlands comprise most of the wetlands in North America.

Is a Coastal Wetland

General Location: Open coast

Wetland Type: Shrub wetland, salt marsh,
mangrove swamp; exposed to
waves and currents from open
ocean or Gulf of Mexico

Is a coastal wetland

General Location: Estuaries (deltas, lagoons)

Wetland type: Brackish marsh, shrub wetland,
salt marsh, mangrove swamp;
usually partially enclosed by land

Is a freshwater wetland

general location: River channels and
floodplains

wetland type: Bottomlands, freshwater marsh,
delta marsh

Is a freshwater wetland

General Location: Lakes and deltas

wetland type: Freshwater marsh, shrub and
forest wetlands

Is a freshwater wetland

General Location: Ponds, peatlands, uplands,
groundwater seeps

wetland type: Ephemeral ponds, tundra,
peatland, groundwater spring
oasis, bogs; dominated by trees,
shrubs, persistent erect-rooted
plants