Sawgrass Lake Park

On October 14th we visited Sawgrass Lake Park and learned the differences between lake and pond ecosystems. Upon arrival we met some very active Moorhens and some Alligator Gars, along with a variety of different floating and rooted plants.

As we walked in further we ran into some worms nested up in a web eating away at the plants and a large variety of trees as well as a few uprooted trees by the recent storm creating a whole new type of ecosystem.

Upon arriving at the overlook by the Sawgrass Lake we learned that the lake has an outlet and that the most activity on the lake is by the shore line, and that's also where you'll find the largest variety of life.

As we left we got to see a red hawk fly down the path and land in a tree which made for a really cool ending to the trip.

Wall Springs Park

Last Friday's class met at Wall Springs park. Here we learned about Karst topography and it's results in Florida's geography. Bluffs, depression marshes and ponds, caves, sinks and springs are all results of Karst topography. All of these form when acidic water dissolves the limestone. We learned about the different categories of organisms that live in these types of ecosystems: troglobites (live entirely in cave), troglophiles (live both inside and outside of cave), and trogloxenes (only visit caves temporarily. Troglobites have adapted for these living conditions by having heightened chemosensory  as well as lacking pigmentation or sight, as it is not needed in these living conditions. Georgia blind salamanders are an example of troglobites. Bats are an example of troglophiles, with heightened hearing and smell for hunting, but lacking strong vision. Sunfish are trogloxenes, which do not spend much time in caves, but do visit them on occasion. We also covered the three types of sinks: wet, dry and solution. The difference between the three is that wet sinks are below ground water level, dry winds are above, and solution sinks are above the water table, but in an area where overflow water collects. Something I also learned was how more rainfall means less sinkholes. This is because the water that flows under the surface helps create pressure pushing the surface up. When it is dry, the surface is more likely to collapse inward. Wall Springs park is an estuary, since it connects with the gulf. Because of this, we observed some mangroves in areas, as well as crabs. Blue heron were in this ecosystem, since the water provided fish for them to eat. There were mullet fish we observed which are able to survive in the fresh water from the spring and algae for the fish to feed off of. A threat we observed was a Brazilian pepper plant which is an invasive species to this ecosystem.

 Here you can see a lot of emergent vegetation 

 This is the spring source

 Algae

Red mangrove

Wall's Springs and Anderson Park

On our visit to Wall Spring we learned about Karst topography and how it can create different underground systems. Springs are fed from underground aquifers that push out freshwater from within. If you look closely at the water surface you are able to see where that water is coming from because of the rippling of the surface. As the spring pushes out the freshwater it continues out until it meets the waterway that leads out to the ocean. The point where the fresh water meets the salt water is called brackish water. Salinity and temperature increases and the water becomes cloudy because of turbidity.

Spring water tends to be constant in more than one way: temperature, flow, and chemistry. These are kept constant because most of the water making up the spring comes from fast-flowing underground rivers. The pockets that create the openings for this moving water results from underground limestone that dissolves in acidic water.This reaction is what makes underground caves.  If an area that rests on top of these pockets becomes dried out and the water removed, sinkholes can form if the weight of the land caves in. At Anderson Park we got to see up close a sink hole that is connected to the ocean. It assumed that the water in this sinkhole is fresh until it meets its salt water counterpart somewhere underground in the river systems. The water is expected to be clear because there is nothing to disturb or nutrients to make the water cloudy.

It is very important that we do not treat these sinkholes as land fills because they are still part of the underground passage ways of our drinking water.

  the clear water from the spring

  feeding in the brackish water where there are more nutrients and organisms

 the pressure of the spring water releasing into the salt water

  a salt water thriving needle fish

  a young red mangrove and its prop roots (red mangroves have adapted to salt water)

  the sinkhole sitting in front of Lake Tarpon which it has been disconnected from in order to keep the lake fresh

Sawgrass Lake

On our trip to Sawgrass Lake we learned the differences and similarities of lakes and ponds as an ecosystem. Sawgrass qualifies as a lake because it is larger than 10 acres and size and has freshwater. It is a seepage lake which means it accumulates its water by groundwater and rainwater. There is no other source of flow of water. The only way that water leave the lake is through evaporation. Because this water only has one way out and does not circulate, any material or sediment in the lake has a long-residence time. Even though Sawgrass is freshwater, it has a pH of 6: this is due to the dead leave that fall in the water and they cause the slight acidity. Characterizing the lake as mesotrophic or eutrophic may take a little research because specie variety would need to be identified.

The shoreline was plentiful in emerged vegetation that thrive in the freshwater of the lake. Although there were trees surrounding the shore, there were no mangroves since they thrive in the salt water. Other trees are more adept to this environment and therefore do not allow mangroves to grow. There may be some submerged plants but because of the dark color of the lake it is hard to tell from the surface. However we do know that light will not penetrate very deep resulting in the restriction of photosynthesis. The other obvious plant life was floating plants. They sustain in this environment because they do not need to be attached to a foundation, and can float at the surface to receive the sunlight it needs to photosynthesize. 

This particular lake was threatened and disrupted by pollution from the firing range. This can cause chemical changes in the water that affect the plant and animal life that uses the lake for survival. Luckily the issue was corrected before too much damage was done. 

I look forward to visiting the lake again and to enjoy a stroll on the boardwalk and a visit up to the observatory tower.

  A group of white ibis birds grazing in the shoreline vegetation, 

These birds have adapted to this environment because of their long legs and lightweight bodies, 

they are able to walk effortless in the sunken mud of the lake shoreline. Their beaks also allow them 

to easily poke through the plants and water to feed. 

  

  Floating vegetation provides shelter for small fish and a food source for the birds.

  A soft shell turtle blending in with the floating vegetation.

  A tree that has fallen over exposing the soil and allowing new things to grow that would not have previously. This is referred to as a nurse log. 

  The American Alligator can be found in most lakes where they can hide in the murky water and go unnoticed. 

  A spotted alligator gar resting in the shallows. 

  A beautiful Red-shouldered hawk taking a rest in the shade of the canopy above.

Sawgrass Lake Park

The weather when we went to Sawgrass Lake Park was very comfortable. As we were walking on the path we saw a huge nurse log tree that had fallen over and had organisms growing on it. When we were near a small stream there was a big turtle along with a few juvenile alligators. As we continued on the path there was a very nice outlook by the lake. We saw some gars swimming by. Then we saw this huge 6 foot alligator with his whole head sticking out of the water. He kept it like that for at least 10-20 minutes. There are about 7800 bodies of water in Florida. Lakes are larger than 10 acres where ponds are smaller and less than 10 acres. They are usually fed by rainwater or groundwater and are about 7-20 feet deep. The more shallow waters have higher vegetation. The two lake types are Seepage and Drainage. Seepage lakes have no surface water outflow and are fed by rainwater or groundwater. Drainage lakes have surface water outflow so water comes both in and out. Drainage lakes also have short residency times for the water since it has an outflow. Height also plays an important factor. The lake we were observing was mesotrophic. The 3 lake characterizations deal with the amount of nutrients, diversity, and oxygen levels. Oligotrophic lakes have low levels of nutrients but lots of oxygen and are clear. Mesotrophic lakes are in the middle with moderate vegetation and nutrients. Eutrophic lakes have high levels of nutrients and lots of growth but low diversity. They also have limited oxygen because of so many organisms fighting over it. The 3 main zones in a lake ecosystem are the shoreline, euphotic, and benthic zones. The shoreline is the most productive with lots of diversity. It's usually about 0-5 feet deep and has more temperature fluctuations. The euphotic zone is the open water. There is no emergent vegetation in this zone. The only vegetation that there is here is free floating. The benthic zone is also called the dark zone. It's the deepest part and has no plants. There is low oxygen and no sunlight. The temperate is constant and it has a detrital food web. Lakes and ponds are good for drainage as well as helping regulate temperate. The threats to the ecosystem are humans, invasive species, climate change, and pollution from the gun range. The gun range is just a short distance away from the lake and lead from the range got into the water. The park was able to get them to change procedures but it's still a threat and hurts the ecosystem.

Sawgrass Lake Park

Last Friday (10/14/16), we took a stroll throughout Sawgrass Lake Park in St. Pete. The weather was around 80 degrees with a slight breeze! I learned the differences between lakes and ponds. Lakes are larger of the two. Majority of sinkhole lakes are located in Florida, that didn't surprise me one bit after hearing it!

Approaching the lake in Sawgrass Park, I was informed that the shoreline zone is the most productive of the three main zones. There is a lot more diversity in animals and lifeforms compared to the other two zones (euphotic and benthic).

The biggest threats to this ecosystem are: humans, climate change and lead (from the gun range next door to the park.)

The lake was contaminated by lead due to the shooting range behind the park. The restoration started in 2011 and was completed in 2015. Studies are still done to make sure the lake doesn't get contaminated again.

Walking up to the boardwalk literally took my breath away at how beautiful the view was! It seemed as if everything else around me had paused and I was just gazing at the beauty of the scenery.

Last Friday on October 14,2016, Our class went on a adventure to Saw grass lake park in St. Petersburg. In Pinellas county this park is along a shore line that is about a three hundred and thirty three acres of land, it plays a big role for a lot of water conservation. the lakes were helping keep the park feeling breezy. Most lakes temperature stay stable constantly through out the year. The lakes are ground and rainwater completely,  it is super beneficial for all the wild life. I was really surprised on how many turtles we saw even including the types. There were a lot of baby alligators which is super common in Florida,  they can be one of the most dangerous animal. I really like the way this park was designed, the layout is perfect for watching birds and long walks. I didnt see any floating plants at all, there were a lot of submerged and emerged plants. I saw most of the turtles were "chilling" in the emerged plants.