fipr restoration workshop april 3, 2008 landscape restoration: insights and design principles gained...

FIPR Restoration Workshop

April 3, 2008

Landscape Restoration:

Insights and Design Principles Gained From 25 Years Of Co-Evolution Of Science, Industry, and

Regulation, Related to Florida’s Phosphate Mining

Mark T. Brown

Center for WetlandsDepartment of Environmental Engineering Sciences

University of Florida


April 3, 2008

OR:

The ecological engineering of

adaptive self-organization


April 3, 2008

Description of phosphate mining

Emergy evaluation of mining and reclamation

Quick photographic overview

25 years of Research

Organization of the lecture...


April 3, 2008

I. Phosphate Mining and Reclamation

Description, historical perspective, phosphate facts...


April 3, 2008

Overburden

Reclaimed Land

Clay Slime Pond

Superphosphate

OriginalEcosystem

Chemical Plant

BeneficiationPlant

Gypsum StackGranular CalciumPhosphate

Phosphates & Clays Clay Slimes

Overburden

Reclaimed Land

Clay Slime Pond

Superphosphate

OriginalEcosystem

Chemical Plant

BeneficiationPlant

Gypsum StackGranular CalciumPhosphate

Phosphates & Clays Clay Slimes


April 3, 2008

Main phosphate formation…the “bone valley”(1.3 million acres)

Secondary area of mining(50,000 acres)


April 3, 2008

Mining began in late 1800’s

Mined Peace River bottom

Until late 1930’s small scale - wide spread

Large scale mining began in 1950’s

Currently about 5000 acres /year are mined

Historical Perspective


April 3, 2008

Mined area to date………………….320,000 acres

Mining rate…………………...5 - 6,000 acres/yr

Total to be mined…….….700,000 acres

Investment in facilities………...$10 billion

Yearly wages…………………………….$300 million/yr

Taxes paid………………………………..$800 million/yr

Operating expenses (2001)

Equip and supplies……….$990 million

Electricity…………………….$100 million

Services………………………..$178 million

Phosphate mining facts...


April 3, 2008

Phosphate Mining vs Everglades Restoration

Phosphate Reclamation

Everglades Restoration

Total Area 0.7 million Acres 1.5 million acres

Total cost $3.6 billion $7.8 billion

Yearly Op. Costs $0.0 $182 million


April 3, 2008

II. Quick Photographic Overview


April 3, 2008


April 3, 2008

Emergy Evaluation of Phosphate Mining and

Reclamation


April 3, 2008

AcidH2O

PVegetationO. M.

gd.H2O

P

Rain P

PO5

CalciumCarbonate

Sun

Mining

3.8 E19 sej

6,000 Mt/ac

1.3 E22 sej

Transpiration

160 acres

AcidH2O

PVegetationO. M.

gd.H2O

P

Rain P

PO5

CalciumCarbonate

Sun

Mining

3.8 E19 sej

6,000 Mt/ac

1.3 E22 sej

Transpiration

160 acres

Systems View and Emergy of Mining


April 3, 2008

PlantMaterial

EarthMoving

Infor.Services

Spoil Structure

Soils

EcosystemsSun

(assumes 100 years) E 18 sej

160 acres

12.0

1.53.0 1.2

EcosystemServices

PlantMaterial

EarthMoving

Infor.Services

Spoil Structure

Soils

EcosystemsSun

(assumes 100 years) E 18 sej

160 acres

12.0

1.53.0 1.2

EcosystemServices

Emergy in Restoration...


April 3, 2008

.

AcidH2OPVegetation O. M.

gd.H2OP

RainP

PO5CalciumCarbonate

SunMining

3.8 E19 sej

6,000 Mt/ac1.3 E22 sej

Transpiration

160 acres

0 100 200 300 400 500

Years

Mining Occurs 3.0 E14 sej/ac/yr

3.0

1.5

0

Production withoutReclamationProduction with

Reclamation

.

AcidH2OPVegetation O. M.

gd.H2OP

RainP

PO5CalciumCarbonate

SunMining

3.8 E19 sej

6,000 Mt/ac1.3 E22 sej

Transpiration

160 acres

0 100 200 300 400 500

Years

Mining Occurs 3.0 E14 sej/ac/yr

3.0

1.5

0

Production withoutReclamationProduction with

Reclamation

Benefits of Restoration...


April 3, 2008

0 100 200 300 400 500Years

Mining Occurs 3.0 E14 sej/ac/yr3.0

1.5

0

Production withoutReclamationProduction withReclamation

Net Benefit of Reclamation:

Loss without Reclamation = 3.0 E14 sej/ ac/ yr * 160 ac * 500 yr * 0.5

= 12.0 E18 sej

Loss with Reclamation = 3.0 E14 sej/ ac/ yr * 160 ac * 100 yr * 0.5

= 2.4 E18 sej

Net benefit reclamation = 12.0 E18 sej - 2.4 E18 sej

= 9.6 E18 sej

PlantMaterial EarthMoving Infor.Services

Spoil StructureSoils

EcosystemsSun

(assumes 100 years) E 18 sej160 acres

12.0

1.53.0 1.2

EcosystemServices

0 100 200 300 400 500Years


1.5

0



Loss without Reclamation = 3.0 E14 sej/ ac/ yr * 160 ac * 500 yr * 0.5

= 12.0 E18 sej

Loss with Reclamation = 3.0 E14 sej/ ac/ yr * 160 ac * 100 yr * 0.5

= 2.4 E18 sej

Net benefit reclamation = 12.0 E18 sej - 2.4 E18 sej

= 9.6 E18 sej



EcosystemsSun


12.0

1.53.0 1.2

EcosystemServices

Benefits of Restoration...


April 3, 2008

0 100 200 300 400 500Years


1.5

0



Reclamation costs = 1.5 + 3.0 + 1.2 = 5.7E18 sej

Reclamation benefits = 9.6 E18 sej

Net benefit ratio = 9.6 / 5.7 = 1.68/ 1



EcosystemsSun


12.0

1.53.0 1.2

EcosystemServices

0 100 200 300 400 500Years


1.5

0



Reclamation costs = 1.5 + 3.0 + 1.2 = 5.7E18 sej

Reclamation benefits = 9.6 E18 sej

Net benefit ratio = 9.6 / 5.7 = 1.68/ 1



EcosystemsSun


12.0

1.53.0 1.2

EcosystemServices

Net Benefits Ratio...


April 3, 2008

III. Phosphate Mine Restoration Research

25 years of studying self organization at one level and contributing to it at

another...


April 3, 2008

No reclamation until 1975

1975 - 1980... “pushed dirt around”, planted 10% of area in trees, made lakes

Success criteria = “ hide evidence of mining”

1980 - 1985…required to reclaim wetlandsSuccess criteria = 400 trees/acre, 80% cover by desirable species, no visible erosion

1985-1995…wetland reclamation, type for typeSuccess criteria = more descriptive, but still counting.

1995- present…Success criteria = more prescriptive..with some numerical criteria

Historical Perspective…Reclamation


April 3, 2008

Studies of the Interaction of Phosphate Mining and

Wetlands

1979-1981

Cataloged wetland responses to mining

Evaluated wetland succession on clay settling areas

Studied wetland succession


April 3, 2008

Seed rain is significantly affected by distance...


April 3, 2008

Studies of succession on clay settling areas


April 3, 2008

Dry

Wet

Dry

Tree ring analysis suggested that growth rates taper off in about the 20th year, and that variable growth rates result from wet and dry years


April 3, 2008

Studies of a Method of Wetlands Reclamation Following Phosphate

Mining.

1981-1982

Study of the use of muck from “donor” wetlands as a innoculum for

constructed wetlands.


April 3, 2008

The first studies of “mucking”... ca 1981


April 3, 2008

Vegetation growth with differing amounts of applied muck


April 3, 2008

Wetland vegetation on mucked plots….


April 3, 2008

Relation of plant diversity to landscape diversity (standard deviation of 30 measures of elevation within each plot) .


April 3, 2008

Development of Techniques and Guidelines for the Reclamation of

Phosphate Mined Lands1982-1987

Studied the physical and biological characteristics of native Florida ecosystems….

Developed a handbook of restoration/construction

techniques...


April 3, 2008

Studies of Florida ecosystems lead to development of guidelines for constructing ecosystems on mined lands….


April 3, 2008

Studies of drainage basin morphology lead to a “cookbook” for creating functional watersheds….


April 3, 2008

0 1 2

kilometers

0 2 4

kilometers

High Relief Landscape….small area of wetlands

Low Relief Landscape….larger area of wetlands


April 3, 2008

Biogeomorphology of stream channels...

Headwaters - no defined stream channel, broad flow-way, large accumulations of organic soils.

Mid-reaches - more defined channel with moderate floodplain moderate accumulations of organic soils

Lower reaches - defined channel, large floodplain with natural levies, mineral soils with little or no organic matter.


April 3, 2008

Geomorphology of Florida ecosystems….


April 3, 2008

COMMUNITIES

UPLAND WETLAND

Xeric pine

Mesic hardwood

Flatwoods Lake fringe

Marsh Cypress dome

Bayhead Hardwood swamp

Number of transects 1 5 29 1 8 4 3 4 Hydrologic regime: Average distance from ground surface (cm): -80.4 -136.4 -75.8 - 44.5 6.8 -6.6 3.4 Range of fluctuation (maximum water level – minimum water level in cm): 46.0 195.8 149.0 - 171.6 169.3 84.0 89.2 Hydroperiod: Average depth of inundation (cm): 76.9 69.5 30.4 13.0 36.2 Percent time of inundation: 100 94.7 77.1 65.9 93.6

COMMUNITIES

UPLAND WETLAND

Xeric pine

Mesic hardwood

Flatwoods Lake fringe

Marsh Cypress dome

Bayhead Hardwood swamp

Number of transects 1 5 29 1 8 4 3 4 Hydrologic regime: Average distance from ground surface (cm): -80.4 -136.4 -75.8 - 44.5 6.8 -6.6 3.4 Range of fluctuation (maximum water level – minimum water level in cm): 46.0 195.8 149.0 - 171.6 169.3 84.0 89.2 Hydroperiod: Average depth of inundation (cm): 76.9 69.5 30.4 13.0 36.2 Percent time of inundation: 100 94.7 77.1 65.9 93.6

Hydrologic regime and hydroperiod of Florida ecosystems


April 3, 2008

COMMUNITIES UPLAND WETLAND

Xeric

pine Mesic

hardwood Flatwoods Lake

fringe Marsh Cypress dome Bayhead Hardwood

swamp Number

of transects

9 11 30 2 7 6 4 11

Overall Basal Area (m2/ha):

15.73 21.96 13.97 65.72 6.27 35.66 27.68 38.89

Overall Density (stems > 5 cm DBH/ha): 589.7 471.7 553.2 1239.4 308.8 1809.2 1183.2 1290.3

Species Richness (number of tree species/transect): 2.8 5.1 3.0 8.5 5.4 7.2 6.8 13.5

Species Diversity (Shannon-Weaver Index): 0.36 1.33 0.71 2.30 0.94 1.08 1.92 2.07

COMMUNITIES UPLAND WETLAND

Xeric

pine Mesic

hardwood Flatwoods Lake

fringe Marsh Cypress dome Bayhead Hardwood

swamp Number

of transects

9 11 30 2 7 6 4 11

Overall Basal Area (m2/ha):

15.73 21.96 13.97 65.72 6.27 35.66 27.68 38.89

Overall Density (stems > 5 cm DBH/ha): 589.7 471.7 553.2 1239.4 308.8 1809.2 1183.2 1290.3

Species Richness (number of tree species/transect): 2.8 5.1 3.0 8.5 5.4 7.2 6.8 13.5

Species Diversity (Shannon-Weaver Index): 0.36 1.33 0.71 2.30 0.94 1.08 1.92 2.07

Vegetative characteristics of Florida ecosystems...


April 3, 2008

Range of hydrologic variation in Florida ecosystems...


April 3, 2008

Study sites used to compare naturally “reclaimed” ecosystems

Naturally Reclaimed Ecosystems


April 3, 2008

Ecosystems that develop on mined lands are SOMEWHAT SIMILAR (about 60%) to ecosystems that develop on abandoned agricultural lands..


April 3, 2008

Integrated landscape approach to reclamation design….


April 3, 2008


April 3, 2008

Snags provide bird perches…. The seed rain below perches was from 50 to 100 times that found in areas without perches.


April 3, 2008

Successional Trajectories and Nuisance Species in

Wetlands1994-2000

Studied the role of “nuisance species”

Evaluated the function of micro-topographic relief


April 3, 2008

Classical Succession… beginning w/ annuals… ending w/ long lived, climax species...


April 3, 2008

Nuisance Species

&

Nutrient storage…

PHOSPHORUS


April 3, 2008

Nuisance Species

&

Nutrient storage…

NITROGEN


April 3, 2008

Soils develop with age but depend on:

vegetative cover…

hydrologic regime

Soils….


April 3, 2008

Simulation model of Pioneer Species…


April 3, 2008

Simulation Results w/ Early Successional Species

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 25 49 73 97 121 145 169

Years

% of Maximum

Climax Species

Organic Matter

Soil Nutrients

Pioneer Species

Simulation Results w/ Early Successional Species

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 25 49 73 97 121 145 169

Years

% of Maximum

Climax Species

Organic Matter

Soil Nutrients

Pioneer Species

Simulation Results w/out Early Successional Species

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 25 49 73 97 121 145 169

Years

% of Maximum

Climax Species

Organic Matter

Soil Nutrients

Simulation Results w/out Early Successional Species

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 25 49 73 97 121 145 169

Years

% of Maximum

Climax Species

Organic Matter

Soil Nutrients

Simulation results…


April 3, 2008

Thank You…Questions?

fipr restoration workshop april 3, 2008 landscape restoration: insights and design principles gained...

Documents

fipr restoration workshop

benefits of restoration

restoration research

landscape restoration

emergy of mining slide

wetland succession slide

historical perspective

phosphate mining facts