REGIONAL RESTORATION SUCCESS CRITERIA
The goal of restoration is a healthy, functioning ecosystem, not, in particular, to increase the production of any one species. Certain individual species, such as fishery species and wading birds, are used as success criteria here and throughout this document because time series of information are available mainly for these species. Their use as success measures is valid because they are widely accepted indices of the general health and productivity of the ecosystem. Holistic measures are more difficult to acquire and time series of this type of information are less available. The small amount of information of this type will be used.
o Reinstatement throughout the system of natural hydroperiods and sheet flow, as approximated by natural system models.
o Reestablishment of predrainage wading bird nesting colony locations and timing of nesting.
o No further wetland losses.
o Degraded wetlands restored.
o Wetland use permits stipulate requirements for enhanced hydrologic connectivity, water quality, and water storage in the South Florida wetland landscape.
o Improved recruitment of fishery and nonfishery species.
o Increased fish abundance and reinstatement of species in pre-disturbance locations.
o Reduction in body burdens of mercury in largemouth bass, alligators, panthers, and other top carnivores.
o Reduction in concentrations of known contaminants in canal surface sediments at locations SFWMD has been monitoring.
o Native landscape diversity increasing.
o Native faunal diversity increasing.
o Reduction in the prevalence of deformed fish in the estuaries.
o Reappearance of missing vegetative landscapes.
o Expanses of nutrient tolerant and exotic plant species reduced or eliminated.
o Periphyton community taxonomic composition characteristic of oligotrophic, natural hydroperiod systems.
o Increases in the populations of threatened and endangered species.
