CONCEPTUAL EVALUATION OF FACTORS POTENTIALLY AFFECTING RESTORATION OFHABITAT STRUCTURE WITHIN THE CHANNELIZED KISSIMMEE RIVER ECOSYSTEM

A critical element of the ongoing effort to restore the ecological int egrity of Florida's Kissimmee River ecosystem is the reestablishment o f pre-channelization habitat structure and function. Restoration of ha bitat will form the basis for responses by most biological components of the ecosystem and will provide a key indicator of the success of th e restoration effort. This paper evaluates the relative importance of a range of abiotic and biotic habitat parameters in the existing and h istoric Kissimmee River ecosystem and provides a conceptual framework for predicting expected spatial and temporal responses of river and fl oodplain habitats to the restoration project. Among the ecological fac tors and processes that influenced the development, dynamics, and main tenance of river and floodplain habitat structure, hydrology is expect ed to be of central importance in eliciting restoration responses in t he Kissimmee River ecosystem. Based on the assumption that the restora tion plan will reestablish historic hydrologic characteristics, predic tions are made of expected responses by geomorphic and vegetative comp onents of the Kissimmee River's habitat structure. Recommendations are made regarding key habitat parameters requiring long-term tracking an d analysis and utilization of a geographic information system (GIS). A hierarchical habitat classification scheme is provided as a foundatio n for all components of the restoration evaluation program.