AN ECOSYSTEM VIEW OF THE RESTORATION OF THE KISSIMMEE RIVER

Restoration of the Kissimmee River and floodplain ultimately will invo lve restoring 70 km of river channel and riparian zone and 11,000 ha o f wetland over a period of two decades. Restoring ecosystem integrity is a crucial goal of the project, and the evaluation program is design ed to assess the success of this endeavor. Major components of the riv erine and floodplain ecosystem will be evaluated, guided by conceptual models of their structure and function. These studies will be referen ced to historic conditions of the past and to present-day conditions i n the channelized system. Enhanced connectivity and interactions betwe en the river and floodplain, the interplay of abiotic and biotic varia bles, and interactions between trophic levels will restructure the cha nnelized river and the largely drained floodplain that now exist. The key to evaluating the success of this ambitious project will be select ing measurements of the structure and function of the river and floodp lain ecosystems that are responsive to this large-scale manipulation. The timing and duration of floodplain inundation improved dissolved ox ygen conditions, germination and establishment of wetland vegetation, and enhancement and expansion of rheophilic benthic invertebrate popul ations are critical initial elements of restoration. Further expected outcomes are an increase in the primary productivity of the ecosystem, expansion of the fish community into the reopened channels and onto t he reflooded floodplain, and improved visitation and use by waterbirds in the restored regions. We highlight predictions of some of these ke y linkages and primary structural and functional attributes of the res tored river and floodplain that should be measured.