HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CYPRESS WETLANDS IN COASTAL-REGION PINE FORESTS AND IMPACTS OF MANAGEMENT-PRACTICES

Hydrology for cypress pond/flatwood pine (CPFP) systems located in coa stal regions of the southeastern USA is a primary driving force influe ncing ecology, land development, and persistence of CPFP systems. Wate r budget analysis provides a means to quantify water entering, undergo ing storage in, and leaving such systems. Precipitation, evapotranspir ation, ground water, surface water and water storage in the vadose zon e represent the main components of CPFP water budgets. Precipitation i s considered the main water inflow component, and ET is the major path way of water consumption, with ground and surface waters being dynamic ally connected. Alternative silviculture management practices such as establishing unharvested buffer zones, and partial harvesting, should be tested in flatwood pine forests. However, field experiments involvi ng these alternative scenarios are costly and time-consuming. Mathemat ical models can be used to lessen the number of required field experim ents and to investigate important parameters and variables that most i nfluence this system. A need exists for multi-dimensional mathematical models to describe water flow and solute transport for transient flow in a variably saturated media, such as the model WETLANDS. These mode ls can be used to simulate the dynamic connection between free water i n ponds and subsurface water in surrounding flatwood forests. The mode ls should include temporal and spatial plant uptake of both water and solutes. This paper gives an overview of the hydrology of CPFP systems , along with current and alternative management practices utilized for these environments. This type of information is helpful for field hyd rologists, mathematical modelers working on such systems, and regulato ry agencies dealing with these environments.