Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, South Florida/Caribbean CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a discretionary Cooperative Agreement opportunity from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Southeast Ecological Science Center (SESC), focused on improving science tools used to predict how global climate change and sea level rise may reshape coastal ecosystems in southern Florida, especially the Greater Everglades.

What is the main environmental problem this project is addressing?

The project targets how rising seas and climate-driven changes can shift coastal ecosystems from freshwater plant communities toward more brackish and marine-associated vegetation. It emphasizes that change can happen through both gradual saltwater intrusion and sudden storm-surge overwash events that carry saline water far inland.

Why are storm-surge overwash events important in this opportunity?

The opportunity highlights that episodic storm surges can cause abrupt "regime shifts" in vegetation. These events can rapidly increase salinity in inland soils and create conditions where salt-tolerant vegetation (such as mangroves) can expand into areas that historically supported salt-intolerant freshwater or upland communities (such as hardwood hammocks).

What is a "regime shift" in the context of this announcement?

In this context, a regime shift refers to a relatively abrupt change in ecosystem state, such as a transition from hammock or freshwater-dominated vegetation toward more salt-tolerant communities like mangroves, driven by sudden salinity changes associated with storm-surge overwash.

What model is being updated or expanded under this grant?

A key technical focus is updating and expanding an existing model used to study mangrove and hammock dynamics known as the MANHAM model (referenced in Sternberg et al. 2007 and Teh et al. 2008).

Why does USGS say the current MANHAM model needs improvement?

USGS notes that the current version is too simplified to capture key processes well. The grant is intended to support more realistic, process-based modeling improvements so projections of vegetation change under climate and sea level rise are more credible.

What has prior MANHAM work suggested about storm surge impacts?

Prior applications suggest that sharp increases in salinity in the vadose zone after storm-surge events can suppress growth of salinity-intolerant hammock trees. That suppression may allow mangroves to establish farther inland than would be expected from gradual sea level rise alone.

What is the vadose zone, and why does it matter here?

The vadose zone is the unsaturated soil layer above the water table. The announcement emphasizes it because post-storm salinity spikes in this zone can stress or suppress salt-intolerant plants, affecting competition and potential vegetation transitions.

What are the main research objectives described in the opportunity?

The announcement describes two overarching objectives: (1) modify and improve existing models (and develop new ones where needed) to better project climate-change impacts on coastal vegetation patterns and wildlife habitat, and (2) apply the USGS suite of ecological models developed under the Across Trophic Level System Simulation (ATLSS) Program under projected climate scenarios to estimate potential future habitat impacts.

What types of vegetation competition does the modeling need to represent?

The opportunity calls for improved representation of competition between freshwater (glycophytic) vegetation and salt-tolerant (halophytic) vegetation under sea level rise.

What specific MANHAM model enhancements are called out?

The announcement identifies several upgrades, including: simulating water and salinity movement through both the vadose zone and groundwater using multiple vertical layers; incorporating more realistic root distributions for freshwater and salt-tolerant plants; adding evaporative losses at the soil surface; improving how propagules and seeds disperse and how seedlings survive; and linking MANHAM to larger-scale groundwater models used in southern Florida (such as TIME).

Why does the opportunity emphasize multiple vertical layers in soil and groundwater simulation?

Using multiple vertical layers is intended to better represent real vertical flux and storage of water and salinity in the vadose zone and groundwater, which affects salt exposure and plant stress.

Why are root distributions important to include more realistically?

The announcement points out that root depth and density strongly influence water uptake and salt stress. More realistic root distributions for both freshwater and salt-tolerant plants are therefore important for modeling competition and survival under changing salinity.

What role does evaporation play in the modeling improvements?

Adding evaporative losses at the soil surface is identified as important because evaporation is a major control on salinity concentration near the surface, which can influence plant establishment and stress.

Why are propagule/seed dispersal and seedling survival specifically mentioned?

The announcement highlights dispersal and seedling survival because they are critical for forecasting vegetation migration and establishment, which determines how quickly and where vegetation communities may shift under climate and sea level rise.

What does it mean to link MANHAM to larger-scale groundwater models like TIME?

Linking MANHAM to regional groundwater models (such as TIME) is intended to make local vegetation dynamics consistent with broader regional hydrology and salinity conditions used in southern Florida modeling.

What is ATLSS, and how does it relate to this opportunity?

ATLSS stands for Across Trophic Level System Simulation. The opportunity calls for applying the USGS suite of ATLSS ecological models, which were originally developed to evaluate ecosystem outcomes associated with Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) needs.

What common framework do the ATLSS models use?

The ATLSS models share a common spatial framework integrating vegetation, topography, and land-use mapping so that physical processes (like hydrology) and biological responses can interact across the landscape.

What are SESI models?

SESI stands for Spatially Explicit Species Index. SESI models produce spatial indices of habitat suitability (such as for breeding and foraging) for selected species.

What is the spatial resolution used by SESI models in this announcement?

The announcement states that SESI indices are calculated for each 500 x 500 meter grid cell across the southern Florida landscape.

What inputs do SESI models combine?

SESI models combine high-resolution vegetation mapping with high-resolution hydrologic model output. They use hydrologic attributes relevant to each species to generate year-by-year scenario comparisons.

Why does this opportunity emphasize projected climate scenarios for the ecological models?

The announcement emphasizes climate scenarios because hydrologic inputs to these ecological models are driven by precipitation and temperature. Using projected climate scenarios helps estimate potential future impacts on habitat conditions.

Does the opportunity mention threatened or endangered species?

Yes. It notes that the modeling is relevant for threatened and endangered species that are sensitive to shifts in hydrologic timing and distribution.

What is the funding opportunity number and title?

The funding opportunity number is 10HQPA0075, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, South Florida/Caribbean CESU."

What type of award is this?

It is offered as a discretionary Cooperative Agreement.

What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is under CFDA 15.808, described as USGS Research and Data Collection.

How much funding is expected to be available?

The estimated total funding is $50,000.

How many awards are expected?

The announcement indicates one expected award.

Is cost-sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are partners in the South Florida/Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.

Why is eligibility limited to CESU partners?

The opportunity reflects the CESU structure as a partnership mechanism for research, technical assistance, and education, and limits eligibility accordingly to organizations within the relevant CESU network.

When was this opportunity posted?

The posting date listed is June 16, 2010.

What is the closing date for applications?

The current closing date listed is July 22, 2010. The announcement also lists an original closing date of June 28, 2010, indicating the deadline was extended.

Who is the contact for access issues?

The contact listed for access issues is Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

What geographic area is the work focused on?

The focus is on coastal ecosystems in southern Florida, with particular emphasis on the Greater Everglades.

What vegetation types are explicitly mentioned as examples in the announcement?

The announcement references salt-tolerant vegetation such as mangroves and salt-intolerant freshwater or upland communities such as hardwood hammocks.