325

 lb/acre (448 kg/ha) as compared to 198 lb/acre (222 kg/ha)

 per year of crayfish production in Louisiana (Smitherman

 et al., 1967). Maximum measured crayfish biomass at

 Corkscrew was 52 lb/acre (58 kg/ha).

 Crayfish are the major prey species of White Ibis,

 Eudocimus albus (Kushlan and Kushlan, 1975), the most

 abundant species of wading bird in south Florida. The 1974

 breeding season was particularly successful for White Ibis

 in the area. A major nesting colony of the species was

 discovered in the Okaloacoochee Slough during flights over

 the area in September.




 Energy Implications of Concentration

 The concentration of energy increases its ability to

do work. The conversion of sunlight to sugars through

photosynthesis and the upgrading of energy quality in food

chains are natural processes of energy concentration which

occur in all ecosystems. In regions of expanding and

contracting wetlands such as are found in south Florida,

evaporation, an additional sun driven process, concentrates

the energy captured by photosynthesis in large areas. The

energy concentrated in such a system can do more work,

drive more biological processes, and develop higher orders

of structure than would be possible if the energy were

dilute.