TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................... ii

LIST OF TABLES................... ................... ................... ..... ........v

LIST OF FIGURES................... .......................................... ........vii

ABSTRACT.................... ...... .................... ......... viii

CHAPTERS

 1 INTRODUCTION............... ..... ............... ......... ...1

 Background .................. ............... .. .......... .............
 Statement of the Problem ........... ............ .... .........4
 Objectives and Scope of Research..................................... 5

 2 EXPERIMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DETERMINING
 OPTIMUM ENZYME ASSAY CONDITIONS IN
 WETLAND SYSTEM S ... ...7... ......... .... ............7

 Introduction............. .. .............................7
 Materials and Methods........... ......... ............10
 Results.................. ................... ................... ......... 13
 Discussion ............. .............. ......... .......19
 Conclusions........... ..... .................22

 3 EFFECTS OF HABITAT DIFFERENTIATION ON MICROBIAL
 ENZYME ACTIVITIES IN THE EVERGLADES..................23

 Introduction................ ... .... ............ ............ 23
 Materials and Methods ................... ..........................28
 Results.................. ................... ................... ......... 32
 Discussion ............... .................. ....... ......45
 Conclusions........... ..... .................50