Everglades National Park (ENP) is a 5,569 km2 wetland consisting primarily of

marl forming wet prairies, sawgrass stands, freshwater sloughs, and mangrove stands at

the southern periphery. Marl forming prairies are characterized by the formation of

calcitic mud, especially in the southern regions. Surface water flow into Taylor Slough

originates at the S-332 structure at the southeastern side of the park. The overlying water

column at the enriched site contains less suspended organic matter, resulting in a clearer

profile when compared to the other enriched sites. Lower net primary productivity (NPP)

at the enriched site is manifested in decreased litterfall, as compared to the other

hydrologic units. Vegetative changes relating to nutrient input occur in a relatively short

distance from the canal inflow and is generally limited to the deeper slough region, less

than 50 meters in width. The reference site is characterized by dense periphyton and

epiphyton accompanied by spikerush. Sampling sites were located along a SFWMD

water quality monitoring transect designated as 0.5W, 1.5E, and Smeso for the enriched,

transitional, and reference sites, respectively (Newman et al., 2002).

Sampling

 Soil cores were obtained using a 10 cm thin-walled stainless steel corer on

12/14/2001, 5/18/2002, and 10/14/2002. Cores were collected in triplicate at each site.

The coring procedure involved pushing the coring apparatus through the soil layer to a

depth of approximately 30 cm. During insertion, a serrated metal knife was used to cut

around the perimeter of the corer to sever large roots and other plant matter. The top of

the core was sealed with a plastic cap allowing the core to be excavated from the soil

whole. The core was extruded and the benthic matter, defined as the unconsolidated or

pourable core fraction, was separated from the soil layer. The soil section was extruded