Microbial Biomass............... ...............52 Data Analysis............... ...............54 Re sults................... ..... ....... ........ ...... ...... ..... .......5 Soil Types, Soil Organic Matter, and Soil pH............... ...............55... Net Nitrogen Mineralization............... .............5 M icrobial Properties .............. ...............56.... Discussion ................. ...............57................. Conclusions............... ..............5 4 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VEGETATION AND SOIL CHARACTERISTICS IN WET LONGLEAF PINE FLATS ALONG FLORIDA' S GULF COAST ..........................67 Introducti on ............. ..... .._ ...............67.... Materials and Methods .............. ...............69.... Study Areas .............. ...............69.... Field M easurements............... ..............6 Soil Sampling and Preparation .............. ...............70.... Soil Chemical Analysis .............. ...............70.... Mineral Nitrogen Fluxes............... ....... ...........7 Bacterial Abundance and Microbial Dynamics............... ...............71 Experimental Design and Analysis .............. ...............73.... Re sults............... ....__ ..........__ .... .............7 Nitrifying Bacteria and Nitrogen Mineralization .............. ...............74.... Overstory .............. ...............75.... Understory .............. ...............75.... Discussion ........._ ....... ...............76.... Conclusions............... ..............7 5 MONITORING RESTORATION SUCCESS USING VEGETATION AND SOIL AS KEY INDICATORS: CASE STUDY OF A WET LONGLEAF PINE FLATS RESTORATION PROJECT ............_...... ...............85.... Introducti on ............. ...... ._ ...............85... Materials and Methods .............. .... ...............88.. Pt. Washington Restoration Site ............_...... ...............88.. Pine Survival and Growth .............. ...............90.... Vegetation Sampling .............. ...............90.... Reference Sites .............. .... ...............91.. Soil Sampling and Preparation .............. ...............91.... Data Analysis............... .. ... ............9 Pine survival and growth ............. ..... ._ ...............92.. Under story ................. ........... ...............92...... Biogeochemical indicators .............. ...............93.... Re sults ................. ............ .. ...............95...... Ecological Classification .................. ...............95................. Pine Growth and Vegetation Control .............. ...............96.... Treatment Effects-Biogeochemical Indicators ................ ............. ......... .......96