8. Habitat & Species Enhancement & Restoration

Introduction

Upland, freshwater, and coastal ecosystems play an essential role in the cycling of nutrients through water, air, and soils. Changing land uses associated with farming and urbanization have reduced the capacity of natural systems to protect water quality. Declines in fish, shellfish, and bird populations fueled by habitat loss have further impacted the ability of natural ecosystems to process nutrients. Today, wetlands and upland forests comprise just 37% of the land in Sarasota County (SWFWMD 2017). Pastures, crops, and golf courses utilize 25%, while urban development accounts for the remaining 39% (Figure 8.1). Natural streams and wetlands have been both dredged and filled. As a result, freshwater that once percolated gradually into the ground now rushes to estuaries and bays, often carrying high nutrient loads. Infrastructure associated with drainage alterations is costly to install and maintain, degrades over time, and provides fewer ecosystem and economic services than natural ecosystems.

Atmospheric deposition, sewage, and synthetic fertilizer are among anthropogenic (manmade) sources of excessive nutrients to ecosystems. Increasing the nutrient processing or storage capacity of natural systems can mitigate these impacts. Solutions include enhancements to wetland and upland vegetation (see Chapter 8.1, Chapter 8.3, and Chapter 8.4), animal biomass (see Chapter 8.2), and soil (see Chapter 4.7).

Perhaps no solution to nutrient management provides greater community return on investment than protecting, restoring, and enhancing natural lands. Habitat protection and restoration can filter pollutants and increase nutrient uptake/storage, while providing food and shelter for fish and wildlife, reducing erosion, increasing resilience to sea level rise, mitigating climate change, supporting groundwater recharge, contributing to floodplain management and storm protection, increasing neighborhood property values (ULI 2018), increasing public open space, and contributing to better community health outcomes. Conserving uplands, enhancing tributary habitats, and restoring freshwater and coastal wetlands and wildlife are explicit management priorities of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership, of which Sarasota County Government, Municipalities, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and Florida Department of Environmental Protection are partners (see Chapter 9.2).