WLC15 (Perugia, Italy September 1 -5, 2014): Call for Abstracts!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Dear Colleagues, The deadline for the Fifteenth World Lake Conference (WLC15) Abstracts Submission is about to expire (31st March 2014). I invite you to submit an abstract for oral and poster presentations to this session: Session Stream 8: Governance and Management Challenges: 1. Freshwater in South Florida and the Everglades: Multiple stressors at the Natural/Urban Interface. Selected contributions will be eligible for publication in renowned International Journals. For more details about the submission, please visit the following website: (WLC15 Conference Website): http://www.wlc15perugia.com/index.php/abstract-submission Below is the Session abstract written by convener Dr. Leonard Scinto. We look forward to your contribution! Freshwater in South Florida and the Everglades: Multiple stressors at the Natural/Urban Interface. Pre-development, low-lying, peninsular South Florida was once home to the > 1.1 million hectare Everglades that during the wet season would cover most of the area with shallow, slowly-flowing freshwater. In the last century South Florida has developed into a major urban area with a human population of approximately 9 million and a large and important agricultural industry. This development was made possible by large-scale hydrological modifications, including approx. 2500 km of canals and levees and hundreds of water control structures, which drained the land and diverted the water. Additionally, urban development was facilitated by the construction of approximately 17000 retention ponds and borrow-pits that dot the landscape as "urban lakes". Multiple demands/issues affecting the freshwater resources of South Florida include: irrigation, eutrophication, flood prevention, drinking water supply, and landscape aesthetics. On-going hydrologic restoration efforts are meant to restore and protect Everglades' ecosystems while simultaneously increasing the recharge to the unconfined, shallow Biscayne aquifer, the source of drinking water to approximately 3 million people. Presentations in this session will focus on the often competing demands on freshwater for natural and urban systems. Thank you... Leonard J. Scinto, Ph.D. Associate Director, Southeast Environmental Research Center and Assistant Professor, Department of Earth and Environment OE148 - SERC/FIU Florida International University 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami FL 33199 Office: 305-348-1965 Fax: 305-348-4096 [email protected]
