Water budget and cost-effectiveness analysis of wetland restoration alternatives:a case study of Levy Prairie,Alachua County,Florida

摘要

A method was developed to utilize an airborne laser swath mapping-produced digital elevation model to evaluate and compare several restoration alternatives for the 660 ha Levy Prairie in north-central Florida.Detailed water budget analysis and a histogram of the elevation data points coupled with a level-pool assumption over the prairie basin allowed for determination of the hydroperiod on an areal basis.This analysis method facilitated comparison of restoration alternatives in terms of the restoration project objective to create permanently inundated conditions at water depths 0.15-0.61 m (for waterfowl)over greater than 50% of the prairie area within the first 5 years after construction.Construction costs were estimated and compared for each of the alternatives that attained the restoration objective,with the least cost project identified as the recommended alternative.