Figure 1. J. N. “Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Charlotte and Lee Counties, Florida.

Figure 2. Habitat types of J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Figure 3. Islands surveyed on Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, 20-24 September 2004.

Figure 4. Islands surveyed on Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, 20-24 September 2004.

Figure 5. Locations of study sites for Hurricane Charley damage assessment, J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, 20-24 September 2004.

Figure 6. Depiction of the surface wind field of Hurricane Charley just prior to landfall near Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Analysis and graphic provided by NOAA's Hurricane Research Division of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Storm_pages/charley2004/wind.html). The eye of the hurricane is west of the arrow depicting the forward motion of the storm.

Figure 7. Aerial photograph of the breach at North Captiva Island. Graphic provided by the USGS Coastal & Marine Geology Program, Hurricane and Extreme Storm Impact Studies. Accessed November 2004 <http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/charley/index.html>.

Figure 8. Visually estimated open coastal high water levels during Hurricane Charley (based on unsurveyed estimates subject to change and corrections) August 24, 2004. Data and Figure provided to USGS by the Coastal High Water Study Team under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Figure 9. Visually estimated open coastal high water levels during Hurricane Charley (based on unsurveyed estimates subject to change and corrections) August 24, 2004. Data and Figure provided to USGS by the Coastal High Water Study Team under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Figure 10. Moderate damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, to mangrove habitat along Wildlife Drive, “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel, Florida, photographed 21 September 2004.

Figure 11. Severe damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, to mangrove habitat on the Shell Mound Trail, “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel, Florida, photographed 21 September 2004

Figure 12. Moderate damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, to upland live oak forests near “Legion Curve,” “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel, Florida, photographed 22 September 2004.

Figure 13. Seagrass beds at low tide along Wildlife Drive, “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel, Florida, photographed 21 September 2004. Twenty to 30 wading birds were foraging in the area.

Figure 14. Catastrophic damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, on the island edge (top) and interior (bottom) of Lumpkin Island, Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge, Lee County, Florida, photographed 23 September 2004.

Figure 15. Moderate damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, on Upper Bird Island (top), island edge (middle) and interior (bottom), Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge, Lee County, Florida, photographed 23 September 2004.

Figure 16. Moderate damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, on Givney Key: island edge (top) and interior (bottom), Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge, Lee County, Florida, photographed 23 September 2004.

Figure 17. Moderate damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, on Lower Bird Island, Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge, Lee County, Florida, photographed 23 September 2004. Loss of leaf cover occurred on about 50% of coverage.

Figure 18. Moderate damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, on Lower Bird Island: island edge (top - moderate), island edge (middle - mild), and island interior (bottom), Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge, Lee County, Florida, photographed 23 September 2004.

Figure 19. Catastrophic damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, on Bird Key: island edge (top, large snapped black mangrove is sprouting) and island interior (bottom), Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge, Lee County, Florida, photographed 24 September 2004.

Figure 20. Catastrophic damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, on Hemp Island, Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge, Lee County, Florida, photographed 24 September 2004. Large numbers of resting waterbirds had been using the island based on white wash and fecal matter on the ground.

Figure 21. Catastrophic damage from Hurricane Charley, 13 August 2004, on Hemp Island: island edge (top), rim (middle) and interior (bottom), Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge, Lee County, Florida, photographed 24 September 2004.

Figure 22. Wood Storks (3 of 11) leaving Hemp Island, Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge, Lee County, Florida, 24 September 2004.

Figure 23. Seagrass coverage of Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound, Florida, from 1999. Figure provided by FWRI.

Figure 24. Bathymetry of Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound, Florida. Figure provided by FWRI.

Figure 25. Sand inundation of seagrass bed at the breach on North Captiva Island, Florida, and scarring from trees dragged by the storm.

Figure 26. Relative abundance of manatees within the warm season (Mar.-Nov.) based on aerial surveys of Lee County, Florida, conducted 1994-1995 and 1997-1998. Analysis and Figure provided by FWRI.

Figure 27. Relative abundance of manatees within the cold season (Dec.-Feb.) based on aerial surveys of Lee County, Florida, conducted 1994-1995 and 1997-1998. Analysis and Figure provided by FWRI.

Figure 28. Manatee places and corridors for Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound, Florida. Analysis and figure provided by FWRI.

Figure 29. The Tarpon Bay Keys (red arrows), Florida, as depicted on topographic sheet T-693 from 1859 (left) and in a 1999 false color infra-red aerial photograph. The two images are not to equal scales.

Figure 30. The old and new of northern Pine Island Sound, Florida. Topographic sheet T-738 from 1859 (left) and a false color infra-red aerial photograph from 1999. Bird Key is located near the center of both images (red arrow). The two images are not to equal scale.

Figure 31. Comparison of the Shell Mound Trail area and West Impoundment area of J. N. “Ding” Darling NWR in 1859 (left) and 1999 (right), Florida. Lack of apparent shoreline change (red arrows) and apparent vegetation change (yellow arrows) are indicated. The two images are not to equal scale.

Figure 32. Evidence of human occupation of Hemp Island, Florida. A tip-up mound and pit reveal the existence of past Calusa habitation in the form of conch, clam, and whelk shells (left). The presence of lily and papaya plants indicate human occupation much after the Calusa habitation (right).

Figure 33. Two views of overwash deposits from Hurricane Charley. On the left is a close-up showing approximately 13 cm of sediment on Upper Bird Island. The right hand panel shows an overwash lobe of about 50 cm depth on Givney Island, Florida.

Figure 34. Levels of hurricane damage range from: (a) leaf burn from salt, (b) defoliation and branch loss, (c) some stem blown down, and (d) total canopy loss.

Figure 35. The ability to re-sprout following leaf and branch loss varies greatly among species. In general, species with a tropical origin have higher coppicing ability than do temperate species. These photographs were taken five weeks following Hurricane Charley. The red mangrove, a dominant species in the mangrove forests of Florida, lacks coppicing ability.

Figure 36. Advanced regeneration, i.e., the presence of seedlings and saplings (from seed banks) in a forest's understory is important to recovery following disturbance. It is abundant in some locations, such as Bird Key (left), and almost totally absent in other areas, such as Givney Key (right), Florida.

Figure 37. Tip-ups increase sediment micro-topography by creating mounds and pits: (a) live oak on Legion Curve area, (b) black mangrove on Bird Key, and (c) gum limbo on Hemp Island, Florida.

Figure 38. Tip-up mounds also provide places for species to regenerate and colonize. Here, non-mangrove plant species (yellow arrows) colonize a tip-up mound on Givney Key, Florida.

Figure 39. Proliferation of vines is common following disturbance. Nicker bean, a native species, grows on Hemp Island (left), while, air potato, and invasive exotic, spreads rapidly along Shell Mound Trail, Sanibel Island, Florida (right).

Figure 40. Nests of White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) in a Brazilian pepper tree on Hemp Island, Florida.

Figure 41. A dune swale freshwater marsh (left) and white-topped sedge (Rhyncospora latifolia) growing in the marsh (right, enlargement), Legion Curve area, Sanibel Island, Florida.

Figure 42. Water control structures along Powerline Road, Sanibel, Island, Florida. A structure (left, yellow arrow) on east side of the road that directs surface water from south to north. A partially collapsed culvert (right, yellow arrow) with water flowing from the Shell Mound Trail area to east under Powerline Road.

Figure 43. Sanibel-Captiva Conservaton Foundation mangrove plot 7 located west of Dixie-Beach Boulevard, Sanibel Island, Florida. The yellow arrows point to the pink paint used to mark the border of the plot.

Figure 44. Plot layout (in red) used by USGS for mangrove vegetation studies in coastal Everglades, Florida. From the permanent center stake, the distance and bearing () to each stem is recorded as well as the diameter breast height (DBH) and species.