The Everglades of Florida
Jan 21, 2016
The Everglades of Florida
Wetlands are areas of standing water with aquatic plants Marshes, swamps and bogs are all considered
wetlands Wetlands have the highest species diversity of all
ecosystemsThe wetlands are home to many species such as
amphibians, reptiles, birds and furbearersNot all wetlands are freshwater ecosystems
because there are ecosystems, like salt marshes. These saltwater ecosystems are also home of other species.
very diverse flora and fauna 2000 different kinds of
plants including the pinelands and the mangroves
The Everglades consist of several habitats: mangrove swamp, tropical hardwood hammocks, pinelands, tree islands, freshwater marshes and coastal estuary
this biome with its habitats allows a huge biodiversity and an unique ecosystem
The Florida EvergladesFlora
The Fauna The Everglades are the only
region in the world where alligators and the endangered crocodiles live in the same place
The National Park is the only place in the U.S.A. where wild flamingos live
350 birds, 300 different fish, 40 species of mammals and 50 species of reptiles live there
the Florida panther is a rare species, brought near to extinction by the loss of habitat
Environmental Problems The water of the Everglades comes from the Lake
Okeechobee In the 1940‘s the building of canals and draining for the
agriculture startedToday about 50% of the original Everglades are lost to
agriculture, the rest is mostly protected by the National Park and other parks
The water of the Everglades is used as a water supply for Miami and other cities which is a big environmental problem because the water is indispensable to life for the ecosystem
This is, in fact the most threatening problem because lower water levels reduce the population of species like fish and snails, that other species need to feed, and disturb the whole food web
Environmental Problems continued36 threatened or protected species live in the Everglades
National ParkPollution through fertilizers and mercury are also a threatBecause of the increasing drought and lower water level
there is also a higher chance for drought firesThe Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
was first authorized in 1948 and intends to solve the listed environmental problems of the Everglades
It includes more than 60 points, will take more than 30 years to construct and will cost more than $7.8 billion dollars
This is the biggest environmental project in the U.S. history
Food Web of the Florida Everglades
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/wetlandsgallery.php
http://www.scientific-art.com/GIF%20files/Natural%20history/Everweb.jpg
Sourceshttp://forestencyclopedia.net/p/p269http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0214223/bhflorafauna.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades_National_Park