The Everglades is
Florida's Biggest Natural Resource
The 1.5 million acre Everglades National
Park in southern Florida seems to go on forever, and yet this
is less than half the size of the original Everglades region.
The historic Everglades ranged
from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay and covered around 3 million
acres. It was part of a larger wetlands area of more than 5 million
acres.
The region is formed by the flow
of water leaving Lake Okeechobee in the rainy season and making
its way towards Florida Bay.
Grassy Marshes
The distinctive symbol of the
Everglades is the sawgrass which covers much of this swampy,
sub-tropical region. The denseness of this grass is one reason
why the Everglades remained unexplored for much of the history
of the region.
However, in the md-19th century,
military forces went into the Everglades to roust out the Seminoles
who were living there. Once that had been done, the region was
available to be drained. When settlers arrived in the area at
the turn of the 20th century, they needed places to live. Reclaiming
some of the wetlands seemed a good idea, and the Everglades began
to shrink. As well as absorbing some of the land, the settlers
used and channeled the water, making the area shrink even more.
Protecting The Ecosystem
It was not until the mid-20th
century that people began to recognize how important the wetlands
ecosystem was, but compromises had to be made so that people
could maintain their existing lifestyles without causing further
damage to this fragile ecosystem. The 3 million acre historic
Everglades area is now divided into three areas: the Everglades
National Park, the Everglades Agricultural Area (1 million acres
used mainly for sugar cane cultivation) and a water conservation
area which stretches for 500,000 acres. Efforts also began to
repair the damage done by humans which destroyed some habitats
and polluted some of the water.
Endangered And Threatened Species
As well as the sawgrass marshes,
this area contains wet prairies, tropical hardwood hammocks,
cypress swamps, pinelands and mangrove forests. These ecosystems
are home to a wide range of plant and animal species, many of
them endangered or threatened. There are nine threatened species
(which may soon become endangered) living in the Everglades.
These are the loggerhead turtle,
Stock Island tree snail, American alligator, southern bald eagle,
peregrine falcon, piping plover and roseate tern. Some of the
14 endangered species living in the Everglades are the Florida
panther, West Indian manatee, leatherback turtle, green turtle,
American crocodile, wood stork, snail kite, red cockaded woodpecker,
seaside sparrow and Schaus swallowtail butterfly.
Restoration And Eco-Tourism
The restoration of the Everglades
is an ongoing project, but it has some challenges. Since human
intervention has changed some of the ecosystems, there are species
in the area that would not normally reside in a wetlands area.
Conservators need to take care not to exclude these species when
restoring the habitat for wetlands species. In the meantime,
the Everglades is Floridaís biggest eco-tourism destination,
with lots of adventures available for intrepid eco-tourists.
You can take a tram, bike or
boat through the ëriver of grassí to spot the wildlife
and find out more about this freshwater ecosystem. There are
trails for both walkers and paddlers, though you need to be prepared
for the insects. You can camp, fish or visit some of the nearby
attractions which are also protected areas. These include Biscayne
National Park, where you can view the reefs; Big Cypress National
Preserve, with a diverse plant and wildlife population; and Dry
Tortugas National Park, a cluster of islands with interesting
bird and marine life.
RITMO!® FLORIDA LATIN TROPICAL THEME DESTINATIONS
Miami * Ft. Lauderdale * Boca Raton * West Palm Beach * Daytona Beach * Cocoa Beach * Boynton Beach * Key West
Orlando * Naples * Tampa Bay * Sarasota * Jacksonville * Melbourne * Coral Springs * Hollywood * St. Petersburg * Miami Beach
Sanibel * Marco Island * Deerfield Beach * Clearwater * Vero Beach * Jupiter * Stuart * Delray Beach * Ponte Vedra Beach
