What is the ecology of the Everglades?

What is the ecology of the Everglades?

Salt-tolerant communities thrive in the varying salinity levels of the lowlands with a large number of succulents and other low-growing, desert-like plants. Freshwater sloughs (pronounced “slews”) are low-lying areas of land that help channel slow-moving marshy rivers through the Everglades and into Florida Bay.

What is the current problem in the Everglades?

Current threats related to reduced water flows, water pollution and shifting habitat are affecting the health of the site and the amount and quality of habitat. Some of these losses cannot be restored, as habitat features have taken decades to centuries to develop.

How much of the historical Everglades ecosystem remains today?

In sum, it is estimated that no more than two percent of the original Everglades ecosystem is truly intact. However, about 30 percent of this unit remains in an altered state that could be restored with proper management described below.

What dominates the ecosystem in the Everglades?

The Everglades are dominated by sawgrass in water; this is the titular “River of Grass” popularized by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1947. Though sawgrass remains the main feature of the Everglades, other ecosystems are scattered among the marshes and prairies, and their borders are sometimes imperceptible.

What are we doing today to protect the Everglades?

The key projects – such as reservoirs to store and treat Lake Okeechobee’s overflow and efforts to restore natural flows such as bridging the Tamiami Trail highway – will work together to achieve a lasting, comprehensive restoration for the Everglades.

How have the Everglades been affected by human activity?

Originally the Greater Everglades ecosystem had a large diversity of habitats connected by wetlands and water bodies. Since the 1800s, humans have been altering the Everglades landscape. Water diversions and flood control structures restrict the flow of water across the sensitive landscape.

How many ecosystems are in the Everglades?

While nine distinct habitats have been identified, the landscape remains dynamic. Ecosystems remain in a constant state of flux, subject to the effects of abiotic and biotic factors, like fire, invasive species, water, storms, and climate change.

What is the history of the Everglades?

With the rise of sea levels that occurred during the Pleistocene approximately 17,000 years ago, the runoff of water from Lake Okeechobee slowed and created the vast marshland that is now known as the Everglades. Slower runoff also created an accumulation of almost 18 feet (5.5 m) of peat in the area.

What are three ecosystems that can be found in the Everglades?

Select A Habitat To Learn More

• Hardwood Hammock. Dominated by broad-leaf trees, hardwood hammocks have the highest elevation in the Everglades, remaining dry in all but the wettest years.
• Pineland.
• Freshwater Marl Prairie.
• Freshwater Slough.
• Cypress.
• Coastal Lowland.
• Mangrove.
• Marine And Estuarine.

How many endangered species are in the Everglades?

In 2015, the National Park Service states there are 23 animal species in the Everglades on both lists – federally endangered and threatened. However, there are over 60 on just the threatened list.

Why are the Florida Everglades environmentally significant?

For example, the Everglades ecosystem provides drinking water for one-third of Floridians and irrigation for much of the state’s agriculture. The wetlands improve water quality by filtering out pollutants and absorbing excess nutrients, replenish aquifers, and reduce flooding.