Big Cypress Swamp/Everglades

By: Kaydee Oliver

Location

•Big Cypress Swamp National Preserve 1923-729,000 acres- 1/3 of Big Cypress Swamp is Preserved

• Everglades National Park 1974- 1,506,539 acres- Third Largest Park in the United States

Big Cypress Swamp National Preserve

Epiphytes- common plant bromeliadsCypress Trees

•Deciduous Conifer• Most of the great cypress trees were logged in between 1930-1950’s • Known for being able to live in water logged soil

• Ponds, Sloughs, & Deep Woods are all components of the Swamp

• 50 inches of rain per year on average

Plant and WildlifeBig Cypress National Preserve

Florida Panther- Only 80 are believed to be living in the wild.

Other common animals: Black Bear, River Otter, Alligators

Bromeliads-”Air Plants” Palmettos

Birds200 species of birds year round

Plants

Common Loon Reddish Egret Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Everglades National Park• Estuaries, Lakes, Park also includes the Florida Bay

• Settlers called it the “River of Grass”

Sawgrass Marshes

Hardwood HammocksMangrove swamps

Plant and WildlifeEverglades National Park

•The Everglades are known Wading Birds there are 16 species that live in the area. A few of the species are: White Heron, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tri-colored Heron, Little Blue Heron, the White Ibis being the most common.

PlantsFerns, Orchids, some Small Cypress Trees, Sawgrasses

Animals

Environmental Problems/Threats to Big Cypress National Preserve & Everglades National Park

•Problems for Both Parks:#1 Problem HUMANS!!!! -Water Pollution - Changing Hydraulic Cycle ex. Building dams - Development - Invasive Species (Plant & Animal) - Endangered Species

•Big Cypress National Preserve - Preserve permits oil exploration and extraction, cattle grazing, hunting - Past logging

•Everglades National Park -Pythons - Everglades Restoration

Work Cited • http://www.shannontech.com/ParkVision/Everglades/Everglades.html• http://www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/everglades-national-park• http://www.nps.gov/bicy/index.htm• http://

www.eparks.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/florida_panther.asp