Destruction of the Everglades

By: Kennedy Blake and Nicole Vandelinder

• The Everglades are located on more than two million acres in Florida, originating near Orlando and following the Kissimmee River down to Florida Bay at the southern end of the state

• Everglades is the single-largest subtropical wetland ecosystem in the continent and is home to 67 threatened or endangered species.

Like many other bodies of water, for instance the Great Lakes, the Florida Everglades were created when vast amounts of water melted at the End of the Ice age. Roughly 5-6 thousand years ago. It thrived until the early 1900s, when rail travel brought American settlers into the land. Since then, humans have slowly been demolishing it limiting the natural flow of water needed to support this delicate ecosystem.

Since the 1900’s canals and dams have been built to drain the everglades in order to make room for agriculture and homes. This in turn interrupts the natural flow of water resulting in animal extinction and dry vegetation. It is being found that when we try to release the right amount of water and take control we are creating too much water in the wet areas and not enough in the dry. With the absence of summer floods drying up vegetation it has resulted in fires. Meanwhile, the reduced flow of freshwater into Florida Bay, which normally pushed back the sea water, suddenly allowed it to invade the Everglades. This saltwater intrusion affected drinking water and put many animals at risk.

Nutrient pollution, such as that coming from agricultural runoff and other fertilizers, allows for the growth of species that upset the balance of the ecosystem such as cattails, harmful algal blooms and duckweed.

The sulfur in this agricultural fertilizer, through a complex series of biological and chemical processes, leads to accumulations of toxic mercury in fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals, even in the endangered Florida panther.

The introduction of Phosphorus into the Everglades is slowly ruining the environment as we know it. Phosphorus does three major things to this ecosystem: Increases the size and amount of macrophytes, pollutes water, and makes for an environment that favors Cattails over Saw grass (Saw grass being native to the area.) These animals are getting bigger, but their ecosystem is being slowly drained of what it used to be."

• Released into the delicate ecosystem by people who purchased these animals from the animal trade. New species are taking over the already delicate ecosystem.

• Burmese python is further hurting the endangered species that live in the everglades since it feeds on many animals, even the crocodiles!

• Cuban tree frog is eating native frogs and displacing them out of their habitat.

• Purple swap hen is destroying vegetation and eating native insects.

• Melaleuca tree is displacing other trees and absorbing very large amounts of water.

Save the Everglades• Everyone must be held accountable if we

are going to save the Everglades. Companies who have created this issue need to be the primary ones to pay in fixing this issue. This is a very delicate ecosystem and the proper water flow needs to be restored.

• Many projects have been started to fix this issue already and proper continued planning and dedication of the people that rely on this water is a necessity.

• Animals cannot be released if they are not natives. This will only result in destruction and loss of already endangered species.

• Programs need to be put into place to educate people on how they can contribute to this cause with taxpayers money.