THE WETLANDS (EVERGLADES) BY JOHN CHIPP The everglades are a wetland ecosystem that stretches across 2 million acres. The everglades are a vast system of rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, mashes, swamps, and a few dry land places. It is a place where millions of migratory birds once flew to for the winter or on their way further south. It has one of the most diverse communities of animals in the country.

LOCATION The everglades stretches from central Florida al the way south to Florida Bay The everglades is located around the latitude and longitude of 30’,80’ Wetlands usually exist in low laying areas next to coastlines.

CLIMATOGRAMS

PLANTS One plant is the Cypress tree. An adaptation of this tree is that as it develops it needs water but as a mature tree it can live on either land or water. Another tree is the pond apple tree. An adaptation for this tree is that it has developed a way to produce large and bitter fruit for the animals to eat. a third plant species is the mangrove. It has adapted a vast root system that helps keep the soil from eroding and buffering the land from wind and rain. It does not tolerate the cold and is protected by the long arm of the law. Another plant that grows in the everglades is the pine tree. The pine tree is one of the tallest tree species. Finally the most abundant plant in all of the everglades is saw grass.

ANIMALS On animal that lives in the everglades is the Snail Kite. The Snail Kite has a very unusual adaptation in which exclusively eats the apple snail. the marsh rabbit is a common animal in the everglades. An adaptation of this rabbit is that it can swim. A third animal of the everglades is the American alligator. An adaptation of the American alligator is that it builds “alligator holes”, which are an important source of food and water for other animals in times of drought. Another animal that inhabits the everglades is the python. Now the python has made a few adaptations in this environment because the python is an invasive species in the everglades. Another animal that lives in the everglades is the West Indian Manatee. This Manatee is an endangered species.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT The most famous endangered species of the everglades is the panther. The panther population has dwindled down to about only 80 in the wild today. Great lengths have been gone to make sure that the panther is brought back. Including radio-tracking collars and introducing other panther strains into the gene pool.

HUMAN IMPACT There has been major human impact on the everglades. Much of the everglades has been drained for agricultural and residential purposes. This has caused a lot of the land that was once wet to become dry land. It has also decreased the number of mangroves, sea grass beds, fish and other native organisms. There is a project there is currently a Flood-Prevention project called the “Central and South Florida Project” in which canals were built to drain some of the everglades into the ocean. This project currently diverts around 1 billion gallons of water a day.

AUTHOR, DATE OF PUBLICATION, TITLE OF ARTICLE, WEB ADDRESS, DATE ACCESSED CITATIONS, “Everglades”, National Wildlife Federation, online, available, x, 10/8/ “Animals”, National Park Service, 09/08/2014, online, Available, 10/8/ “So You Want To Know More About Pants And Animals of the Everglades”, The Journey to Restore America’s Everglades, online, available,