Ecosystem

Ecosystem Structure, Function

Kimberly Henderson

Science/256

July 27, 2015

Stephanie Long

Abstract

The Florida Everglades, an Ecosystem

The Florida Everglades are located in the southern part of Florida and makes up the southern half of a large watershed. The Florida Everglades starts at or near the Orlando, Florida and connects with the Kissimmee River. The Kissimmee River empties into Lake Okeechobee. The Everglades gets its fair share of forest fires and flooding due it being shaped by fire and water. During the rainy season they experience a great deal of flooding and drought during the dry season. The Everglades are known for their sawgrass marshes which make up a complex of its ecosystem. The sawgrass marshes are a complex system of interdependent ecosystems that includes the vast amount cypress swamps, estuarine mangrove forests, tropical hardwoods hammocks, marine environment and pine rock island.

The Everglades received its first human contact habitats which dates back to over 15,000 years ago. The humans may have affected ecosystem in positive ways. The Humans built canals throughout the everglades the first half the century that they were there. With the many hurricanes that have come through the Everglades, in 1947 Congress formed the Central and Southern Flood Control District (CSFCD). The CSFCD had to rethink their plans and they built canals, levees, and dams there were over 1400 miles of water protection built. Much of the Florida Everglades were transformed into farmland in which much of the land was used for growing sugarcane.

The Florida Everglades ecosystem and function also helped in the development of plans for its management and restoration. The Everglades received international and National attention in 1970 for its ecosystem. The CSFCD officially began to restore the Everglades in 1980’s their first project was to remove a canal that helped straightened the Kissimmee River. With the straightening...