Everglades Research Paper

The River of Grass and Its Hopes of Survival
The Everglades is a National Park in south Florida that is a 1.5 million acre preserve for all kinds of life. Also, known as the river of grass, this sawgrass filled river is home to many different animal species. However, with all the life in the Everglades, there are a great number of factors contributing to the onslaught of the Everglades. The Everglades and its flora and fauna are suffering and need to be restored before they are destroyed. For starters, the Everglades is the home to many species that need to be preserved so they do not go extinct. The Everglades is home to many endangered species such as the Florida panther, manatees, plants, the American Alligator, American Crocodile, sea
Invasive species effect the Everglades by coming in and destroying the life of plants and animals. The Asian swamp eel is a great example of how a species can destroy a plethora of living organisms. “The Asian Swamp Eel is invading the Everglades and wreaking havoc on the wildlife, the eel swarms prey such as the endangered Florida Crocodile by swimming up to prey and opening its jagged toothed mouth and biting bits and pieces of other animals till death” (Daerr). This is just one of many deadly invasive species in the Everglades. The Asian swamp eel has not always been in the Everglades, originating from Asia the eel came over the Florida’s warmer water and rivers. It then made its way into the Everglades and begin to feed on the natural life in the Everglades. Humans have not attempted to get rid of the eel despite the damage it has already caused. The America alligator only has thousands of its species left and the eel is not helping them grow any larger. Also over half of the eggs laid by an alligator will never reach adulthood. The Eel is a factor in the Alligators population. All the species indigenous to the Everglades are in constant battle with the eel and will continue to be until it is stopped. Also, in 2002 Army Corps of Engineers permitted 10 mining companies allowing them to mine the natural limestone. (Whiteman). These open
Development of land in and around the Everglades will be detrimental to this natural wonder. “To continue to allow development in surrounding areas would have undermined the $11 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan--the largest and most ambitious wetland restoration project ever attempted” (Whiteman). This plan is said to take 30-40 years and will require a lot of time, effort, and money. This plan could bring back the species that have lost countless of their kind. It will also help keep the Everglades well and going for many years to come. “Roads, motorways, railway lines, commercial ports and marinas, ski stations, hydroelectric power stations, the cutting down of forests, extensive monocultures, mining, hunting, wildlife collecting, pollution, etc., all contribute to this loss of biodiversity” (Camarasa). Biodiversity is the variety of life in an ecosystem. With decreased biodiversity plants and animals of every species are effected. The food chain goes the sun gives energy to plants, plants give energy to the insects, the insects give energy to small game, and small game give energy to the big game. If species at the bottom or top of the food chain becomes lesser or greater each chaining organism will be effected by starvation or over population. All the factors listed are caused by human activity and if society simply cut down on the urbanization of the Everglades, the