ANHINGA bird EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK FL Kalamazoo MI vtg 1985 VTG Postcard A52 For Sale

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ANHINGA bird EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK FL Kalamazoo MI vtg 1985 VTG Postcard A52:
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Everglades National Parkis an Americannational parkthat protects the southern twenty percent of the originalEvergladesinFlorida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east of theMississippi River. An average of one million people visit the park each year.[5]Everglades is the third-largest national park in thecontiguous United StatesafterDeath ValleyandYellowstone.UNESCOdeclared theEverglades & Dry Tortugas Biosphere Reservein 1976 and listed the park as aWorld Heritage Sitein 1979, and theRamsar Conventionincluded the park on its list ofWetlands of International Importancein 1987. Everglades is one of only three locations in the world to appear on all three lists.[6]

Most national parks preserve unique geographic features; Everglades National Park was the first created to protect a fragileecosystem. The Everglades are a network of wetlands and forests fed by a river flowing 0.25 miles (0.40km) per day out ofLake Okeechobee, southwest intoFlorida Bay.[7]The park is the most significant breeding ground for tropicalwading birdsin North America and contains the largestmangroveecosystem in the Western Hemisphere.[8]Thirty-sixthreatenedor protected species inhabit the park, including theFlorida panther, theAmerican crocodile, and theWest Indian manatee, along with 350species of birds, 300species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40species of mammals, and 50species of reptiles.[9]The majority ofSouth Florida\'s fresh water, which is stored in theBiscayne Aquifer, is recharged in the park.[10]

Humans have lived for thousands of years in or around the Everglades. Plans arose in 1882 to drain the wetlands and develop the land for agricultural and residential use. As the 20th century progressed, water flow from Lake Okeechobee was increasingly controlled and diverted to enable explosive growth of theMiami metropolitan area. The park was established in 1934, to protect the quickly vanishing Everglades, and dedicated in 1947, as major canal-building projects were initiated across South Florida. The ecosystems in Everglades National Park have suffered significantly from human activity, andrestoration of the Evergladesis a politically charged issue in South Florida.

Everglades National Park covers 1,508,976 acres (2,357.8sqmi; 6,106.6km2), throughoutDade,Monroe, andColliercounties in Florida, at the southern tip of theAtlantic coastal plain.[2]The elevation typically ranges from 0 to 8 feet (2.4m) abovesea level, but aCalusa-builtshell moundon theGulf Coastrises 20 feet (6.1m) above sea level.

The terrain of South Florida is relatively and consistently flat. Thelimestonethat underlies the Everglades is integral to the diverse ecosystems within the park. Florida was once part of the African portion of the supercontinentGondwana. After it separated, conditions allowed a shallow marine environment to depositcalcium carbonatein sand, shells, and coral to be converted into limestone.[11]Tiny bits of shell, sand, andbryozoanscompressed over multiple layers forming structures in the limestone calledooids, which created permeable conditions that hold water.[12]

The Florida peninsula appeared above sea level between 100,000 and 150,000years ago. As sea levels rose at the end of theWisconsin ice age, thewater tableappeared closer to land. Lake Okeechobee began to flood, and convection thunderstorms were created.[13]Vastpeatdeposits south of Lake Okeechobee indicate that regular flooding had occurred about 5,000 years ago. Plants began to migrate, subtropical ones from the northern part of Florida, and tropicals carried as seeds by birds from islands in theCaribbean.[14]The limestone shelf appears to be flat, but there are slight rises—called pinnacles—and depressions caused by the erosion of limestone by the acidic properties of the water. The amount of time throughout the year that water is present in a location in the Everglades determines the type of soil, of which there only two in the Everglades: peat, created by many years of decomposing plant matter, andmarl, the result of driedperiphyton, or chunks of algae and microorganisms that create a grayish mud. Portions of the Everglades that remain flooded for more than nine months out of the year are usually covered by peat. Areas that are flooded for six months or less are covered by marl. Plant communities are determined by the type of soil and the amount of water present.[15][16]

According to theKöppen climate classificationsystem, Royal Palm at Everglades National Park has atropical monsoon climate(Am). Summers are long, hot, and very wet and winters are warm and dry.

While they are common in the northern portion ofFlorida, no undergroundspringsfeed water into the Everglades system. An underground reservoir called theFloridan aquiferlies about 1,000 feet (300m) below the surface ofSouth Florida.[19]The Everglades has an immense capacity for water storage, owing to the permeable limestone beneath the exposed land. Most of the water arrives in the form of rainfall, and a significant amount is stored in the limestone. Water evaporating from the Everglades becomes rain over metropolitan areas, providing the fresh water supply for the region. Water also flows into the park after falling as rain to the north onto the watersheds of theKissimmee Riverand other sources of Lake Okeechobee, to appear in the Everglades days later. Water overflows Lake Okeechobee into a river 40 to 70 miles (64 to 113km) wide, which moves almost article:Geography and ecology of the Everglades

At the turn of the 20th century, common concepts of what should be protected in national parks invariably included formidable geologic features like mountains, geysers, or canyons. As Florida\'s population began to grow significantly and urban areas near the Everglades were developed, proponents of the park\'s establishment faced difficulty in persuading the federal government and the people of Florida that the subtle and constantly shifting ecosystems in the Everglades were just as worthy of protection.[21]When the park was established in 1947, it became the first area within the U.S. to protect flora and fauna native to a region as opposed to geologic scenery.[22]The National Park Service recognizes nine distinct interdependent ecosystems within the park that constantly shift in size owing to the amount of water present and other environmental factors.

Freshwatersloughsare perhaps the most common ecosystem associated with Everglades National Park. These drainage channels are characterized by low-lying areas covered in fresh water, flowing at an almost imperceptible 100 feet (30m) per day.[23]Shark River SloughandTaylor Sloughare significant features of the park.Sawgrassgrowing to a height of 6 feet (1.8m) or more, and broad-leafed marsh plants, are so prominent in this region that they gave the Everglades its nickname\"River of Grass\", cemented in the public imagination in the title forMarjory Stoneman Douglas\'s book (1947), which culminated years of her advocacy for considering the Everglades ecosystem as more than a \"swamp\". Excellent feeding locations for birds, sloughs in the Everglades attract a great variety of waders such asherons,egrets,roseate spoonbills(Platalea ajaja),ibisesandbrown pelicans(Pelecanus occidentalis), as well aslimpkins(Aramus guarauna) andsnail kitesthat eatapple snails, which in turn feed on the sawgrass. The sloughs\' availability of fish, amphibians, and young birds attract a variety of freshwater turtles,alligator(Alligator mississippiensis),water moccasin(Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti), andeastern diamondback rattlesnake(Crotalus adamanteus).[24]

Freshwatermarl prairiesare similar to sloughs but lack the slow movement of surface water; instead, water seeps through a calcitic mud calledmarl.Algaeand other microscopic organisms formperiphyton, which attaches to limestone. When it dries it turns into a gray mud.[25]Sawgrass and other water plants grow shorter in freshwater marl than they do inpeat, the other type of soil in the Everglades which is found where water remains present longer throughout the year. Marl prairies are usually under water from three to seven months of the year, whereas sloughs may remain submerged for longer than nine months and sometimes remain under water from one year to the next. Sawgrass may dominate sloughs, creating amonoculture. Other grasses, such as muhly grass (Muhlenbergia sericea) and broad-leafed water plants can be found in marl prairies.[26]Animals living in the freshwater sloughs also inhabit marl prairies. Marl prairies may go dry in some parts of the year; alligators play a vital role in maintaining life in remote parts of the Everglades by burrowing in the mud during the dry season, creating pools of water where fish and amphibians survive from one year to the next. Alligator holes also attract other animals who congregate to feed on smaller prey. When the region floods again during the wet season, the fish and amphibians which were sustained in the alligator holes then repopulate freshwater marl prairies.[27]

Hammocksare often the only dry land within the park. They rise several inches above the grass-covered river and are dominated by diverse plant life consisting of subtropical and tropical trees, such as large southern live oaks (Quercus virginiana). Trees often formcanopiesunder which animals thrive amongst scrub bushes of wild coffee (Psychotria), white indigoberry (Randia aculeata), poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum) and saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). The park features thousands of these tree islands amid sloughs—which often form the shape of a teardrop when seen from above (see park map) because of the slowly moving water around them—but they can also be found in pineland and mangroves. Trees in the Everglades, including wild tamarind (Lysiloma latisiliquum) and gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba), rarely grow higher than 50 feet (15m) because of wind, fire, and climate.[28][29]

The plant growth around the hammock base is nearly impenetrable; beneath the canopy hammocks is an ideal habitat for animals. Reptiles (such as various species of snake andanole) and amphibians (such as theAmerican green tree frog,Hyla cinerea), live in the hardwood hammocks. Birds such asbarred owls(Strix varia),woodpeckers,northern cardinals(Cardinalis cardinalis), andsouthern bald eagles(Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus) nest in hammock trees. Mammal species living in hardwood hammocks includeFlorida black bears(Ursus americanus floridanus),red foxes(Vulpes vulpes),minks(Neogale vison),marsh rabbits(Sylvilagus palustris),gray foxes(Urocyon cinereoargenteus),white-tailed deer(Odocoileus virginianus), and the rare,critically endangeredFlorida panther(Puma concolor couguar).[28]

Miami-Dade Countywas once covered in 186,000 acres (290.6sqmi; 752.7km2) ofpine rocklandforests, but most of it was harvested by (or pine rocklands) are characterized by shallow, dry sandyloamover a limestonesubstratecovered almost exclusively by slash pines (Pinus elliottiivar. densa). Trees in this ecosystem grow insolution holes, where the soft limestone has worn away and filled with soil, allowing plants to take hold.[31]Pinelands require regular maintenance by fire to ensure their existence. South Florida slash pines are uniquely adapted to promote fire by dropping a large amount of dried pine needles and shedding dry bark. Pine cones require heat from fires to open, allowing seeds to disperse and take hold. The trunks and roots of slash pines are resistant to fire.Prescribed burnsin these areas take place every three to seven years; without regular fires, hardwood trees begin to grow in this region, and pinelands become recategorized as mixed swamp forests.[32]Most plants in the area bloom about 16 weeks after a fire.[33]Nearly all pinelands have an understory of palm shrubs and a diverse ground covering of wild herbs.[32]

Pine rocklands are considered one of the most threatened habitats in Florida; less than 4,000 acres (6.3sqmi; 16.2km2) of pineland exist outside the park.[34]Within the park, 20,000 acres (31.3sqmi; 80.9km2) of pineland are protected.[35]A variety of animal species meet their needs for food, shelter, nesting, and rooking in pine rocklands. Woodpeckers,eastern meadowlarks(Sturnella magna),loggerhead shrikes(Lanius ludovicianus),grackles, andnorthern mockingbirds(Mimus polyglottos) are commonly found in pinelands. Black bears and Florida panthers also live in this habitat.[32]

Cypresstrees areconifersthat are adapted to live in standing fresh water. They grow in compact structures called cypress domes and in long strands over limestone. Water levels may fluctuate dramatically around cypress domes and strands, so cypresses develop \"knees\" that protrude from the water at high levels to provide oxygen for the root systems. Dwarf cypress trees grow in drier areas with poorer soil.Epiphytes, such asbromeliads, Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides),orchidsand ferns grow on the branches and trunks of cypress trees. Everglades National Park features twenty-five species of orchids.[36]Tall cypress trees provide excellent nesting areas for birds includingwild turkey(Meleagris gallopavo), ibis, herons, egrets,anhingas(Anhinga anhinga), andbelted kingfisher(Megaceryle alcyon). Mammals in cypress regions include white-tailed deer, squirrels,raccoons,opossums, skunks, swamp rabbits,river otters(Lontra canadensis), andbobcats, as well as small rodents.[37][38]

Mangrovetrees cover the coastlines of South Florida, sometimes growing inland depending on the amount of salt water present within the Everglades ecosystems. During drier years when less fresh water flows to the coast, mangroves will appear among fresh water plants. When rain is abundant, sawgrass and other fresh water plants may be found closer to the coast. Three species of mangrove trees—red (Rhizophora mangle), black (Avicennia germinans), and white (Laguncularia racemosa)—can be found in the Everglades. With a high tolerance of salt water, winds, extreme tides, high temperatures, and muddy soils, mangrove trees are uniquely adapted to extreme conditions. They act as nurseries for many marine and bird species. They are also Florida\'s first defense against the destructive forces of hurricanes, absorbing flood waters and preventingcoastal erosion.[39]The mangrove system in Everglades National Park is the largest continuous system of mangroves in the world.[40]

Within theFlorida mangrovesystems live 220species of fish, and a variety of crabs,crayfish, shrimp,mollusks, and otherinvertebrates, which serve as the main source of food for many birds.[41]Dozens of bird species use mangroves as nurseries and food stores, includingpelicans,grebes,tricolored herons(Egretta tricolor),gulls,terns, hawks and kites, and arboreal birds likemangrove cuckoos(Coccyzus minor),yellow warblers(Dendroica petechia), andwhite-crowned pigeons(Patagioenas leucocephala).[42]The mangroves also support 24species of amphibians and reptiles, and 18species of mammals, including the endangeredgreen turtle(Chelonia mydas),hawksbill turtle(Eretmochelys imbricata), andWest Indian manatee(Trichechus manatus).[43]

Coastal lowlands, or wet prairies, are salt water marshes that absorb marine water when it gets high or fresh water when rains are heavy. Floods occur during hurricane and tropicalstorm surgeswhen ocean water can rise several feet over the land.[44]Heavy wet seasons also cause floods when rain from the north flows into the Everglades. Few trees can survive in the conditions of this region, but salt, brackish water, and desert conditions. Animal life in this zone is dependent upon the amount of water present, but commonly found animals includeCape Sable seaside sparrow(Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis),Everglades snail kite(Rostrhamus sociabilis),wood stork(Mycteria americana),eastern indigo snake(Drymarchon couperi), and small mammals such as rats, mice, and rabbits.[45]

The largest body of water within the park isFlorida Bay, which extends from the mangrove swamps of the mainland\'s southern tip to theFlorida Keys. Over 800 square miles (2,100km2) of marine ecosystem lies in this range.Coral,sponges, andseagrassesserve as shelter and food forcrustaceansandmollusks, which in turn are the primary food source for larger marine animals. Sharks,stingrays, andbarracudasalso live in this ecosystem. Pelicans,shorebirds, terns, andblack skimmers(Rynchops niger) are among the birds frequenting park shorelines.[46]The bay also has its own resident population ofbottlenose dolphin(Tursiops truncatus).[47]

The bay\'s many basins are broken up bysandbanksthat serve as plentifulrecreational fishinggrounds forsnook(Centropomus undecimalis),redfish(Sciaenops ocellatus),spotted seatrout(Cynoscion nebulosus),tarpon(Megaflops atlanticus),bonefish(Albula vulpes), andpermit(Trichinous falcatus),[48]as well assnapper(Lutjanus campechanus),bluegill(Lepomis macrochirus), andbass.[49]Wading birds such asroseate spoonbills(Platalea ajaja),reddish egrets(Egretta rufescens), andgreat white herons(Ardea herodias occidentalis) have unique subpopulations that are largely restricted to Florida Bay.[50]Other bird species includebald eagles,cormorants, andospreys. Mammals along the shoreline includeraccoons,opossums,bobcats, andfox squirrels.[51]

Humans likely first inhabited the South Florida region 10,000 to 20,000years ago.[52]Two tribes ofNative Americansdeveloped on the peninsula\'s southern tip: theTequestalived on the eastern side and theCalusa, greater in numbers, on the western side. The Everglades served as a natural boundary between them. The Tequesta lived in a single large community near the mouth of theMiami River, while the Calusa lived in 30villages. Both groups traveled through the Everglades but rarely lived within them, remaining mostly along the coast.[52]

The diets of both groups consisted mostly ofshellfishand fish, small mammals, game, and wild plants. Having access only to soft limestone, most of the tools fashioned by Native Americans in the region were made of shell, bone, wood, and animal teeth; shark teeth were used as cutting blades,[53]and sharpened reeds became arrows and spears.[54]Shell moundsstill exist today within the park, of the raw materials available to the indigenous people for tool construction. Spanish explorers estimated the number of Tequesta at first contact to be around 800, and Calusa at 2,000; the National Park Service reports there were probably about 20,000 natives living in or near the Everglades when the Spanish established contact in the late 16th century.[55]The Calusa lived insocial strataand were able to createcanals,earthworks, andshellworks. The Calusa were also able to resist Spanish attempts at conquest.[53]

The Spanish had contact with these societies and established missions further north, nearLake Okeechobee. In the 18th century, invadingCreeksincorporated the dwindling numbers of the Tequesta into their own. Neither the Tequesta nor Calusa tribe existed by 1800.[56]Disease, warfare, and capture for slavery were the reasons for the eradication of both groups. The only evidence of their existence within the park boundaries is a series of shell mounds that were built by the Calusa.[57]

In the early 19th century,Creeks, escaped African slaves, and other Indians from northern Florida displaced by theCreek War, formed the area\'sSeminolenation. After the end of theSeminole Warsin 1842, the Seminoles faced relocation toIndian territorynearOklahoma. A few hundred Seminole hunters and scouts settled within what is todayBig Cypress National Preserve, to escape the forced emigration to the west.[58]From 1859 to about 1930, the Seminoles andMiccosukee, a similar but linguistically unique tribe, lived in relative isolation, making their living by trading. In 1928, surveying and construction began on theTamiami Trail, along the northern border of Everglades National Park. The road bisected the Everglades, introducing a steady, if small, traffic of white settlers into the Everglades.[59]

Some members of the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes continue to live within park boundaries. Management of the park includes approval of new policies and procedures by tribal representatives \"in such a manner that they do not conflict with the park purpose\".[60]

Following the end of theSeminole Wars, Americans began settling at isolated points along the coast in what is now the park, from theTen Thousand IslandstoCape Sable. Communities developed on the two largest pieces of dry ground in the area, onChokoloskee Islandand atFlamingoon Cape Sable, both of which established post offices in the early 1890s.[61]Chokoloskee Island is a shell mound, amiddenbuilt roughly 20feet (6m) high over thousands of years of occupation by the Calusa. The settlements in Chokoloskee and Flamingo served as trading centers for small populations of farmers, fishermen, and charcoal burners settled in the Ten Thousand Islands. Both settlements and the more isolated homesteads could only be reached by boat until well into the 20th century.Everglades City, on the mainland near Chokoloskee, enjoyed a brief period of prosperity when, beginning in 1920, it served as the headquarters for the construction of theTamiami Trail. A dirt road fromFlorida Cityreached Flamingo in 1922, while acausewayfinally connected Chokoloskee to the mainland\'s Everglades City in 1956.[62][63]

After the park was established, private property in the Flamingo area was claimed byeminent domain, and the site was incorporated into the park as a visitor center.[61]

Several attempts were made to drain and develop the Everglades in the 1880s. The first canals built in the Everglades did little harm to the ecosystem, as they were unable to drain much of it.[64]Napoleon Bonaparte Browardbased the majority of his 1904 campaign for governor on how drainage would create \"The Empire of the Everglades\".[65]Broward ordered the drainage that took place between 1905 and 1910, and it was successful enough that land developers sold tracts for $30 per acre, settling the town ofDavie, and developing regions inLeeand Dade counties. The canals also cleared water that made way for agricultural fields growingsugarcane.[66][67]

In the 1920s, a population boom in South Florida created theFlorida land boom, which was described by author Michael Grunwald as \"insanity\".[68]Land was sold before any homes or structures were built on it and in some cases before any plans for construction were in place. New landowners, eager to make good on their investments, hastily constructed homes and small towns on recently drained land. Mangrove trees on the coasts were taken down for better views and replaced with shallow-rooted palm trees. TheU.S. Army Corps of Engineersbegan construction on larger canals to control the rising waters in the Everglades. Nevertheless, Lake Okeechobee continued to rise and fall, the region was covered with rain, and city planners continued to battle the water. The1926 Miami Hurricanecaused Lake Okeechobeeleveesto fail; hundreds of people south of the lake drowned. Two years later, the1928 Okeechobee Hurricaneclaimed 2,500lives when Lake Okeechobee once again surged over its levees. Politicians who declared the Everglades uninhabitable were silenced when a four-story wall, theHerbert Hoover Dike, was built around Lake Okeechobee. This wall effectively cut off the water source from the Everglades.[69]

Following the wall\'s construction, South Florida endured a drought severe enough to cause serious wildfires in 1939. The influx of humans had a detrimental effect on the plants and animals of the region when melaleuca trees (Melaleuca quinquenervia) were introduced to help with drainage, along withAustralian pinesbrought in by developers aswindbreaks. The region\'s timber was devastated for lumber supplies. Alligators, birds, frogs, and fish were hunted on a large scale. Entire rookeries of wading birds were shot to collect their plumes, which were used in women\'s hats in the early 20th century.[70]The largest impact people had on the region was the diversion of water away from the Everglades. Canals were deepened and widened, and water levels fell dramatically, causing chaos infood webs.[71]Salt water replaced fresh water in the canals, and by 1997 scientists noticed that salt water was seeping into the Biscayne Aquifer, South Florida\'s water source.[72]

In the 1940s,Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a freelance writer and former reporter forThe Miami Herald, began to research the Everglades for an assignment about theMiami River. She studied the land and water for five years and publishedThe Everglades: River of Grassin 1947, describing the area in great detail, including a chapter on its disappearance. She wrote: \"What had been a river of grass and sweet water that had given meaning and life and uniqueness to this enormous geography through centuries in which man had no place here was made, in one chaotic gesture of greed and ignorance and folly, a river of fire.\"[73]The book has sold 500,000 copies since its publication, and Douglas\'s continued dedication to ecology conservation earned her the nicknames \"Grand Dame of the Everglades\", \"Grandmother of the Everglades\" and \"the anti-Christ\" for her singular focus at the expense of some political interests.[74]She founded and served as president for an organization called Friends of the Everglades, initially intended to protest the construction of a proposed Big Cypress jetport in 1968. Successful in that confrontation, the organization has grown to over 4,000 members, committed to the preservation of the Everglades.[75]She wrote and spoke about the importance of the Everglades until her death at age 108 in 1998.

Floridians hoping to preserve at least part of the Everglades began to express their concern over diminishing resources in the early 20th century.Royal Palm State Parkwas created in 1916 and protected Paradise Key; it included several trails and a visitor center several miles fromHomestead. Miami-based naturalists first proposed that the area become a national park in 1923. Five years later, the Florida state legislature established the Tropical Everglades National Park Commission to study the formation of a protected area.[76]The commission was led byErnest F. Coe, a land developer turned conservationist, who was eventually nicknamed Father of Everglades National Park.[77]Coe\'s original plan for the park included more than 2,000,000 acres (3,125.0sqmi; 8,093.7km2) includingKey LargoandBig Cypress, and his unwillingness to compromise almost prevented the park\'s creation. Various other interests, including land developers and sport hunters, demanded that the size of the park be decreased.[76]

The commission was also tasked with proposing a method to raise the money to purchase the land.[78]The search coincided with the arrival of theGreat Depressionin the United States, and money for land purchase was scarce.[79]TheU.S. House of Representativesauthorized the creation of the new national park on May 30, 1934, but the Act (HR 2837),[80]which permanently reserved lands donated by public or private donation as wilderness, passed only with a rider that ensured no money would be allotted to the project for at least five years.[78]Coe\'s passion andU.S. SenatorSpessard Holland\'s politicking helped to fully establish the park, after Holland was able to negotiate 1,300,000 acres (2,031.2sqmi; 5,260.9km2) of the park, leaving out Big Cypress, Key Largo, theTurner River area, and a 22,000-acre (34.4sqmi; 89.0km2) tract of land called \"The Hole in the Donut\" that was too highly valued for agriculture.Miami Heraldeditor John Pennekamp was instrumental in pushing the Florida Legislature to raise $2million to purchase the private land inside the park boundaries.[81]It was dedicated by PresidentHarry Trumanon December 6, 1947, one month after Marjory Stoneman Douglas\'s bookThe Everglades: River of Grasswas released.[82]The same year, several tropical storms struck South Florida, prompting the construction of 1,400 miles (2,300km) of canals, sending water unwanted by farmers and residents to the ocean.[79]

TheCentral and Southern Florida Flood Control Project(C&SF) was authorized by Congress to construct more than one thousand miles of canals and flood control structures across South Florida. The C&SF, run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, established an agricultural area directly south of Lake Okeechobee, and three water conservation areas, all bordered by canals that diverted excess water either to urban areas or into the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico or Florida Bay. South of these manmade regions was Everglades National Park, which had been effectively cut off from its water supply. By the 1960s, the park was visibly suffering. The C&SF was directed to provide enough water to sustain the park; it did not follow through.[83]A proposed airport that would havedire environmental effectson Everglades National Park became the center of a battle that helped to initiate the environmental movement into local and national politics. The airport proposal was eventually abandoned, and in 1972 a bill was introduced to curb development in South Florida and ensure the national park would receive the amount of water it needed. Efforts turned to repairing the damage wrought by decades of mismanagement: the Army Corps of Engineers changed its focus in 1990 from constructing dams and canals to constructing \"purely environmental projects\".[84]

Regions originally included in Ernest Coe\'s vision for a national park were slowly added over the years to the park or incorporated into other protected areas:Biscayne National Park,Big Cypress National Preserve,John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Parkon Key Largo,Ten Thousand IslandsNational Wildlife Refuge, andFlorida Keys National Marine Sanctuarywere all protected after the park\'s opening in 1947. Everglades National Park was designated anInternational Biosphere Reserveon October 26, 1976. On November 10, 1978, 1,296,500 acres (2,025.8sqmi; 5,246.7km2), about 86% of the park, was declared awilderness area. It was renamed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness in 1997.[2]It was listed as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Siteon October 24, 1979, and as aWetland of International Importanceon June 4, 1987.[5]It was placed on theList of World Heritage in Dangerfrom 1993 until 2007 and then again in 2010.[85]The park was added again due to the continued degradation of the set causing significant indications of eutrophication (for example algal blooms) negatively impacting the marine life causing the US government to request UNESCO and IUCN for assistance in development.[86]

PresidentGeorge H. W. Bushsigned the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act on December 13, 1989, that added 109,506 acres (171.1sqmi; 443.2km2) to the eastern side of the park, closed the park toairboats, directed the Department of the Army to restore water to improve the ecosystems within Everglades National Park, and \"Direct(ed) theSecretary of the Interiorto manage the Park in order to maintain the natural abundance, diversity, and ecological integrity of native plants and animals, as well as the behavior of native animals, as part of their ecosystem.\"[87]Bush remarked in his statement when signing the act, \"Through this legislation that river of grass may now be restored to its natural flow of water\".[88]

In 2000,Congressapproved theComprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan(CERP), a federal effort to restore the Everglades with the objectives of \"restoration, preservation and protection of the south Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region\",[89]and claiming to be the largest environmental restoration in history. It was a controversial plan; detractors worried that it \"relies on uncertain technologies, overlooks water quality, subsidizes damaging growth and delays its environmental benefits\".[90]Supporters of the plan included theNational Audubon Society, who were accused by Friends of the Everglades and the Biodiversity Legal Foundation of prioritizing agricultural and business interests.[90]

CERP projects are designed to capture 1.7billion US gallons (6,400,000m3) of fresh water every day, store it in underground reservoirs, and release the water to areas within 16counties in South Florida. Approximately 35,600 acres (55.6sqmi; 144.1km2) of man-made wetlands are to be constructed to confine contaminated water before it is released to the Everglades, and 240 miles (390km) of canals that divert water away from the Everglades are to be destroyed.[91]During the first five years of implementation, CERP was responsible for the purchase of 207,000 acres (323.4sqmi; 837.7km2) of land at a cost of $1billion. The plan aims to spend $10.5billion over 30years, combining 50 different projects and giving them 5-year timelines.[92]

Everglades National Park was directly hit by HurricanesKatrina,Wilma, andRitain 2005. Such storms are a natural part of the park\'s ecosystem; 1960\'sHurricane Donnaleft nothing in the mangroves but \"standing dead snags\" several miles wide, but 30years later the area had completely recovered.[23]Predictably, what suffered the most in the park from the 2005 hurricanes were man-made structures. In 2009 the visitor center and lodge at Flamingo were irreparably damaged by 125mph (201km/h) winds and an 8ft (2.4m)storm surge; the lodge had been functioning for 50 years when it was torn down; nothing is slated to replace it.[93]

Everglades National Park reported in 2005 a budget of over $28million. Of that, $14.8million was granted from the National Park Service and $13.5million from various sources including CERP, donations, and other grants.[94]The entry fee for private vehicles in 2021 is $30. Of the nearly one million visitors to Everglades National Park in 2006, more than 38,000 were overnight campers, paying $16 a night or $10 a night for backcountry permits.[95]Visitors spent $2.6 million[94]within the park and $48million in local economies.[96]More than 900jobs were sustained or created within or by the park, and the park added value of $35million to local economies.[96]

Everglades National Park has had 19 superintendents since it was dedicated in 1947. The park\'s first superintendent, Daniel Beard (1947-1958), was also its longest-serving. After Superintendent Beard, Warren F. Hamilton served between 1958 and 1963, followed by Stanley C. Joseph (1963-1966), Roger W. Allin (1966-1968), John C. Raftery (1968-1970), Joseph Brown (1970-1971), Jack E. Stark (1971-1976), John M. Good (1976-1980), John M. Morehead (1980-1986), Marueen E. Finnerty (Acting Superintendent, 1986), Michael V. Finley (1986-1989), Robert L. Arnberger (Acting Superintendent, 1989), Robert S. Chandler (1989-1992), Dick Ring (1992-2000), Marueen E. Finnerty (2000-2003), Dan Kimball (2004-2014), Shawn Benge (Acting Superintendent, 2014), Bob Krumenaker (Acting Superintendent, 2014-2015), and finally Pedro Ramos, who was appointed in 2015 and continues to serve.[97][98][99][100]

The park was placed into Administrative Region I in 1937, when the regions were first established. Region I was retitled the Southeast Region in 1962, which was restructured into the Southeast Area in 1995.[101]The reorganized unified Interior regions put it in the new Region 2.[102]

The busiest season for visitors is from December to March, when temperatures are lowest and mosquitoes are least active. The park features five visitor centers: on the Tamiami Trail (part ofU.S. Route 41) directly west of Miami is theShark ValleyVisitor Center. A fifteen-mile (24km) round trip path leads from this center to a two-story observation tower. Tram tours are available during the busy season. Closest toHomesteadon State Road 9336 is theErnest F. Coe Visitor Center, where a 38-mile (61km) road begins, winding through pine rockland, cypress, freshwater marl prairie, coastal prairie, and mangrove ecosystems. Various hiking trails are accessible from the road, which runs to theFlamingo Visitor Centerand marina, open and staffed during the busier time of the year. TheGulf Coast Visitor Centeris closest toEverglades CityonState Road 29along the west coast. The Gulf Coast Visitor Center gives canoers access to theWilderness Waterway, a 99-mile (160km) canoe trail that extends to the Flamingo Visitor Center.[103]The formerRoyal Palm State Parkwas the site of the first Everglades National Park visitor center and later became theRoyal Palm Visitor Centerwithin the park.[104]The western coast of the park and theTen Thousand Islandsand the various key islands in Florida Bay are accessible only by boat.

Several walking trails in the park vary in hiking difficulty on Pine Island, where visitors can cross hardwood hammocks, pinelands, and freshwater sloughs. Starting at the Royal Palm Visitor Center, the Anhinga Trail is a half-mile self-guided tour through a sawgrass marsh where visitors can see alligators, marsh and wading birds, turtles, and bromeliads. Its proximity to Homestead and its accessibility make it one of the most visited sites in the park. The nearby Gumbo Limbo Trail is also self-guided, at half-mile long. It loops through a canopy of hardwood hammocks that include gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba), royal palms (Roystonea), strangler figs (Ficus aurea), and a variety of epiphytes.[105]

Twenty-eight miles (45km) of trails start near the Long Pine Key campgrounds and wind through Long Pine Key, well-suited foroffroad cyclingthrough the pine rocklands in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness Area. Two boardwalks allow visitors to walk through a cypress forest at Pa-Hay-O-Kee, which also features a two-story overlook, and another at Mahogany Hammock (referring toSwietenia mahagoni) that takes hikers through a dense forest in the middle of a freshwater marl prairie.[106]Closer to Flamingo, more rugged trails take visitors through mangrove swamps, along Florida Bay. Christian Point Trail, SnakeBightTrail, Rowdy Bend Trail and Coastal Prairie Trail allow viewing of shorebirds and wading birds among the mangroves. Portions of the trails may be impassable depending on the time of year, because of mosquitoes and water levels. Ranger-led tours take place in the busier season only.[107]

Camping is available year-round in Everglades National Park. Camping with some services is available at Long Pine Key, close to the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, where 108sites are accessible by car. Near Flamingo, 234campsites with some services are also available.Recreational vehiclecamping is available at these sites, but not with all necessary services. Back-country permits are required for campsites along the Wilderness Waterway, Gulf Coast sites, and sites in the various keys. Several back-country sites arechickees; others are beach and ground sites.[108]

Low-powered motorboats are allowed in the park; the majority of salt water areas areno-wake zonesto protect manatees and other marine animals from harm.Jet skis, airboats, and other motorized personal watercraft are prohibited. Many trails allow kayaks and canoes. A state license is required for fishing. Fresh water licenses are not sold in the park, but a salt water license may be available. Swimming is not recommended within the park boundaries; water moccasins, snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina), alligators, and crocodiles thrive in fresh water. Sharks, barracuda, and sharp dangerous coral are plentiful in salt water. Visibility is low in both salt water and fresh water areas.[109]

Everglades National Park is an important part of theGreat Florida Birding Trail.[110]It has great biodiversity and many species of birds for bird watching and bird photography also.

• The campground at Flamingo

• Black skimmersat Flamingo campground

Portions of Everglades National Park are ideal for dark sky observations in South Florida.[111][112]The best viewing locations are in the remote southern and western areas of the Everglades, such asFlamingoand theTen Thousand Islands. The Milky Way appears brightest when looking south, toward the least light-polluted areas.[113]

Less than 50percent of the Everglades which existed prior to drainage attempts remains intact today. Populations of wading birds dwindled 90percent from their original numbers between the 1940s and 2000s.[114]The diversion of water to South Florida\'s still-growing metropolitan areas is the Everglades National Park\'s number one threat. In the 1950s and 1960s, 1,400 miles (2,300km) of canals and levees, 150gates and spillways, and 16pumping stations were constructed to direct water toward cities and away from the Everglades. Low levels of water leave fish vulnerable to reptiles and birds, and as sawgrass dries it can burn or die off, which in turn kills apple snails and other animals that wading birds feed upon.[103]Populations of birds fluctuate; in 2009, the South Florida Water Management District claimed wading birds across South Florida increased by 335percent.[115]Following three years of increasing numbers,The Miami Heraldreported in 2009 that populations of wading birds within the park decreased by 29percent.[116]

Cities along the west coast of Florida rely ondesalinizationfor fresh water; the quantity demanded is too great for the land to provide.Nitratesin the underground water system and high levels ofmercuryalso impact the quality of fresh water the park receives.[103]In 1998, a Florida panther was found dead in Shark Water Slough, with levels of mercury high enough to kill a human.[117]Increased occurrences ofalgal bloomsandred tideinBiscayne Bayand Florida Bay have been traced to the amounts of controlled water released from Lake Okeechobee.[118]The brochure given to visitors at Everglades National Park includes a statement that reads, \"Freshwater flowing into the park is engineered. With the help of pumps, floodgates, and retention ponds along the park\'s boundary, the Everglades is presently on life support, alive but diminished.\"[103]

A series of levees on the park\'s eastern border marks the line between urban and protected areas, but development into these areas threatens the park system. Florida still attracts nearly a thousand new residents every day,[119]and building residential, commercial and industrial zones near Everglades National Park stresses the water balance and ecosystems within the park. On the park\'s western border,Fort Myers,Naples, andCape Coralare expanding, but no system of levees exists to mark that border.[120]National Geographicrated both Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve the lowest-scoring parks in North America, at 32 out of 100. Their scoring system rated 55parks by theirsustainable tourism, destination quality, and park management. The experts who compiled the results justified the score by stating: \"Encroachment by housing and retail development has thrown the precious ecosystem into a tailspin, and if humankind doesn\'t back off, there will be nothing left of one of this country\'s most amazing treasures\".[121]

Thirty-six federally protected animals live in the park, some of which face grave threats to their survival.

In the United States, theAmerican crocodile\'s only habitat is within South Florida. They were once overhunted for their hides. They are protected today from hunting but are still threatened by habitat destruction and injury from vehicle collisions when crossing roads to reach waterways. About 2,000 crocodiles live in Florida, and there are roughly 100 nests in the Everglades andBiscayne National Parks.[122]Crocodiles populations in South Florida have increased as has the number of alligators. Crocodiles were reclassified from \"endangered\" to \"threatened\" in the United States in 2007.[123]

TheFlorida pantheris one of the most endangered mammals on earth. About 230 live in the wild, primarily in the Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp.[124]The biggest threats to the panther include habitat destruction from human development, vehicle collisions,inbreedingdue to their limited gene pool, parasites, diseases, andmercury poisoning.[125]

Four Everglade species of sea turtle including the Atlantic green sea turtle, the Atlantichawksbill, the Atlantic loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and the Atlantic ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) are endangered. Also, the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is threatened. Numbers are difficult to determine, since males and juveniles do not return to their birthplace; females lay eggs in the same location every year. Habitat loss, illegalpoaching, and destructive fishing practices are the biggest threats to these animals.[126]

The range of theCape Sable seaside sparrowis restricted to Everglades National Park and the Big Cypress Swamp.[127]In 1981 6,656 Cape Sable seaside sparrows were reported in park boundaries, but surveys over 10 years documented a decline to an estimated 2,624 birds by 2002.[128]Attempts to return natural levels of water to the park have been controversial; Cape Sable seaside sparrows nest about a foot off the ground, and rising water levels may harm future populations, as well as threaten the locally endangeredsnail kite.[129]The Everglades snail kite eatsapple snailsalmost exclusively, and the Everglades is the only location in the United States where thisbird of preyexists. There is some evidence that the population may be increasing, but the loss of habitat and food sources keep the estimated number of these birds at several hundred.[130]

TheWest Indian manateehas been upgraded from endangered to threatened. Collisions with boats and habitat loss are still its biggest threats.[131]

Fire naturally occurs after lightning storms but takes its heaviest toll when water levels are low. Hardwood hammock and cypress trees are susceptible to heavy damage from fire, and some may take decades to grow back.[103]Peatbuilt up over centuries in the marsh can cause fires to burn deep scars in the soil. In 2007, Fred Sklar of theSouth Florida Water Management Districtsaid: \"An extreme drought can be viewed (as) almost as catastrophic as a volcano. It can reshape the entire landscape. It can take 1,000 years to produce two inches of peat, and you can lose those couple of inches in a week.\"[132]

Rising sea levels caused byglobal warmingare another threat to the future of the park. Since 1932, ocean levels atKey Westhave steadily risen over 0.7 feet (0.2m), which could have disastrous consequences for land so close to the ocean.[133]It is estimated that within 500 years freshwater habitats in the Everglades National Park will be obliterated by salt water, leaving only the northernmost portion of the Everglades. Cost estimates for raising or replacing the Tamiami Trail andAlligator Alleywith bridges are in the hundreds of millions of dollars.[134]

Through Trump Administration, The Florida Department of Transportation, and Everglades National Park, there are plans to execute and complete the Next Steps project to help fix these various water issues, along with other parts of the park. This completion plan was announced in September 2020, will begin November 2020, and should be done by the end of 2024.[135]

The introduction of non-native species into South Florida is a considerable problem for the park. Many of the biological controls such as weather, disease, and consumers who naturally limit plants in their native environments do not exist in the Everglades, causing many to grow larger and multiply far beyond their average numbers in their native habitats. Approximately 26percent of all fish, reptiles, birds, and mammal species in South Florida are exotic—more than in any other part of the U.S.—and the region hosts one of the highest numbers of exotic plant species in the world.[136]

Species that adapt the most aggressively to conditions in the Everglades, by spreading quickly or competing with native species that sometimes are threatened or endangered, are called \"invasive\". Thousands of exotic plant species have been observed in South Florida, usually introduced as ornamental landscaping, but park staff must eradicate such invasive plants as melaleuca tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum).[137]Similarly, animals often do not find the predators or natural barriers to reproduction in the Everglades as they do where they originate, thus they often reproduce more quickly and efficiently. Lobate lac scale insects (Paratachardina pseudolobata) kill shrubs and other plants in hardwood hammocks. Bromeliad beetles (Metamasius callizona) destroy bromeliads and the ecosystems they host.[138]

Walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) can deplete aquaculture stocks and they carry enteric septicemia.[139]TheFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWC) listed eight \"Reptiles of Concern\", including the Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus), focusing on them for their large sizes and aggressive natures, allowing licensed hunters to kill any listed animals in protected areas and sell their meat and hides.[140][141]Burmese pythons, two subspecies of African rock pythons (Python sebae; northern and southern), and yellow anacondas (Eunectes notaeus) were banned from import into the U.S. in 2012.United States Secretary of the InteriorKen Salazarannounced the inclusion of these reptiles at Everglades National Park.[142]Exotic species control falls under the management of theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which has been compiling and disseminating information about invasive species since 1994. Control of invasive species costs $500million per year, but 1,700,000 acres (2,656.2sqmi; 6,879.7km2) of land in South Florida remains infested.

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