173-561: Shark River Slough (SRS) is a low-lying area of land that channels water through the Florida Everglades , beginning in Water Conservation Area 3 , flowing through Everglades National Park , and ultimately into Florida Bay . Together with Taylor Slough to the east, Shark River Slough is an essential conduit of overland freshwater to Florida Bay . Shark River Slough is also known as the "River of Grass." Shark River Slough
346-486: A World Heritage Site in 1979, and the Ramsar Convention included the park on its list of Wetlands of International Importance in 1987. Everglades is one of only three locations in the world to appear on all three lists. Most national parks preserve unique geographic features; Everglades National Park was the first created to protect a fragile ecosystem . The Everglades are a network of wetlands and forests fed by
519-488: A "dry season" (winter) which runs from November through April, and a "wet season" (summer) which runs from May through October. About 70% of the annual rainfall in south Florida occurs in the wet season – often as brief but intense tropical downpours. The dry season sees little rainfall and dew points and humidity are often quite low. The dry season can be severe at times, as wildfires and water restrictions are often in place. The annual range of temperatures in south Florida and
692-425: 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." The book has sold 500,000 copies since its publication, and Douglas's continued dedication to ecology conservation earned her
865-452: A dense forest in the middle of a freshwater marl prairie. Closer to Flamingo, more rugged trails take visitors through mangrove swamps, along Florida Bay. Christian Point Trail, Snake Bight Trail, 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
1038-414: 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 with Australian pines brought in by developers as windbreaks . The region's timber was devastated for lumber supplies. Alligators, birds, frogs, and fish were hunted on
1211-491: A hardwood hammock as larger trees overtake the slash pines. The understory shrubs in pine rocklands are the fire-resistant saw palmetto ( Serenoa repens ), cabbage palm ( Sabal palmetto ), and West Indian lilac ( Tetrazygia bicolor ). The most diverse group of plants in the pine community are the herbs, of which there are two dozen species. These plants contain tubers and other mechanisms that allow them to sprout quickly after being charred. Prior to urban development of
1384-528: A large airport 6 miles (10 km) north of Everglades National Park was blocked when an environmental study found that it would severely damage the South Florida ecosystem. With heightened awareness and appreciation of the region, restoration began in the 1980s with the removal of a canal that had straightened the Kissimmee River. However, development and sustainability concerns have remained pertinent in
1557-487: 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. 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 in food webs . Salt water replaced fresh water in the canals, and by 1997 scientists noticed that salt water
1730-407: A massive wetland ecosystem. Although the region appears flat, weathering of the limestone created slight valleys and plateaus in some areas. These plateaus rise and fall only a few inches, but on the subtle South Florida topography these small variations affect both the flow of water and the types of vegetation that can take hold. The underlying bedrock or limestone of the Everglades basin affects
1903-539: A narrow, deep channel characteristic of most rivers. The vertical gradient from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay is about 2 inches (5.1 cm) per mile, creating an almost 60-mile (97 km) wide expanse of river that travels about half a mile (0.8 km) a day. This slow movement of a broad, shallow river is known as sheetflow , and gives the Everglades its nickname, River of Grass. Water leaving Lake Okeechobee may require months or years to reach its final destination, Florida Bay. The sheetflow travels so slowly that water
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#17328373487232076-419: A night or $ 10 a night for backcountry permits. Visitors spent $ 2.6 million within the park and $ 48 million in local economies. More than 900 jobs were sustained or created within or by the park, and the park added value of $ 35 million to local economies. Everglades National Park has had 19 superintendents since it was dedicated in 1947. The park's first superintendent, Daniel Beard (1947-1958),
2249-505: A part in the disappearance of pine forests in the area, as natural fires were put out and pine rocklands transitioned into hardwood hammocks. Prescribed fires occur in Everglades National Park in pine rocklands every three to seven years. Cypress swamps can be found throughout the Everglades, but the largest covers most of Collier County . The Big Cypress Swamp is located to the west of the sawgrass prairies and sloughs, and it
2422-654: A rise in elevation along the eastern coast of Florida, called the Eastern Coastal Ridge, that was formed as waves compressed ooids into a single formation. Along the western border of the Big Cypress Swamp is the Immokolee Ridge (or Immokolee Rise), a slight rise of compressed sand that divides the runoff between the Caloosahatchee River and The Big Cypress. This slight rise in elevation on both sides of
2595-616: A river flowing 0.25 miles (0.40 km) per day out of Lake Okeechobee , southwest into Florida Bay . The park is the most significant breeding ground for tropical wading birds in North America and contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. Thirty-six threatened or protected species inhabit the park, including the Florida panther , the American crocodile , and
2768-468: A single grain of sand or shell fragment. The other facies, which underlies the eastern lower Everglades (in Miami-Dade County and part of Monroe County) consists of fossilized bryozoan organisms. The unique structure was some of the first material used in housing in early 20th-century South Florida. The composition of this sedimentary formation affects the hydrology, plant life, and wildlife above it:
2941-512: A single large community near the mouth of the Miami River , while the Calusa lived in 30 villages. Both groups traveled through the Everglades but rarely lived within them, remaining mostly along the coast. The diets of both groups consisted mostly of shellfish and fish, small mammals, game, and wild plants. Having access only to soft limestone, most of the tools fashioned by Native Americans in
3114-598: A variety of epiphytes. Twenty-eight miles (45 km) of trails start near the Long Pine Key campgrounds and wind through Long Pine Key, well-suited for offroad cycling through the pine rocklands in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness. 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 to Swietenia mahagoni ) that takes hikers through
3287-714: A wetter landscape; large animals became extinct in Florida, and the Paleo-Indians slowly adapted and became the Archaic peoples . They conformed to the environmental changes, and created many tools with the various resources available. During the Late Archaic period, the climate became wetter again, and approximately 3000 BCE the rise of water tables allowed an increase in population and cultural activity. Florida Indians developed into three distinct but similar cultures that were named for
3460-422: A year, and major hurricanes about once every ten years. Between 1871 and 1981, 138 tropical cyclones struck directly over or close to the Everglades. Strong winds from these storms disperse plant seeds and replenish mangrove forests, coral reefs, and other ecosystems. Dramatic fluctuations in precipitation are characteristic of the South Florida climate. Droughts , floods , and tropical cyclones are part of
3633-429: Is commonly called "The Big Cypress". The name refers to its area rather than the height or diameter of the trees; at its most conservative estimate, the swamp measures 1,200 square miles (3,100 km ), but the hydrologic boundary of The Big Cypress can be calculated at over 2,400 square miles (6,200 km ). Most of The Big Cypress sits atop a bedrock covered by a thinner layer of limestone. The limestone underneath
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#17328373487233806-403: Is fed by the extensive Kissimmee , Caloosahatchee , Miami , Myakka , and Peace Rivers in central Florida. The Kissimmee River is a broad floodplain that empties directly into Lake Okeechobee, which at 730 square miles (1,900 km ) with an average depth of 9 feet (2.7 m), is a vast but shallow lake. Soil deposits in the Everglades basin indicate that peat is deposited where the land
3979-443: Is flooded consistently throughout the year. Calcium deposits are left behind when flooding is shorter. The deposits occur in areas where water rises and falls depending on rainfall, as opposed to water being stored in the rock from one year to the next. Calcium deposits are present where more limestone is exposed. The area from Orlando to the tip of the Florida peninsula was at one point a single drainage unit. When rainfall exceeded
4152-616: Is less likely to erode the limestone to form solution holes —smaller versions of sinkholes that do not intersect with the water table. In this formation the beds are generally impermeable. Underneath the metropolitan areas of Palm Beach County is the Anastasia Formation, composed of shelly limestone, coquina , and sand representing a former mangrove or salt marsh. The Anastasia Formation is much more permeable and filled with pocks and solution holes. The Fort Thompson and Anastasia Formations, and Miami Limestone and (x), were formed during
4325-448: Is more calcitic in composition. Initial attempts at developing agriculture near Lake Okeechobee were successful, but the nutrients in the peat were rapidly removed. In a process called soil subsidence , oxidation of peat causes loss of volume. Bacteria decompose dead sawgrass slowly underwater without oxygen. When the water was drained in the 1920s and bacteria interacted with oxygen, an aerobic reaction occurred. Microorganisms degraded
4498-746: Is nearly impenetrable; beneath the canopy hammocks is an ideal habitat for animals. Reptiles (such as various species of snake and anole ) and amphibians (such as the American green tree frog , Hyla cinerea ), live in the hardwood hammocks. Birds such as barred owls ( Strix varia ), woodpeckers , northern cardinals ( Cardinalis cardinalis ), and southern bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus ) nest in hammock trees. Mammal species living in hardwood hammocks include Florida 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
4671-521: Is relatively and consistently flat. The limestone that underlies the Everglades is integral to the diverse ecosystems within the park. Florida was once part of the African portion of the supercontinent Gondwana . After it separated, conditions allowed a shallow marine environment to deposit calcium carbonate in sand, shells, and coral to be converted into limestone. Tiny bits of shell, sand, and bryozoans compressed over multiple layers forming structures in
4844-443: 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. Everglades National Park
5017-493: Is the dominant path for flow of water into Everglades National Park . SRS is a mixture of sawgrass marshes, tree islands, sloughs, and wet prairies. The SRS is bordered by marl prairies . Historically, Shark River Slough was the primary path for water flow in the Everglades system. Restoration of the historic function of the slough is essential to restoration of Everglades National Park . Shark River Slough has tides from
5190-723: Is the largest continuous system of mangroves in the world. Within the Florida mangrove systems live 220 species of fish, and a variety of crabs, crayfish , shrimp, mollusks , and other invertebrates , which serve as the main source of food for many birds. Dozens of bird species use mangroves as nurseries and food stores, including pelicans , grebes , tricolored herons ( Egretta tricolor ), gulls , terns , hawks and kites, and arboreal birds like mangrove cuckoos ( Coccyzus minor ), yellow warblers ( Dendroica petechia ), and white-crowned pigeons ( Patagioenas leucocephala ). The mangroves also support 24 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 18 species of mammals, including
5363-525: Is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River . An average of one million people visit the park each year. Everglades is the third-largest national park in the contiguous United States after Death Valley and Yellowstone . UNESCO declared the Everglades & Dry Tortugas Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and listed the park as
Shark River Slough - Misplaced Pages Continue
5536-541: Is today Big Cypress National Preserve , to escape the forced emigration to the west. Some survivors of the "Spanish Indians" were sent to Indian Territory with the Seminoles. From 1859 to about 1930, the Seminoles and Miccosukee lived in relative isolation, making their living by trading. In 1928, surveying and construction began on the Tamiami Trail , along the northern border of Everglades National Park. The road bisected
5709-569: Is typically stored from one wet season to the next in the porous limestone substrate. The ebb and flow of water has shaped the land and every ecosystem in South Florida throughout the Everglades' estimated 5,000 years of existence. The motion of water defines plant communities and how animals adapt to their habitats and food sources. The climate of South Florida is located across the broad transition zone between subtropical and tropical climates ( Koppen Aw , Am and Cfa). Like most regions with this climate type, there are two basic seasons –
5882-547: The Floridan Aquifer , which serves as the main source of fresh water for the northern portion of Florida. However, this aquifer lies beneath thousands of feet of impermeable sedimentary rock from Lake Okeechobee to the southern tip of the peninsula. Five geologic formations form the surface of the southern portion of Florida: the Tamiami Formation , Caloosahatchee Formation , Anastasia Formation , Miami Limestone , and
6055-453: The Floridan aquifer lies about 1,000 feet (300 m) below the surface of South Florida . 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
6228-608: The Fort Thompson Formation . The Tamiami Formation is a compression of highly permeable light-colored fossiliferous sands and pockets of quartz , 150 feet (46 m) thick. It is named for the Tamiami Trail that follows the upper bedrock of the Big Cypress Swamp, and underlies the southern portion of the Everglades. Between the Tamiami Formation and Lake Okeechobee is the Caloosahatchee Formation, named for
6401-585: The Gulf of Mexico that reach 30 km inland. Florida Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of flooded grasslands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida , comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm . The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River , which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee . Water leaving
6574-485: The Pleistocene approximately 17,000 years ago, the runoff of water from Lake Okeechobee slowed and created the vast marshland that is now known as the Everglades. Slower runoff also created an accumulation of almost 18 feet (5.5 m) of peat in the area. The presence of such peat deposits, dated to about 5,000 years ago, is evidence that widespread flooding had occurred by then. The consistent Everglades flooding
6747-689: The Sangamonian interglacial period. The geologic formations that have the most influence on the Everglades are the Miami Limestone and the Fort Thompson Formation. The Miami Limestone has two facies . The Miami Oolite facies, which underlies the Atlantic Coastal Ridge from southern Palm Beach County to southern Miami-Dade County, is made up of ooids : tiny formations of egg-shaped concentric shells and calcium carbonate, formed around
6920-740: The Seminole Tribe of Florida . People who kept more traditional ways had settlements along the Tamiami Trail and tended to speak the Mikasuki language . They later were federally recognized in 1962 as the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida . As metropolitan areas in South Florida began to grow, the two groups were closely associated with the Everglades. They struggled to maintain privacy while serving as tourist attractions. They earned money by wrestling alligators and selling craftworks. As of 2008 ,
7093-526: The West Indian manatee , along with 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals, and 50 species of reptiles. The majority of South Florida 's fresh water, which is stored in the Biscayne Aquifer , is recharged in the park. Humans have lived for thousands of years in or around the Everglades. Plans arose in 1882 to drain the wetlands and develop
Shark River Slough - Misplaced Pages Continue
7266-408: The hydroperiod , or how long an area within the region stays flooded throughout the year. Longer hydroperiods are possible in areas that were submerged beneath seawater for longer periods of time, while the geology of Florida was forming. More water is held within the porous ooids and limestone than older types of rock that spent more time above sea level. A hydroperiod of ten months or more fosters
7439-486: The lake in the wet season forms a slow-moving river 60 miles (97 km) wide and over 100 miles (160 km) long, flowing southward across a limestone shelf to Florida Bay at the southern end of the state. The Everglades experiences a wide range of weather patterns, from frequent flooding in the wet season to drought in the dry season. Throughout the 20th century, the Everglades suffered significant loss of habitat and environmental degradation . Human habitation in
7612-451: The 18th century, invading Creeks incorporated the dwindling numbers of the Tequesta into their own. Neither the Tequesta nor Calusa tribe existed by 1800. 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. In the first half of
7785-531: The 19th century, people call Spanish Indians and Muspas lived in southern Florida. At the same time Creeks , escaped African slaves, and other Indians from northern Florida displaced by the Creek War , formed the area's Seminole nation. After the end of the Seminole Wars in 1842, the Seminoles faced relocation to Indian territory near Oklahoma . A few hundred Seminole hunters and scouts settled within what
7958-557: The Big Cypress contains quartz , which creates sandy soil that hosts a variety of vegetation different from what is found in other areas of the Everglades. The basin for The Big Cypress receives on average 55 inches (140 cm) of water in the wet season. Although The Big Cypress is the largest growth of cypress swamps in South Florida, cypress swamps can be found near the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and between Lake Okeechobee and
8131-543: 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
8304-449: The Eastern Coastal Ridge receiving the majority of precipitation and the area surrounding Lake Okeechobee receiving about 48 inches (120 cm). Unlike any other wetland system on earth, the Everglades are sustained primarily by the atmosphere. Evapotranspiration – the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to atmosphere – associated with thunderstorms, is
8477-477: The Eastern flatwoods, as well as in sawgrass marshes. Cypresses are deciduous conifers that are uniquely adapted to thrive in flooded conditions, with buttressed trunks and root projections that protrude out of the water, called "knees". Bald cypress trees grow in formations with the tallest and thickest trunks in the center, rooted in the deepest peat. As the peat thins out, cypresses grow smaller and thinner, giving
8650-589: The Everglades is a politically charged issue in South Florida. Everglades National Park covers 1,508,976 acres (2,357.8 sq mi; 6,106.6 km ), throughout Dade , Monroe , and Collier counties in Florida, at the southern tip of the Atlantic coastal plain . The elevation typically ranges from 0 to 8 feet (2.4 m) above sea level , but a Calusa -built shell mound on the Gulf Coast rises 20 feet (6.1 m) above sea level. The terrain of South Florida
8823-622: The Everglades attract a great variety of waders such as herons , egrets , roseate spoonbills ( Platalea ajaja ), ibises and brown pelicans ( Pelecanus occidentalis ), as well as limpkins ( Aramus guarauna ) and snail kites that eat apple 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 ), and eastern diamondback rattlesnake ( Crotalus adamanteus ). Freshwater marl prairies are similar to sloughs but lack
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#17328373487238996-597: The Everglades creates a basin, and forces water that overflows Lake Okeechobee to creep toward the southwest. Under both the Miami Limestone formation and the Fort Thompson limestone lies the Biscayne Aquifer , a surface aquifer that serves as the Miami metropolitan area 's fresh water source. Rainfall and stored water in the Everglades replenish the Biscayne Aquifer directly. With the rise of sea levels that occurred during
9169-462: The Everglades during the Seminole Wars of the early 19th century. After adapting to the region, they were able to resist removal by the United States Army. Migrants to the region who wanted to develop plantations first proposed draining the Everglades in 1848, but no work of this type was attempted until 1882. Canals were constructed throughout the first half of the 20th century, and spurred
9342-446: 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. Napoleon Bonaparte Broward based the majority of his 1904 campaign for governor on how drainage would create "The Empire of the Everglades". 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
9515-591: The Everglades is rather small (less than 20 °F [11 °C]) – ranging from a monthly mean temperature of around 65 °F (18 °C) in January to 83 °F (28 °C) in July. High temperatures in the hot and wet season (summer) typically exceed 90 °F (32 °C) across inland south Florida (although coastal locations are cooled by winds from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean), while high temperatures in
9688-466: The Everglades is the sawgrass marsh. The iconic water and sawgrass combination in the shallow river 100 miles (160 km) long and 60 miles (97 km) wide that spans from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay is often referred to as the "true Everglades" or just "the Glades". Prior to the first drainage attempts in 1905, the sheetflow occupied nearly a third of the lower Florida peninsula. Sawgrass thrives in
9861-405: The Everglades itself. It is one of the most sparsely populated areas of the state. The geology of South Florida, together with a warm, wet, subtropical/tropical climate, provides conditions well-suited for a large marshland ecosystem. Layers of porous and permeable limestone create water-bearing rock and soil that affect the climate, weather, and hydrology of South Florida. The properties of
10034-493: The Everglades system include the Shark River Slough flowing out to Florida Bay, Lostmans River Slough bordering The Big Cypress, and Taylor Slough in the eastern Everglades. Wet prairies are slightly elevated like sawgrass marshes, but with greater plant diversity. The surface is covered in water only three to seven months of the year, and the water is, on average, shallow at only 4 inches (10 cm) deep. When flooded,
10207-554: The Everglades was on Spanish maps made by cartographers who had not seen the land. They named the unknown area between the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida Laguna del Espíritu Santo ("Lake of the Holy Spirit"). The area was featured on maps for decades without having been explored. Writer James Grant Forbes stated in 1811, "The Indians represent [the Southern points] as impenetrable; and
10380-410: The Everglades watershed system. Evapotranspiration is responsible for approximately 70–90 percent of water entering undeveloped wetland regions in the Everglades. Precipitation during the wet season is primarily caused by air mass thunderstorms and the easterly flow out of the subtropical high (Bermuda High). Intense daytime heating of the ground causes the warm moist tropical air to rise, creating
10553-497: 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. 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. The National Park Service recognizes nine distinct interdependent ecosystems within
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#173283734872310726-630: The Everglades, but rarely lived in them. Canoe trips to Cuba were also common. Estimated numbers of Calusa at the beginning of the Spanish occupation ranged from 4,000 to 7,000. The society declined in power and population; by 1697 their number was estimated to be about 1,000. In the early 18th century, the Calusa came under attack from the Yamasee to the north. They asked the Spanish for refuge in Cuba, where almost 200 died of illness. Soon they were relocated again to
10899-504: The Everglades, introducing a steady, if small, traffic of white settlers into the Everglades. 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". Following the end of the Seminole Wars , Americans began settling at isolated points along
11072-496: The Everglades. Much of the coast and the inner estuaries are built of mangroves; there is no border between the coastal marshes and the bay. Thus the marine ecosystems in Florida Bay are considered to be a part of the Everglades watershed and one of the ecosystems connected to and affected by the Everglades as a whole. More than 800 square miles (2,100 km ) of Florida Bay is protected by Everglades National Park , representing
11245-415: 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 preventing coastal erosion . The mangrove system in Everglades National Park
11418-457: The Everglades: peat, created by many years of decomposing plant matter, and marl , the result of dried periphyton , 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
11591-685: The Florida Keys. Second in power and number to the Calusa in South Florida were the Tequesta . They occupied the southeastern portion of the lower peninsula in modern-day Dade and Broward counties. Like the Calusa, the Tequesta societies centered on the mouths of rivers. Their main village was probably on the Miami River or Little River. Spanish depictions of the Tequesta state that they were greatly feared by sailors, who suspected them of torturing and killing survivors of shipwrecks. With an increasing European presence in south Florida, Native Americans from
11764-492: The Keys and other areas began increasing their trips to Cuba. Official permission for the immigration of Native Americans from the Florida Keys was granted by Cuban officials in 1704. Spanish priests attempted to set up missions in 1743, but noted that the Tequesta were under assault from a neighboring tribe. When only 30 members were left, they were removed to Havana. A British surveyor in 1770 described multiple deserted villages in
11937-518: 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. The Calusa lived in social strata and were able to create canals , earthworks , and shellworks . The Calusa were also able to resist Spanish attempts at conquest. The Spanish had contact with these societies and established missions further north, near Lake Okeechobee . In
12110-646: 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 makes 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
12283-541: The Seminole Tribe of Florida had five reservations, and the lands of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians were collectively considered a sixth reservation. The two tribes have each developed casino gaming on some of their properties to generate revenue for support, services and economic development. The military penetration of southern Florida offered the opportunity to map a poorly understood and largely unknown part of
12456-481: The Seminole in the Everglades numbered no more than 325. They made a living by hunting and trading with white settlers, and raised domesticated animals. The Seminole made their villages in hardwood hammocks or pinelands, had diets of hominy and coontie roots, fish, turtles, venison, and small game. Their villages were not large, due to the limited size of the hammocks. Between the end of the last Seminole War and 1930,
12629-548: The Seminole, and became known as the Black Seminoles . The groups acted as allies. In 1817, Andrew Jackson invaded Florida to hasten its annexation to the United States, in what became known as the First Seminole War . After Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821, conflicts between settlers and the Seminole increased as the former tried to acquire lands. The Second Seminole War lasted from 1835 to 1842, and afterward,
12802-464: The South Florida economy, prompting land development. In 1947, Congress formed the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project , which built 1,400 miles (2,300 km) of canals, levees , and water control devices. The Miami metropolitan area grew substantially at this time and Everglades water was diverted to cities. Portions of the Everglades were transformed into farmland, where the primary crop
12975-460: The South Florida region, pine rocklands covered approximately 161,660 acres (654.2 km ) in Miami-Dade County . Within Everglades National Park, 19,840 acres (80.3 km ) of pine forests are protected, but outside the park, 1,780 acres (7.2 km ) of pine communities remained as of 1990, averaging 12.1 acres (49,000 m ) in area. The misunderstanding of the role of fire also played
13148-644: The Tamiami Trail (part of U.S. Route 41 ) directly west of Miami is the Shark Valley Visitor Center . A fifteen-mile (24 km) round trip path leads from this center to a two-story observation tower. Tram tours are available during the busy season. Closest to Homestead on State Road 9336 is the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center , where a 38-mile (61 km) road begins, winding through pine rockland, cypress, freshwater marl prairie, coastal prairie, and mangrove ecosystems. Various hiking trails are accessible from
13321-458: 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,
13494-624: The US forcibly removed about 3,000 Seminole and 800 Black Seminole to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), west of the Mississippi River. Many others died in the war. Conflict broke out again in the Third Seminole War from 1855 to 1859, when a few hundred Seminole fought off US forces from the swamps of the Everglades. The US finally decided to leave them alone, as they could not dislodge them even after this protracted and expensive warfare. By 1913,
13667-504: The Wilderness Waterway, Gulf Coast sites, and sites in the various keys. Several back-country sites are chickees ; others are beach and ground sites. Low-powered motorboats are allowed in the park; the majority of salt water areas are no-wake zones to 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
13840-449: The [British] surveyors, wreckers, and coasters, had not the means of exploring beyond the borders of the sea coast, and the mouths of rivers". British surveyor John Gerard de Brahm , who mapped the coast of Florida in 1773, called the area "River Glades". The name "Everglades" first appeared on a map in 1823, although it was also spelled as "Ever Glades" as late as 1851. The Seminole call it Pahokee , meaning "Grassy Water". The region
14013-497: The act, "Through this legislation that river of grass may now be restored to its natural flow of water". In 2000, Congress approved the Comprehensive 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", and claiming to be
14186-472: The afternoon thundershowers typical of tropical climates. 2:00 pm is the mean time of daily thundershowers across South Florida and the Everglades. Late in the wet season (August and September), precipitation levels reach their highest levels as tropical depressions and lows add to daily rainfall. Occasionally, tropical lows can become severe tropical cyclones and cause significant damage when they make landfall across south Florida. Tropical storms average one
14359-657: The algae formations and microscopic plankton. Female sea turtles return annually to nest on the shore, and manatees spend the winter months in the warmer water of the bay. Sea grasses also serve to stabilize the sea beds and protect shorelines from erosion by absorbing energy from waves. Humans arrived in the Florida peninsula approximately 15,000 years ago. Paleo-Indians came to Florida probably following large game that included giant sloths , saber-toothed cats , and spectacled bears . They found an arid landscape that supported plants and animals adapted for desert conditions. However, 6,500 years ago, climate changes brought
14532-638: 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. The commission was led by Ernest F. Coe , a land developer turned conservationist, who was eventually nicknamed Father of Everglades National Park. Coe's original plan for the park included more than 2,000,000 acres (3,125.0 sq mi; 8,093.7 km ) including Key Largo and Big Cypress , and his unwillingness to compromise almost prevented
14705-1073: The area bloom about 16 weeks after a fire. Nearly all pinelands have an understory of palm shrubs and a diverse ground covering of wild herbs. Pine rocklands are considered one of the most threatened habitats in Florida; less than 4,000 acres (6.3 sq mi; 16.2 km ) of pineland exist outside the park. Within the park, 20,000 acres (31.3 sq mi; 80.9 km ) of pineland are protected. 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 , and northern mockingbirds ( Mimus polyglottos ) are commonly found in pinelands. Black bears and Florida panthers also live in this habitat. Cypress trees are conifers that 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
14878-873: The birds frequenting park shorelines. The bay also has its own resident population of bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ). The bay's many basins are broken up by sandbanks that serve as plentiful recreational fishing grounds for snook ( Centropomus undecimalis ), redfish ( Sciaenops ocellatus ), spotted seatrout ( Cynoscion nebulosus) , tarpon ( Megaflops atlanticus), bonefish ( Albula vulpes) , and permit ( Trichinous falcatus) , as well as snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), and bass . Wading birds such as roseate spoonbills ( Platalea ajaja ), reddish egrets ( Egretta rufescens ), and great white herons ( Ardea herodias occidentalis ) have unique subpopulations that are largely restricted to Florida Bay. Other bird species include bald eagles , cormorants , and ospreys . Mammals along
15051-517: The bodies of water near where they were located: Okeechobee , Caloosahatchee , and Glades . From the Glades peoples, two major nations emerged in the area: the Calusa and the Tequesta . The Calusa was the largest and most powerful nation in South Florida. It controlled fifty villages located on Florida's west coast, around Lake Okeechobee, and on the Florida Keys . Most Calusa villages were located at
15224-505: The busier season only. 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 108 sites are accessible by car. Near Flamingo, 234 campsites with some services are also available. Recreational vehicle camping is available at these sites, but not with all necessary services. Back-country permits are required for campsites along
15397-587: The calcitic composition of the marl. Sloughs , or free-flowing channels of water, develop in between sawgrass prairies. Sloughs are about 3 feet (0.91 m) deeper than sawgrass marshes, and may stay flooded for at least 11 months out of the year and sometimes multiple years in a row. Aquatic animals such as turtles, alligators, snakes, and fish thrive in sloughs; they usually feed on aquatic invertebrates. Submerged and floating plants grow here, such as bladderwort ( Utricularia ), waterlily ( Nymphaeaceae ), and spatterdock ( Nuphar lutea ). Major sloughs in
15570-422: The capacity of Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River floodplain, it spilled over and flowed in a southwestern direction to empty into Florida Bay . Prior to urban and agricultural development in Florida, the Everglades began at the southern edge of Lake Okeechobee and flowed for approximately 100 miles (160 km), emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. The limestone shelf is wide and slightly angled instead of having
15743-469: The coast in what is now the park, from the Ten Thousand Islands to Cape Sable . Communities developed on the two largest pieces of dry ground in the area, on Chokoloskee Island and at Flamingo on Cape Sable, both of which established post offices in the early 1890s. Chokoloskee Island is a shell mound, a midden built roughly 20 feet (6 m) high over thousands of years of occupation by
15916-489: 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
16089-444: The coasts were taken down for better views and replaced with shallow-rooted palm trees. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began 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. The 1926 Miami Hurricane caused Lake Okeechobee levees to fail; hundreds of people south of
16262-405: The country. An 1840 expedition into the Everglades offered the first printed account for the general public to read about the Everglades. The anonymous writer described the terrain the party was crossing: Everglades National Park Everglades National Park is a national park of the United States that protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida . The park
16435-517: The creation of the new national park on May 30, 1934, but the Act (HR 2837), 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. Coe's passion and U.S. Senator Spessard Holland 's politicking helped to fully establish the park, after Holland was able to negotiate 1,300,000 acres (2,031.2 sq mi; 5,260.9 km ) of
16608-401: The dry season the fire may be fed by organic peat and burn deeply, destroying root systems. Fires are confined by existing water and rainfall. It takes approximately 225 years for one foot (.30 m) of peat to develop, but in some locations the peat is less dense than it should be for the 5,000 years of the Everglades' existence. Scientists indicate fire as the cause; it is also cited as
16781-630: The dry season. Alligator holes are integral to the survival of aquatic invertebrates, turtles, fish, small mammals, and birds during extended drought periods. The alligators then feed upon some of the animals that come to the hole. Small islands of trees growing on land raised between 1 foot (0.30 m) and 3 feet (0.91 m) above sloughs and prairies are called tropical hardwood hammocks . They may range from one (4,000 m ) to ten acres (40,000 m ) in area, and appear in freshwater sloughs, sawgrass prairies, or pineland. Hammocks are slightly elevated on limestone plateaus risen several inches above
16954-653: The dry winter season average from 70 to 79 °F (21 to 26 °C). Frost and freeze are rare across south Florida and the Everglades; annually coastal cities like Miami and Naples report zero days with frost, although a few times each decade low temperatures may fall between 30 and 40 °F (−1 and 4 °C) across South Florida. The plant hardiness zones are 10a north with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 30 to 35 °F (−1 to +2 °C), and 10b south with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 35 to 40 °F (2 to 4 °C). Annual rainfall averages approximately 62 inches (160 cm), with
17127-451: The endangered green turtle ( Chelonia mydas ), hawksbill turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata ), and West Indian manatee ( Trichechus manatus ). 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 tropical storm surges when ocean water can rise several feet over the land. Heavy wet seasons also cause floods when rain from
17300-519: The farthest-reaching roots, trapping sediments that help build coastlines after and between storms. All three types of trees absorb the energy of waves and storm surges . Everglades mangroves also serve as nurseries for crustaceans and fish, and rookeries for birds. The region supports Tortugas pink shrimp ( Farfantepenaeus duorarum ) and stone crab ( Menippe mercenaria ) industries; between 80 and 90 percent of commercially harvested crustacean species in Florida's salt waters are born or spend time near
17473-426: The frequency of fire help to create, maintain, or replace the ecosystems in the Everglades. Water is the dominant force in the Everglades, shaping the land, vegetation, and animal life in South Florida. Starting at the last glacial maximum , 21,000 years ago, continental ice sheets retreated and sea levels rose. This submerged portions of the Florida peninsula and caused the water table to rise. Fresh water saturated
17646-604: The fresh water supply for the region. Water also flows into the park after falling as rain to the north onto the watersheds of the Kissimmee River and 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 113 km) wide, which moves almost imperceptibly. 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
17819-405: 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
17992-426: The growth of sawgrass, whereas a shorter hydroperiod of six months or less promotes beds of periphyton , a growth of algae and other microscopic organisms. There are only two types of soil in the Everglades, peat and marl . Where there are longer hydroperiods, peat builds up over hundreds or thousands of years due to many generations of decaying plant matter. Where periphyton grows, the soil develops into marl, which
18165-447: The hammocks very difficult for people to penetrate, though small mammals, reptiles and amphibians find these islands an ideal habitat. Water in sloughs flows around the islands, creating moats . Although some ecosystems are maintained and promoted by fire, hammocks may take decades or centuries to recover. The moats around the hammocks protect the trees. The trees are limited in height by weather factors such as frost, lightning, and wind;
18338-485: The headquarters for the construction of the Tamiami Trail . A dirt road from Florida City reached Flamingo in 1922, while a causeway finally connected Chokoloskee to the mainland's Everglades City in 1956. After the park was established, private property in the Flamingo area was claimed by eminent domain , and the site was incorporated into the park as a visitor center. Several attempts were made to drain and develop
18511-446: The key mechanism by which water leaves the region. During a year unaffected by drought, the rate may reach 40 inches (100 cm) a year. When droughts take place, the rate may peak at over 50 inches (130 cm), and exceed the amount of rainfall. As water leaves an area through evaporation from groundwater or from plant matter, activated primarily by solar energy, it is then moved by wind patterns to other areas that border or flow into
18684-489: The lake drowned. Two years later, the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane claimed 2,500 lives when Lake Okeechobee once again surged over its levees. Politicians who declared the Everglades uninhabitable were silenced when a four-story wall, the Herbert Hoover Dike , was built around Lake Okeechobee. This wall effectively cut off the water source from the Everglades. Following the wall's construction, South Florida endured
18857-496: 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 the Miami 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, and restoration of
19030-500: The largest body of water in the park boundaries. There are approximately 100 keys in Florida Bay, many of which are mangrove forests. The fresh water coming into Florida Bay from the Everglades creates perfect conditions for vast beds of turtle grass and algae formations that are the foundation for animal life in the bay. Sea turtles and manatees eat the grass, while invertebrate animals, such as worms, clams and other mollusks eat
19203-735: 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". Supporters of the plan included the National Audubon Society , who were accused by Friends of the Everglades and the Biodiversity Legal Foundation of prioritizing agricultural and business interests. CERP projects are designed to capture 1.7 billion US gallons (6,400,000 m ) of fresh water every day, store it in underground reservoirs, and release
19376-563: The limestone called ooids , which created permeable conditions that hold water. The Florida peninsula appeared above sea level between 100,000 and 150,000 years ago. As sea levels rose at the end of the Wisconsin ice age , the water table appeared closer to land. Lake Okeechobee began to flood, and convection thunderstorms were created. Vast peat deposits south of Lake Okeechobee indicate that regular flooding had occurred about 5,000 years ago. Plants began to migrate, subtropical ones from
19549-425: The limestone that underlies the Everglades, eroding some of it away, and created springs and sinkholes . The abundance of fresh water allowed new vegetation to take root, and formed convective thunderstorms over the land through evaporation. As rain continued to fall, the slightly acidic rainwater dissolved the limestone. As limestone wore away, the groundwater came into contact with the land surface and created
19722-513: The majority of trees in hammocks grow no higher than 55 feet (17 m). Some of the driest land in the Everglades is pineland (also called pine rockland) ecosystem, located in the highest part of the Everglades with little to no hydroperiod. Some floors, however, may have flooded solution holes or puddles for a few months at a time. The most significant feature of the pineland is the single species of South Florida slash pine ( Pinus elliottii ). Pineland communities require fire to maintain them, and
19895-427: The mangroves but "standing dead snags" several miles wide, but 30 years later the area had completely recovered. 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 125 mph (201 km/h) winds and an 8 ft (2.4 m) storm surge ; the lodge had been functioning for 50 years when it
20068-526: The marl can support a variety of water plants. Solution holes , or deep pits where the limestone has worn away, may remain flooded even when the prairies are dry, and they support aquatic invertebrates such as crayfish and snails, and larval amphibians which feed young wading birds. These regions tend to border between sloughs and sawgrass marshes. Alligators have created a niche in wet prairies. With their claws and snouts they dig at low spots and create ponds free of vegetation that remain submerged throughout
20241-420: The mouths of rivers or on key islands. The Calusa were hunter-gatherers who lived on small game, fish, turtles, alligators, shellfish, and various plants. Most of their tools were made of bone or teeth, although sharpened reeds were also effective for hunting or war. Calusa weapons consisted of bows and arrows, atlatls , and spears. Canoes were used for transportation, and South Florida tribes often canoed through
20414-558: The natural water system in the Everglades. The Everglades are a complex system of interdependent ecosystems. Marjory Stoneman Douglas described the area as a "River of Grass" in 1947, though that metaphor represents only a portion of the system. The area recognized as the Everglades, prior to drainage, was a web of marshes and prairies 4,000 square miles (10,000 km ) in size. Borders between ecosystems are subtle or imperceptible. These systems shift, grow and shrink, die, or reappear within years or decades. Geologic factors, climate, and
20587-444: 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. 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
20760-597: The north flows into the Everglades. Few trees can survive in the conditions of this region, but plants— succulents like saltwort and glasswort —tolerate salt, brackish water, and desert conditions. Animal life in this zone is dependent upon the amount of water present, but commonly found animals include Cape 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. The largest body of water within
20933-477: The northern part of Florida, and tropicals carried as seeds by birds from islands in the Caribbean . 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
21106-459: The ocean. Mangrove trees are well adapted to the transitional zone of brackish water where fresh and salt water meet. The estuarine ecosystem of the Ten Thousand Islands , which is comprised almost completely of mangrove forests, covers almost 200,000 acres (810 km ). In the wet season fresh water pours out into Florida Bay, and sawgrass begins to grow closer to the coastline. In the dry season, and particularly in extended periods of drought,
21279-513: The park is Florida Bay , which extends from the mangrove swamps of the mainland's southern tip to the Florida Keys . Over 800 square miles (2,100 km ) of marine ecosystem lies in this range. Coral , sponges , and seagrasses serve as shelter and food for crustaceans and mollusks , which in turn are the primary food source for larger marine animals. Sharks, stingrays , and barracudas also live in this ecosystem. Pelicans, shorebirds , terns, and black skimmers ( Rynchops niger ) are among
21452-431: The park that constantly shift in size owing to the amount of water present and other environmental factors. Freshwater sloughs are 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 (30 m) per day. Shark River Slough and Taylor Slough are significant features of
21625-403: The park was visibly suffering. The C&SF was directed to provide enough water to sustain the park; it did not follow through. A proposed airport that would have dire environmental effects on 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
21798-471: The park's creation. Various other interests, including land developers and sport hunters, demanded that the size of the park be decreased. The commission was also tasked with proposing a method to raise the money to purchase the land. The search coincided with the arrival of the Great Depression in the United States, and money for land purchase was scarce. The U.S. House of Representatives authorized
21971-695: The park, closed the park to airboats , directed the Department of the Army to restore water to improve the ecosystems within Everglades National Park, and "Direct(ed) the Secretary of the Interior to 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." Bush remarked in his statement when signing
22144-697: The park, leaving out Big Cypress, Key Largo, the Turner River area , and a 22,000-acre (34.4 sq mi; 89.0 km ) tract of land called "The Hole in the Donut" that was too highly valued for agriculture. Miami Herald editor John Pennekamp was instrumental in pushing the Florida Legislature to raise $ 2 million to purchase the private land inside the park boundaries. It was dedicated by President Harry Truman on December 6, 1947, one month after Marjory Stoneman Douglas's book The Everglades: River of Grass
22317-503: The park, was declared a wilderness area . It was renamed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness in 1997. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on October 24, 1979, and as a Wetland of International Importance on June 4, 1987. It was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger from 1993 until 2007 and then again in 2010. The park was added again due to the continued degradation of
22490-446: The park. Sawgrass growing to a height of 6 feet (1.8 m) 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 for Marjory 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
22663-443: The peat into carbon dioxide and water. Some of the peat was burned by settlers to clear the land. Some homes built in the areas of early farms had to have their foundations moved to stilts as the peat deteriorated; other areas lost approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) of soil depth. Fire is an important element in the natural maintenance of the Everglades. The majority of fires are caused by lightning strikes from thunderstorms during
22836-480: The people lived in relative isolation from the majority culture. The construction of the Tamiami Trail , beginning in 1928 and spanning the region from Tampa to Miami, altered their ways of life. Some began to work in local farms, ranches, and souvenir stands. Some of the people who interacted more with European Americans began to move to reservations in the 1940s. These were their bases for reorganizing their government and they became federally recognized in 1957 as
23009-476: The preservation of the Everglades. 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 Park was created in 1916 and protected Paradise Key; it included several trails and a visitor center several miles from Homestead . Miami-based naturalists first proposed that
23182-432: The purchase of 207,000 acres (323.4 sq mi; 837.7 km ) of land at a cost of $ 1 billion. The plan aims to spend $ 10.5 billion over 30 years, combining 50 different projects and giving them 5-year timelines. Everglades National Park was directly hit by Hurricanes Katrina , Wilma , and Rita in 2005. Such storms are a natural part of the park's ecosystem; 1960's Hurricane Donna left nothing in
23355-509: The rare, critically endangered Florida panther ( Puma concolor couguar ). Miami-Dade County was once covered in 186,000 acres (290.6 sq mi; 752.7 km ) of pine rockland forests, but most of it was harvested by the lumber industry. Pineland ecosystems (or pine rocklands) are characterized by shallow, dry sandy loam over a limestone substrate covered almost exclusively by slash pines ( Pinus elliottii var. densa ). Trees in this ecosystem grow in solution holes , where
23528-410: The reason for the black color of Everglades muck. Layers of charcoal have been detected in the peat in portions of the Everglades that indicate the region endured severe fires for years at a time, although this trend seems to have abated since the last occurrence in 940 BC . Several ecosystems are present in the Everglades, and boundaries between them are subtle or absent. The primary feature of
23701-720: The region floods again during the wet season, the fish and amphibians which were sustained in the alligator holes then repopulate freshwater marl prairies. Hammocks are 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 form canopies under 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
23874-440: The region were made of shell, bone, wood, and animal teeth; shark teeth were used as cutting blades, and sharpened reeds became arrows and spears. Shell mounds still exist today within the park, giving archaeologists and anthropologists evidence 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;
24047-403: The region where the Tequesta lived. Common descriptions of Native Americans in Florida by 1820 used only the term "Seminoles". Following the demise of the Calusa and Tequesta, Native Americans in southern Florida were referred to as "Spanish Indians" in the 1740s, probably due to their friendlier relations with Spain. The Creek invaded the Florida peninsula; they conquered and assimilated what
24220-543: The region. The deterioration of the Everglades, including poor water quality in Lake Okeechobee , was linked to the diminishing quality of life in South Florida's urban areas. In 2000 the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was approved by Congress to combat these problems, which at that time was considered the most expensive and comprehensive environmental restoration attempt in history; however, implementation faced political complications. The first written record of
24393-540: The river over it. Much less permeable, this formation is highly calcitic and is composed of sandy shell marl, clay, and sand. Water underneath the Caloosahatchee Formation is typically very mineralized. Both the Tamiami and Caloosahatchee Formations developed during the Pliocene Epoch . Surrounding the southern part of Lake Okeechobee is the Fort Thompson Formation, made of dense, hard limestone, shells, and sand. Rain water
24566-612: The road, which runs to the Flamingo Visitor Center and marina, open and staffed during the busier time of the year. The Gulf Coast Visitor Center is closest to Everglades City on State Road 29 along the west coast. The Gulf Coast Visitor Center gives canoers access to the Wilderness Waterway , a 99-mile (160 km) canoe trail that extends to the Flamingo Visitor Center. The former Royal Palm State Park
24739-410: The rock is especially porous and stores water during the dry season in the Everglades, and its chemical composition determines the vegetation prevalent in the region. The Miami Oolite facies also acts to impede flow of water from the Everglades to the ocean between Fort Lauderdale and Coot Bay (near Cape Sable ). The metropolitan areas of Miami , Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach are located on
24912-539: The rock underneath the Everglades can be explained by the geologic history of the state. The crust underneath Florida was at one point part of the African region of the supercontinent Gondwana . About 300 million years ago, North America merged with Africa, connecting Florida with North America. Volcanic activity centered on the eastern side of Florida covered the prevalent sedimentary rock with igneous rock . Continental rifting began to separate North America from Gondwana about 180 million years ago. When Florida
25085-667: The salt water creeps inland into the coastal prairie, an ecosystem that buffers the freshwater marshes by absorbing sea water. Mangrove trees begin to grow in fresh water ecosystems when the salt water goes far enough inland. There are three species of trees that are considered mangroves: red ( Rhizophora mangle ), black ( Avicennia germinans ), and white ( Laguncularia racemosa ), although all are from different families. All grow in oxygen-poor soil, can survive drastic water level changes, and are tolerant of salt, brackish, and fresh water. All three mangrove species are integral to coastline protection during severe storms. Red mangroves have
25258-491: 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. President George H. W. Bush signed the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act on December 13, 1989, that added 109,506 acres (171.1 sq mi; 443.2 km ) to the eastern side of
25431-402: 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 (15 m) because of wind, fire, and climate. The plant growth around the hammock base
25604-425: The shoreline include raccoons , opossums , bobcats , and fox squirrels . Humans likely first inhabited the South Florida region 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. Two tribes of Native Americans developed on the peninsula's southern tip: the Tequesta lived on the eastern side and the Calusa , greater in numbers, on the western side. The Everglades served as a natural boundary between them. The Tequesta lived in
25777-413: The slow movement of surface water; instead, water seeps through a calcitic mud called marl . Algae and other microscopic organisms form periphyton , which attaches to limestone. When it dries it turns into a gray mud. Sawgrass and other water plants grow shorter in freshwater marl than they do in peat , the other type of soil in the Everglades which is found where water remains present longer throughout
25950-572: The slowly moving water, but may die in unusually deep floods if oxygen is unable to reach its roots. It is particularly vulnerable immediately after a fire. The hydroperiod for the marsh is at least nine months, and can last longer. Where sawgrass grows densely, few animals or other plants live, although alligators choose these locations for nesting. Where there is more room, periphyton grows. Periphyton supports larval insects and amphibians, which in turn are consumed as food by birds, fish, and reptiles. It also absorbs calcium from water, which adds to
26123-459: The small forest the appearance of a dome from the outside. They also grow in strands, slightly elevated on a ridge of limestone bordered on either side by sloughs. Other hardwood trees can be found in cypress domes, such as red maple , swamp bay , and pop ash . If cypresses are removed, the hardwoods take over, and the ecosystem is recategorized as a mixed swamp forest. Eventually the water from Lake Okeechobee and The Big Cypress makes its way to
26296-654: The soft limestone has worn away and filled with soil, allowing plants to take hold. 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 burns in 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. Most plants in
26469-503: The southern portion of the Florida peninsula dates to 15,000 years ago. Before European colonization, the region was dominated by the native Calusa and Tequesta tribes. With Spanish colonization, both tribes declined gradually during the following two centuries. The Seminole , formed from mostly Creek people who had been warring to the North, assimilated other peoples and created a new culture after being forced from northern Florida into
26642-420: The surrounding peat, or they may grow on land that has been unharmed by deep peat fires. Hardwood hammocks exhibit a mixture of subtropical and hardwood trees, such as Southern live oak ( Quercus virginiana ), gumbo limbo ( Bursera simaruba ), royal palm ( Roystonea ), and bustic ( Dipholis salicifolia ) that grow in very dense clumps. Near the base, sharp saw palmettos ( Serenoa repens ) flourish, making
26815-626: The town of Davie , and developing regions in Lee and Dade counties. The canals also cleared water that made way for agricultural fields growing sugarcane . In the 1920s, a population boom in South Florida created the Florida land boom , which was described by author Michael Grunwald as "insanity". 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
26988-415: The trees have several adaptations that simultaneously promote and resist fire. The sandy floor of the pine forest is covered with dry pine needles that are highly flammable. South Florida slash pines are insulated by their bark to protect them from heat. Fire eliminates competing vegetation on the forest floor , and opens pine cones to germinate seeds. A period without significant fire can turn pineland into
27161-462: The type of soil and the amount of water present. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Royal Palm at Everglades National Park has a tropical monsoon climate ( Am ). Summers are long, hot, and very wet and winters are warm and dry. While they are common in the northern portion of Florida , no underground springs feed water into the Everglades system. An underground reservoir called
27334-764: The water at high levels to provide oxygen for the root systems. Dwarf cypress trees grow in drier areas with poorer soil. Epiphytes , such as bromeliads , Spanish moss ( Tillandsia usneoides ), orchids and ferns grow on the branches and trunks of cypress trees. Everglades National Park features twenty-five species of orchids. Tall cypress trees provide excellent nesting areas for birds including wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ), ibis, herons, egrets, anhingas ( Anhinga anhinga ), and belted kingfisher ( Megaceryle alcyon ). Mammals in cypress regions include white-tailed deer, squirrels, raccoons , opossums , skunks, swamp rabbits, river otters ( Lontra canadensis ), and bobcats , as well as small rodents. Mangrove trees cover
27507-415: The water to areas within 16 counties in South Florida. Approximately 35,600 acres (55.6 sq mi; 144.1 km ) of man-made wetlands are to be constructed to confine contaminated water before it is released to the Everglades, and 240 miles (390 km) of canals that divert water away from the Everglades are to be destroyed. During the first five years of implementation, CERP was responsible for
27680-429: The wet season. Their effects are largely superficial, and serve to foster specific plant growth: sawgrass will burn above water, but the roots are preserved underneath. Fire in the sawgrass marshes serves to keep out larger bushes and trees, and releases nutrients from decaying plant matter more efficiently than decomposition . Whereas in the wet season, dead plant matter and the tips of grasses and trees are burned, in
27853-411: 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 a monoculture . Other grasses, such as muhly grass ( Muhlenbergia sericea ) and broad-leafed water plants can be found in marl prairies. Animals living in
28026-518: The years to the park or incorporated into other protected areas: Biscayne National Park , Big Cypress National Preserve , John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary were all protected after the park's opening in 1947. Everglades National Park was designated an International Biosphere Reserve on October 26, 1976. On November 10, 1978, 1,296,500 acres (2,025.8 sq mi; 5,246.7 km ), about 86% of
28199-426: Was sugarcane . Approximately 50 percent of the original Everglades has been developed as agricultural or urban areas. Following this period of rapid development and environmental degradation, the ecosystem began to receive notable attention from conservation groups in the 1970s. Internationally, UNESCO and the Ramsar Convention designated the Everglades a Wetland Area of Global Importance. The construction of
28372-684: 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
28545-611: Was appointed in 2015 and continues to serve. 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. The reorganized unified Interior regions put it in the new Region 2. 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
28718-541: 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". Regions originally included in Ernest Coe's vision for a national park were slowly added over
28891-470: Was labeled " Pa-hai-okee " on a U.S. military map from 1839, although it had earlier been called "Ever Glades" throughout the Second Seminole War . A 2007 survey by geographers Ary J. Lamme and Raymond K. Oldakowski found that the "Glades" has emerged as a distinct vernacular region of Florida. It comprises the interior areas and southernmost Gulf Coast of South Florida , largely corresponding to
29064-552: Was left of pre-Columbian societies into the Creek Confederacy. They were joined by remnant Indian groups and formed the Seminole, a new tribe, by ethnogenesis . The Seminole originally settled in the northern portion of the territory. In addition, free blacks and fugitive slaves made their way to Florida, where Spain had promised slaves freedom and arms if they converted to Catholicism and pledged loyalty to Spain. These African Americans gradually created communities near those of
29237-718: Was part of Africa, it was initially above water, but during the cooler Jurassic Period , the Florida Platform became a shallow marine environment in which sedimentary rocks were deposited. Through the Cretaceous Period , most of Florida remained a tropical sea floor of varying depths. The peninsula has been covered by seawater at least seven times since the bedrock formed. Fluctuating sea levels compressed numerous layers of calcium carbonate , sand, and shells. The resulting permeable limestone formations that developed between 25 million and 70 million years ago created
29410-428: Was released. The same year, several tropical storms struck South Florida, prompting the construction of 1,400 miles (2,300 km) of canals, sending water unwanted by farmers and residents to the ocean. The Central 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
29583-406: Was seeping into the Biscayne Aquifer, South Florida's water source. In the 1940s, Marjory Stoneman Douglas , a freelance writer and former reporter for The Miami Herald , began to research the Everglades for an assignment about the Miami River . She studied the land and water for five years and published The Everglades: River of Grass in 1947, describing the area in great detail, including
29756-503: Was the site of the first Everglades National Park visitor center and later became the Royal Palm Visitor Center within the park. The western coast of the park and the Ten Thousand Islands and 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
29929-463: Was torn down; nothing is slated to replace it. Everglades National Park reported in 2005 a budget of over $ 28 million. Of that, $ 14.8 million was granted from the National Park Service and $ 13.5 million from various sources including CERP, donations, and other grants. 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
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