The Restoration of Florida's Everglades
National Park Wetlands Shrunken, Polluted And Host to Exotic Species
Aug 7, 2008
In the 1940s Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrote about the area in her book, The Everglades: River of Grass, in early effort to educate people about the importance of the area. Since then Florida's Everglades have been designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and a Biosphere Reserve, in addition to being a national park and World Heritage Site.
The Everglades National Park’s Wildlife
The Florida Everglades is home to the endangered Florida panther (Felis concolor), wood stork (Mycteria americana) and Cape Sable seaside sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) as well as threatened species such as the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and the bald eagle (Haliaetus leucocephalus). Both migratory and breeding populations of more than 400 species of birds are found in the Everglades National Park.
Causes of Deterioration of the Everglades
Development near the park threatened well into the late 1960s. The biggest danger came from the start of efforts to drain Big Cypress swamp. The Big Cypress watershed is a critical factor in the health of the Everglades National Park. Luckily, understanding of this interdependence lead to Big Cypress becoming a national preserve in 1974, the first step in protecting the area.
Runoff from farming and homes adds nitrogenous waste to the water table. In areas where the nitrogen levels are high, cattails take over areas that once supported local grass species. Agricultural irrigation also drains the water table reducing critical water flow into the Everglades.
Invasive Exotic Plants and Animals Also a Threat
Multiple introduced fish species, European wild boar (Sus scrofa), Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) and Burmese pythons (Python molurus) are all found in the Evergladnes National Park and appear to be breeding successfully, making their complete eradication extremely difficult.
Non-native plants, especially the Brazilian pepper (Scinus terebinthifolius), are also a concern. Removal efforts within the Everglades are underway for this species, as well as Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia) melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia) Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum) and latherleaf (Colubrina asiatica).
The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
This is an ambitious program to improve the health of the Everglades National Park and surrounding areas that are also part of the south Florida ecosystem. Consisting of 68 separate projects which are expected to take over 30 years to complete, the focus of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is to increase the capacity of the area to store water and meet flood control needs.
An example of a CERP project is the restoration of the Kissimmee River, which had been channalized in the 1960s as part of a flood control program. Today nearly half of the channel has been backfilled and sections of the floodplain restored. Wildlife is already returning to the area in numbers.
Efforts are underway to for the state of Florida to purchase the United States Sugar Corporation, which would result in agricultural land between Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades being restored to overflow land. This marshland would provide more, cleaner water to the area.
The Florida Everglades have suffered for many years as efforts to prevent flood damage, provide water to the cities and towns and land for development. As understanding of the role that wetlands play in the health of the planet, projects to restore Ramsar sites, such as the Everglades will take on more and more importance.
