Where are the Everglades? With 1. As a result, a series of canals were created, and in many places, native habitat was converted to agriculture or used for roads and buildings.
However, changes to the ebb and flow of the river damage the natural system, resulting in altered habitat for wildlife. Today, despite what we now realize about the importance of the Everglades, much of the ecosystem has been greatly diminished.
The Burmese python is a nonvenomous snake native to the jungles and marshes of Southeast Asia. Pythons can also be found in Africa and Australia — and now Florida. Non-native Burmese pythons have established a breeding population in South Florida and are one of the most concerning invasive species in the Everglades National Park.
Pythons were imported from Southeast Asia by the tens of thousands for the exotic pet trade, and escaped pets established a breeding population in Florida by the mids. It is illegal to import or purchase Burmese pythons in Florida now, but this species has already wreaked havoc on the state. In their native habitat, pythons play an important role in controlling the populations of prey species. In Florida, however, pythons are killing important native species, such as songbirds, deer and alligators, at alarming rates.
Scientists stated that pythons caused a recent 90 to 99 percent drop in the small mammal population in the Everglades National Park. Since , Florida has implemented a python action team and a python elimination program to trap and remove pythons from the state. Combined efforts from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District have removed more than 3, invasive pythons from the Everglades since the programs began. There are an estimated 3, mosquito species worldwide , and of those species are in the United States.
Of those , about 80 of the species have been found in Florida — 33 of which are hazardous to humans and animals. At least 43 different species of mosquitoes are found just in the Everglades National Park, and 13 of these bite people. A study by the University of Florida collected mosquitoes in the Everglades and analyzed what species they had bitten.
Their research found that humans — and small mammals like raccoons, opossums and deer — were not the main targets of the sampled mosquitoes. Rather, they determined that the collected mosquitoes took 77 percent of their blood meals from the hispid cotton rat ; whereas a study found that sampled mosquitoes only took 15 percent of their blood meals from the hispid cotton rat.
Researchers have attributed this change in diet to the Burmese python, as this snake is eating the small mammals that mosquitos typically feed on. This change in diet to the hispid cotton rat raises concerns because that rat is the only known host of the Everglades Virus , which if spread to humans, can cause inflammation of the brain.
One out of every three Floridians relies on the Everglades for their drinking water supply. A variety of restoration projects, as well as sustained investment and work, are needed to restore this habitat that is vital to humans and wildlife alike.
Numerous conservation projects are currently in the works, including the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. This Bill Saves Wildlife in Crisis. Urge Congress to Support It. Learn More. Our beloved wildlife ambassador has been creating lifelong connections with nature for generations. Donate Take Action. Melanie Lippert December 2, A great egret found in a cypress swamp in the Everglades National Park.
Credit: Kaila Drayton. By the s, developers started digging canals to drain the wetlands. Between and , large tracts of land were converted to agriculture. Henry Flagler constructed the first railroad down the Florida peninsula opening up this area to people.
By the s, visitors and new residents flocked to towns like Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Fort Myers. As they arrived, more canals were dug. Canals, roads, and buildings took the place of native habitats. In , Congress authorized the U. Army Corps of Engineers to construct a system of roads, canals, levees, and water-control structures stretching throughout South Florida. This was intended to provide water and flood protection and to help preserve the Everglades.
In the s, the federal government considered building an international airport in the Everglades area. Florida environmentalists objected. Marjory Stoneman Douglas organized the Friends of the Everglades.
During the century of her life, Marjory Stoneman Douglas was a journalist, playwright, and environmental crusader.
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