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The Everglades
By: Matt, J.P., Alyssa, Reed and Nikki
River Of Life - English - 4 mins.m4v
Where are the Everglades?
= Everglades Ecosystem
Where are the Everglades?
• The Everglades are
located in the Northern
Hemisphere on the
continent of North
America.
• The Everglades can be
found at the southern
most tip of the mainland
of Florida in the United
States of America.
• GPS coordinates:
25°23'42.97" N
80°34"59.36" W
Characteristics
• Animal and plant species that inhabit the
everglades are adapted to tolerate harsh
conditions like fire, hurricanes, heat, humidity,
saltwater and large amounts of freshwater.
• The everglades is a subtropical wilderness of
saw-grass prairie, jungle-like hammock, and
mangrove swamp that originally extended from
Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay.
• Everglades abiotic factors include temperature,
fire and hurricanes.
Characteristics
• Everglades national park is the only place in the
world where alligators and crocodiles co-exist.
• The everglades are often called the “river of
grass”.
• The everglades ecosystem contains a mix of
tropical and temperate plants and animals
including more than 700 plant and 300 bird
species, as well as the endangered manatee,
crocodile, and Florida panther.
Animals (American Alligator)
Characteristics
•
•
•
•
•
Alligators are carnivorous, eating
mostly meat which includes species
such as crabs, crayfish, frogs, fish,
snakes, birds, deer, raccoons and
other animals.
Alligators are cold blooded and have
a scaly body that acts as armor
Females build mounds for nests and
lay up to 30 eggs.
Egg gender is determined by the
temperature of the nest.
91 degrees and higher, eggs will be
male, 85 degrees and lower, eggs will
be female.
Adaptations
•
•
•
Alligators have skin that acts like
armor and its color provides
camouflage.
Alligator females will protect young
for up to 2 years after hatching.
Alligators are generalists and eat
many different species of animals.
Animals (Osprey)
Characteristics
Adaptations
• The osprey is an indicator species • Ospreys are the only raptors
and can be used to monitor
whose outer toe is reversible,
habitat conditions.
allowing them to grasp prey with
2 toes in front and 2 in back.
• Ospreys have a 6 foot wingspan
and have white coloration on
• The oldest osprey chicks rule the
head and underbelly with brown
nest and younger chicks have
wings and back.
been known to leave the nest to
find foster parents.
• Ospreys are carnivores, feeding
mainly on fish; thus, ospreys are • Ospreys emit an oily substance
normally found near water.
that coats their feathers and
makes them waterproof, enabling
them to plunge into the water to
catch fish.
Animals (West Indian Manatee)
Characteristics
Adaptations
• Manatees are marine mammals
that breathe air and feed on
aquatic plants and seagrasses
making them herbivores.
• Manatees can weigh up to 1,000
pounds and are adapted to live in
the tropics.
• They have a large paddle like tail
and move slowly through the
water.
• Manatees feed on many types of
aquatic plants and seagrasses and
may spend up to 8 hours per day
feeding.
• They retreat to warmer waters
during winter months, like Florida
bay and Homosassa Springs.
• Their lungs are positioned along
backbone to help with buoyancy
control.
• Manatees can stay submerged for
up to 20 minutes.
Keystone Species
• Alligators dig “gator holes”
which provides a home for
many insects, fish, turtles,
birds and more during winter
(drought) months.
• Plants piled beside “gator
holes” decay to form soil in
which seeds from other plants
germinate, take root and grow
and can form new islands.
• Alligators feed on many
different species helping to
keep wildlife populations in
balance.
Plants (Mangroves)
Characteristics
•
•
•
Mangroves have extensive root
systems above and below the
ground.
Mangroves serve as a nursery for a
variety of marine species.
They provide defense against winds
and storm surge.
Adaptations
•
•
•
Mangroves are both salt and fresh
water tolerant.
Seeds can begin to grow while still on
parent tree.
Seedlings float and lodge themselves
at first opportunity.
Plants (Slash Pine)
Characteristics
•
•
•
•
Slash pine will take root on exposed
limestone substrate.
Slash pines are found in coastal areas
and are slow growing trees.
These pines are evergreen trees and
produce needles in pairs instead of
producing 3 needle clusters like other
pines.
Pinelands provide refuge for the
Florida panther.
Adaptations
•
•
•
•
Slash pines are very tolerant of fire.
Cones produce paper thin seeds that
are adapted to catch the wind to
spread out.
Slash pines can survive on sandy soils.
They produce sap to deter insects
from burrowing into their wood.
Plants (Bald Cypress)
Characteristics
Adaptations
• Bald cypress trees are deciduous
conifers and loose their leaves
during winter.
• Cypress trees can grow up to 100120 feet tall.
• Cypress trees grow what are
referred to as “knees”, which
biologists are unsure what
purpose they serve.
• Cypress trees can survive in
standing water.
• The base of the tree can be up to
1.8 meters in diameter and
supports the root system.
• Cypress trees can grow on very
shallow soil.
Climate
• South Florida's subtropical climate is characterized by
warm, humid, rainy summers and mild, dry, pleasant
winters with periodic incursions of cool air.
• The everglades are frequented by thunderstorms
during the summer that can produce fire which is an
essential part of the ecosystem.
• Average rainfall in the everglades is around 60 inches
per year.
• The everglades lie within one of the most active
hurricane areas of the united states.
• The temperature in the everglades ranges from
50-95 degrees.
Climate
Month
Average Maximum Temperature
Average Minimum Temperature
Average Precipitation
(deg. F)
(deg. C)
(deg. F)
(deg. C)
(inches)
(mm)
Jan
78
25
54
12
1.65
42
Feb
80
27
56
13
1.85
47
March
82
28
58
15
1.92
49
April
85
29
61
16
2.77
70
May
88
31
66
19
5.86
149
June
90
32
71
22
9.07
230
July
91
33
73
23
7.07
180
Aug
92
33
73
23
8.30
211
Sep
91
32
73
23
8.71
221
Oct
87
31
70
21
5.54
141
Nov
83
28
63
17
2.28
58
Dec
79
26
57
14
1.37
35
Annual
85
30
65
18
56.4
1,432
Environmental Concerns
• Burmese pythons were discovered in the everglades in 2000 and have
expanded their range throughout the park and outlying areas.
• These pythons are voracious feed on a variety of mammals and birds.
• Burmese pythons pose a significant threat to endangered species that are
found in the everglades.
• Burmese pythons can grow to 20 feet long and weigh 200 pounds, at this
size its only predators are humans and alligators.
• Pythons are highly adaptable to the everglades.
• Female pythons have been found carrying 30-50 fertile eggs.
What can you do to help?
Burmese Python
• You can quickly report and/or
remove nonnative species to help
in efforts currently underway.
• If you have a non-domesticated
animal you can no longer care for,
consider attending one of the
Nonnative Pet Amnesty Days
presented by the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Commission.
• Learn to identify our incredible
native reptiles so you won’t
confuse them with exotics.
Everglades and other Ecosystems
•
•
•
•
Volunteer or visit the everglades
Donate
Do not liter
Inform your friends and family
about the everglades and other
ecosystems.
• Be responsible when buying
exotic pets
What if only man-made structures
existed?
• Ecosystems like the everglades are crucial for the survival of
many plant and animal species, some of which would go
extinct if the ecosystem it inhabits disappeared.
• Ecosystems like the everglades not only provide us with the
ability to enjoy recreational activities like hiking and kayaking
but also benefit us in ways such as:
–
–
–
–
Filtering water
Providing medicines
Acting as buffers against storms
Providing food
• If man-made structures only existed many species, habitats,
recreational opportunities, and beneficial resources that we
enjoy would not exist.
• If I could only live in one biome it would be the temperate
forest because that is where I live now and I enjoy the climate.
Sources
• Moeller, Karla. Ask a Biologist: Boundless Biomes. Arizona
State University, 19 July. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
• n.p. Everglades National Park, Monroe, FL. Map. Google
Maps. Google, 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
• n.p. Everglades National Park. National Park Service U.S.
Department of the Interior, 2014. Web 20 Feb. 2014.
• n.p. GORP Everglades National Park: Plant Life. Orbitz Away
LLC, 2002. Web 19 Feb. 2014.
• n.p., National Geographic. National Geographic Society,
1996-2014. Web 20 Feb. 2014.
• Uhler, John. Everglades National Park Flora & Fauna Page.
Hillclimb Media, 1995-2007. Web 19 Feb. 2014.