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Everglades National Park “River of Grass”

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Everglades National Park

“River of Grass”

The Everglades National Park, located in the southern top of the Florida Peninsula and Florida Bay, initially became established as the first national park preserved primarily for its abundance and variety of life, in December 6, 1947 due to President Harry S. Truman. It still holds the record of the only subtropical preserve in North America, containing both temperate and tropical plan communities, as well as marine and estuarine environments, rich bird life, and a home where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side, a unique feature found nowhere else in the world.

The reason behind preserving this park is to create a home for the endangered species such as the American crocodile, Florida panther, and West Indian manatee, and protect the species which depend on the park to breed and live.

The park is the largest designated wilderness eat of the Rocky Mountains, contains the

largest mangrove ecosystem in the western Hemisphere, and is the most significant

breeding grounds for the tropical wading birds in North America.

Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, possessing rare and endangered animal species. It has been designated by World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and Wetland of International Importance. Its subtropical wilderness comprises mangrove swamps, forest, and vast stretches of dense saw grass.

Climate

The Everglades’ climate depends on the time period, as well as natural disasters such as tropical storms or hurricanes that may affect the area in the Atlantic Hurricane Season (June-November). It is accommodated with mild climates, with the exception of cold fronts that generate near freezing conditions.

Winters in the Everglades hold temperatures near a high 77°F (25°C) to a low 53°F (12°C).

In average, summers in the Everglades have the highest temperatures that lie around 90°F (32°C), with humidity over 90%, and have an abundance in mosquitoes after common thunderstorms. Summers come with hot, humid climates all throughout.

The Everglades’ rainy season lasts from June to October, the period of time when mosquitoes appear in high numbers.

Marine Life

Florida Bay, one of the largest bodies of water in the Everglades, contains hundreds of square miles of marine

bottom, much of which was covered by sea grass before a massive die-off began in 1987. Sea grass shelters fish and shellfish that serve as a food source for the larger animals

in the bay.The Florida Bay is home to some of the region's most

imperiled residents. Sea turtles and manatees swim here. In hard-bottomed areas are found hard and soft varieties of corals as well as sponges. There are abundant stingray and fish populations, such as sea trout, barracudas and

sharks.

Bird Life

Included among the rich birdlife are brown pelicans, wood ibis, snowy egrets, three species of heron, roseate spoonbills, turkeys, kingfishers, and several species of

duck. Birds threatened by pesticides—such as the bald eagle,

the osprey, and the brown pelican—can be found nesting. The limpkin, wood ibis, and roseate spoonbill as

well as several species of egrets have had their range restricted elsewhere by drainage and development

Plant Life

Palm, live oak, pine, mahogany, and cypress grow in the forested areas; these are home to the endangered

cougar, as well as black bears, raccoons, and deer. The marshes and waterways host the alligator, turtle,

manatee, and endangered crocodile. Sharks, tarpons, dolphins, and sea trout are found in the coastal bays. Reptiles (such as various species of snake and anole)

and amphibians (such as the American green tree frog) find their homes in the hardwood hammocks. Birds such as barred owls, woodpeckers, cardinals, and Southern bald eagles nest in hammock trees. Mammal species

living in hardwood hammocks include opossums, raccoons, bobcats, Everglades mink, marsh rabbits, white-tailed deer, and the rare, critically endangered

Florida panther

Extra Facts.

Everglades National Park covers 1,509,000 acres (6,110 km2), throughout Dade, Broward, Monroe and Collier counties in Florida. contains the southern 25 percent of the original Everglades marshland region of southwestern Florida visited by one million people each year the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states after Death Valley National Park and

Yellowstone National Park. Thirty-six species designated as threatened or protected live in the park More than 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals, and 50 species of reptiles live within Everglades National Park All of southern Florida's fresh water is recharged by the park, including that of the Biscayne Aquifer The Everglades is a slow-moving system of rivers, flowing southwest at about .25 miles

(0.40 km) per day, fed by the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee.Less than 50 percent of the Everglades which existed prior to drainage attempts remains

intact today Average Rainfall: 60 inches (152 cm) per year.

AnimalsAnimal life includes alligators, white-

tailed deer, and a variety of birds, including herons, ibis, kites, and

turkey vultures. The park is the home of many rare species, such as the

Florida panther, the wood stork, and the American crocodile.