THE EVERGLADES

History- The south Floridian waters used to flow smoothly from the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee, and southward over low lying lands. The slow moving body of water covered almost 11,000 square miles. This beautiful ecosystem was left untouched for thousands of years until early colonial settlers saw potential farm land in it. By the 1900s, they had already developed the draining process and we're ready to start.

The Everglades National Park was created in 1947 to prevent any more destruction to the wildlife. It's most know for its vast displays of water in ponds, sloughs, sawgrass marshes, hardwood hammock, and forested uplands.

Elevation-20' (6.10 m)
Size- 1.4 million Acres

ANIMALS

• Most known is the American crocodile
• Wading Birds
• Freshwater life
• Flamingos
• And water birds are some of the very a diverse ecosystem that the Everglades have to offer.

PLANTS

• periphyton- very abundant is essentially a building block of the ecosystem.
• Pine Rockland- one of the tallest and majestic trees in the Everglades.
• It hosts a wide variety of colorful plants, like the epiphytic orchids.
• The Everglades has a very temperate climate, so it can host some diverse plant life.

INTERESTING FACTS

• Home of fourteen endangered and nine threatened species.
• Largest designated wilderness in the southeast.
• Only subtropical preserve on the North American continent.