Ecological Goods and Services (EG & S)-benefits arising from the ecological functions of healthy ecosystems Chapter 6 Ecosystem goods and services provided by the Everglades Oxygen the many plants in the Everglades provide humans and other organisms with oxygen through Four of the major habitat types found in the Everglades are sawgrass marshes, hammocks, pinelands, and mangroves. Ponds and creeks are important as dry season refugia for many of these species. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee. The Everglades is the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the United States. Degree of ProtectionWithin the historic Everglades, there are three conservation areas: •The Everglades National Park - 2,140 km2•the Big Cypress National Preserve - 222 km2•the Arthur Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge - 572 km2Other water management areas are managed in part for biodiversity conservation. DISTINCTIVE HABITATS The mosaic of habitats found within the Greater Everglades Ecosystem supports an assemblage of plant and animal species not found elsewhere on the planet. With rapid development on both coasts and an expanding agriculture industry, the human demand for water is increasing rapidly while the supply is not changing. Florida Bay: Of the landscapes of the Everglades, Florida Bay is the largest body of water. Learn more about the different Everglades ecosystems at the links below. Fourteen plants and nine vertebrates are Federally listed. The plant relies on the sun; therefore, the plant is a producer in the Everglades. The Everglades is surrounded by human development, including the cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. spatter dock (Nuphar advena). It is full of the most vivid and most interesting life on land, in the air, and in the water. The biome is located on the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. An early American environmentalist named Gifford Pinchotsaid of the Everglades, "It is a region so different that it hardly seems to belong to the United States. In addition to the animals and plants that depend on the land, the Native American Seminole tribe also depend on the land. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. Poaching of deer, alligators, and panthers continues to be a threat. It is home to endangered, rare, and exotic wildlife. It is a sub-tropical refuge to several animal species and plants. Homestead, FL The most famous reptile of the Everglades animals is the American alligator. Which ecosystem has a temperate climate, moderate rainfall, and rich soil that can support many types of tall grasses? As the only conservation organization working throughout the ecosystem, Audubon’s goal for the Everglades is to reestablish colonies of wading birds that have been displaced by drainage, development, and dirty water. Remaining Blocks of HabitatThe most important blocks of habitat (all in southern Florida) are: •Everglades National Park•Big Cypress National Preserve•Arthur Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge•Florida Panther Wildlife Reserves•Fakahatchee Strand•Corkscrew Swamp•Water Conservation Areas•Biscayne National Park. The mosaic of habitats found within the Greater Everglades Ecosystem supports an assemblage of plant and animal species not found elsewhere on the planet. For example, eight distinct habitats have been identified in Everglades National Park alone. These include the following: Coastal lowlands, or coastal prairies, are located on the western coast of the Everglades, just inland from the mudflats of Florida Bay. However, about 30 percent of this unit remains in an altered state that could be restored with proper management described below. Relatives of the … Between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, the peninsula of Florida juts like a pointer from the North American continent to the edge of the Caribbean tropics (Figure 1.1). The Ecosystem of the Florida Everglades The Florida Everglades is a vast wetland ecosystem made up of marshes and swamps. While nine distinct habitats have been identified, the landscape remains dynamic. In general, marshes, either salt or fresh, have frequent, gentle flooding but dense low vegetation slows water flow leaving poorly drained anaerobic soil. View our inclusive approach to conservation. When abandoned, rather than returning to native assemblages, these areas are invaded by exotics such as Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius). The Everglades is a natural region of tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The flooded grassland biome in the Everglades is North America’s most extensive grassland. The last glacial minimum deposited a porous limestone layer, and allows the area to retain water. Many species of introduced fish and lizards have displaced native species. ?Cost-sharing for restoration by the federal government, the state of Florida, and private interests which have contributed to the decline of the Everglades system, including sugar cane growers and other agricultural interests.Conservation Partners. Floating aquatics such as white water lily (Nymphaea odorata) are common and a submerged complex of plants is dominated by bladderwort (Utricularia spp.). 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. Prepared by: E. Dinerstein, A. Weakley, R. Noss, R. Tipton, K. Wolfe. Many observers have identified the Everglades as one of the most endangered of North American ecoregions as a result of clearing for agriculture, diversion of water flow, and other developments. It is a land of strangeness, separate and apart from the common things we all k… The Everglades is a unique place and if you visit this place, you will have the time of your life. Types and Severity of ThreatsAssuming restoration efforts will succeed, degradation threats will decline. This marshy region was considered as inhospitable in the nineteenth century. The effects of fertilizer and pesticide application has reverberated throughout the ecoregion causing widespread degradation. Otherwise degradation threats will intensify and irretrievably affect this ecosystem. Significance of the Estuaries The southern estuaries of the greater Everglades ecosystem include Biscayne Bay on the east, Florida Bay to the south, There is no other place in the world that combines a subtropical climate with a shallow, broad river, and stunning biodiversity into a complex ecosystem except for the unique Everglades. The Everglades is a safe haven for several species of plants and animals. Annual Value of Everglades Ecosystem Services, 2007 (in Billions) ..... 33 Figure 16. It consists of 800-square miles of marine submerged vegetation, coral and sponges. Such types of information help scientists interpret the longer term history of the ecosystem when we find the same species preserved in sediment cores collected throughout a region. Critical corridors on a micro-scale are well documented. Types and Severity of Threats The unique sheet flow, the slow flow of water over shallow, broad tracts of marsh, inspired Douglas (1947) to name the Everglades, River of Grass. 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