Everglades

Everglades

Destruction of the Everglades

Florida was once swampy rural backwater and the poorest and emptiest state in the South but now that modern technology has given us this like air condition and bug spray Florida has become a paradise. Or has it? New research suggests that the Everglades is collapsing, that our barrier beaches could be under water within decades. The water management system that made southern Florida habitable has been stretched beyond capacity, going back and forth between brutal droughts and floods, ruining the Everglades and beaches that have made the region so alluring to everybody in the first place. The housing market boomed and builders didn't have enough water supply. Now we are draining the Everglades, one of the things that makes Florida special, and if we don't do anything to prevent this then we will lose a unique habitat and many species of life.

The Everglades is home to a unique collection of animals and plants. Many worry that the destruction of the Everglades may ultimately lead to the extinction of many species. In fact, there are already 14 endangered species and 9 threatened species living in the glades. Although in my eyes it wouldn't be a bad thing if a couple of species of mosquitoes died out, since I dislike mosquitoes and there are 43 different kinds that live in the Everglades.

The Everglades is also home to the very endangered Florida panther. Southern Florida is a fast-developing area, and declining habitat threatens this species. The two highest causes of mortality for the Florida panthers are automobile injuries and aggression between panthers for territory.There is only an estimated 100 panthers left in the wild and the glades make up a major part of their environment but male panthers need about a 200 mile radius of breeding grounds and the development of the housing market is taking a toll.

The notion of draining the vast wetland has been around for a long time. Settlers, who arrived in...

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