The Fakatchee Strand

The Fakatchee Strand

  • Submitted By: cc2008
  • Date Submitted: 11/22/2009 8:04 PM
  • Category: Science
  • Words: 1282
  • Page: 6
  • Views: 319

The Fakahatchee Strand
The Fakahatchee Strand is located at “N 25 deg., W 81” (FloridaAdventuring.com) and in the middle of the Everglades. The Everglades is one of Florida's largest wetland preserve. The Florida Everglades National Park is the second largest national park in the Untied States. The Everglades supports a complex ecology, one that is increasingly threatened by development. The Strand is home to many animals of all shapes and sizes, plants as tall as humans and home to some of the most beautiful sites in the world. The most important part of the Fakahatchee Strand are the rare orchids and the mystery on how they got here, why the orchid is being poached and endangered animals that make the strand there home.
The Strand has the most diverse population of orchids than any other place in the United States. The Ghost Orchid received its name because the plant has no leaves (only roots) and when it blooms, the flower appears to be floating in mid-air. The Orchids wrap there roots around that cypress tress for support. They rest on the branches of the tress to get sun and adding color and excitement to the swamp. The orchid leaves hold water from the rainy season to help them through the drought of winter. The stored water is also helpful for other little creatures in the swamp too, such as lizards, frogs, snakes and many other hosts (Ake 76-77). The best time to see the different types of orchids in the winter months. Most orchids grow during the summer months of June through September. “These orchids are able to grow up to 3.3 feet tall” (Sunquist 266). Typically, Ghost Orchids have 1-2 blooms although there may be as many as 10, and occasionally a plant will bloom twice in the same season. Thanks to Florida's warm climate, it is home to over 100 different types of rare and exotic orchids, most of which can be found in the Fakahatchee Strand. Orchids were blown here hundreds of years ago during the hurricane period. They used to wind as the travel...

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