Why The Florida Everglades Ecosystem

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A huge array of plants and animals surrounds you. You take a deep breath inhaling the magnificent scents of the blooming flowers and marshy wetland. Birds darken the sky as they fly overhead and crocodiles lay resting in the sawgrass. Animals live in harmony with each other everday.This place although seems like a fairytale is actually very similar to a well-known place called the Florida Everglades, a subtropical wetland ecosystem with an amazing biodiversity. However, this ecosystem is falling apart due to a variety of reasons. For example, snakes not native to this wetland are introduced threatening this ecosystem's food web. The Florida Everglades is a wetland worth preserving though, because it provides a habitat for wildlife, essentially supports the economy of the United States, and humans benefit from this ecosystem.

To begin with, the Florida Everglades provides a place for different species to live. According to Wetlands and Habitat Loss, wetlands can support a wide diversity of plants, fish, reptiles, mammals, and birds due to their special qualities (Mao 2). For example, the Florida Everglades contain populations of opossums, …show more content…

According to Are the Everglades Forever?, the Florida Everglades creates park and tourism jobs for people. It also provides a water supply for South Florida cities and agriculture to continue running (3). "One out of every three Floridians (7 million people) rely on the Everglades for their water supply" according to "The Everglades: Quick facts". The article Wetlands and Habitat Loss states that "Wetlands serve as a natural buffer zone against storms and hurricanes, slowing down the storms and reducing their force before they move inland" (Mao 3). This means that the Everglades has a big impact on humans because it provides a much needed water supply to humans, creates more opportunities for jobs, and it makes storms and hurricanes less dangerous making areas near it more

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