The Effect of Pesticide Runoffs on the Everglades

The Everglades used to be a very beautiful tourist attraction, but have been largely affected by the existence of pesticides. However, the majority of pesticides is not specifically targeting the pest only but they also affect non-target plants and animals during their application. The Effect of pesticide runoffs on the Everglades is destroying one Florida’s major tourist attractions due to the cultivation of sugar cane just to mention one of those responsible and creates a loss of natural habitat, water pollution, and threatens existence of wildlife. Many pesticides are not easily degradable; they persist in soil, leach to groundwater and surface water and contaminate wide environment.

The loss of natural habitats.

This is a very critical situation that needs to be fixed urgently. The habitats of the Everglades depend on an annual water cycle which has been hindered by the development construction which was imposed on the farmland. Back in the 19th century, developers were keen on draining all the swamps in the Everglades for developmental purposes. Their intention was to grow sugarcane plantations on the land yet sugarcanes are highly destructive to the Everglades. They too disrupt the water cycle to which the wildlife has adapted. The Florida sugar industry built on the southern Shore of Lake Okeechobee directly clocks the water source for the remaining Everglades hence destroying the habitats of the wildlife existing in the affected areas.

The government needs to intervene now and stop this practice before the wildlife in South Florida is driven into extinction. The soil of south Florida is not ideal for sugar production therefore this production should be relocated to other parts of the countries with soils that favour...

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