Conservation of the Everglades National Park - Research Paper Example

Conservation of the Everglades National Park Introduction Everglades National Park is home to several species of native flora and fauna, stretching a total of 5000 square miles of largely swampy land. On December 6, 1947, President Harry S. Truman dedicated the Park for conservation, paving way for expansion plans suggested by the congress months before its official opening. On the eastern side, the Park borders a high strip of land stretching along the coastline, joining the mangrove swamps to the south, Big Cypress Swamps to the west and another coastline fifteen feet above the sea level to the North. The Park is home to several species of wildlife such as herons, eglets, wood storks, red-shouldered hawks, snail kites, wild turkeys, woodpeckers, and warblers. In addition, it is the only Park in the world with two contrasting species of animals coexisting in the same ecosystem. For example, alligators, commonly found in temperate climatic zones, live with crocodiles, only found in tropical zones. Since the Park receives both freshwater and saltwater from different sources, plants and animals from temperate and tropical climatic zones are a common feature. Funding from external sources is necessary to support conservation programs aimed at preserving the existing ecosystem, as well as develop lasting solutions to slow down the effects of global warming on the Park’s flora and fauna. Diversity and biological interrelationships among the life forms in the area During the dry season, often experienced between December and April, the alligator digs out large holes in the limestone that provides shelter for turtles, insects, wading birds, and fish. These holes provide a secure place for these animals to cool down during the day before returning to their habitats at night (Spoolman & Miller, 2011). Moreover, during the wet seasons, alligators spread out the marshes floating on the water to make way for wading birds and other freshwater animals. The life cycle of the snail kites is dependent upon the availability of the apple snail, which is its staple prey in the Park. Due to the seasonal water flow affecting the Park, the population of the apple snails is diminishing, endangering the survival of the snail kites. Thus, conservancy strategies have been put in place to control the use of water in the Park so as to reverse the current seasonal dry spells that, for years, have disrupted the Park’s ecosystem. For there to be a stable balance between the predators and their prey, conservancy programs should be modeled towards reversing the effects of global warming currently affecting the flora and fauna native to the Park (Balint, Stewart, Desai, & Walters, 2011). Mangrove trees provide nesting grounds for different species of birds living in the Park. Furthermore, snakes prey on these birds for survival, thus keeping the mangrove forest intact would strengthen this food chain, providing a balance between the two species dominant in the Park. Human intrusions threatening the Park Although the Park is protected from the inside, its surroundings are constantly being destroyed by human activities, such as building canals to redirect water from the river for irrigation. The water channeled off the Park is being utilized by the neighboring communities to water their plantations, as well as for domestic use. Besides, the canal’s major objective is to control flooding during the rainy season when water from the springs overflows to the plantations surrounding the Park (Parrish, 2011). Water from the “River of Grass” is currently being used to irrigate sugarcane plantations located between the Park and Lake Okeechobee. It is said that the river no longer flows to the Park as it used to when the Park was opened, since most of the water is being tapped for domestic and industrial use. As the watershed system deteriorates due to human activity around the Park, the flat sawgrain has encroached the Lake, replacing hummocks of palmetto that are the prime nesting sites for several wading birds. This has, in turn, affected the breeding patterns of eglets and herons as they lack stable nesting grounds necessary to support their delicate eggs (Parrish, 2011). As on May 30, 2010, the total number of wading birds had decreased by more than 90% to a figure below 15,000 since the Park was opened in 1947. If nothing is done to stop human activities channeling water off the Lake, soon the bird species will be extinct. In addition, the seasonal water flow to the Lake from the spring has greatly disrupted the breeding cycle of the apple snail. This trend threatens to wipe off snail kites into extinction as they prey on apple snails, which are currently endangered by human activities like siphoning water from the Lake. Protections that exist to safeguard and preserve the area As a measure to solve problems facing the Park, the federal government, in partnership with private agencies, has initiated ambitious reconstruction plans aimed at restoring the Park’s water flow pattern to resemble the original pattern. The reconstruction plan aims to redirect water tapped via canals back to the Lake to revive the dying flora and fauna in the marsh areas of the Park. As a way of filtering phosphorus pollutants swept to the Lake from plantations that use inorganic fertilizers outside the Park, border marshes have been established around the Park to serve as filters of all the water entering the Park from the surrounding plantations. Ecologists working on the recovery project of the Florida Bay estuary have instituted waste disposal standards aimed at improving the quality of water being released to the estuary (Hollar, 2011). The effects of these initiatives are evident, as the quality of water being released to the estuary from industries has greatly improved, reviving the plant and animal life in the Park. The government has set aside funds that are currently being used to spearhead a campaign aimed at eradicating non-native plants such as Melaleuca and Brazilian Pepper, fish, birds, and reptiles that have invaded the Park, threatening to eliminate the native species. The Park’s proximity to Miami has had its benefits and disadvantages. As a benefit to the Park, locals stream down from Miami in large numbers to visit the Park, since it is a very short distance to drive on any day of the week (Jewel, 2011). To support the reconstruction plans, a task force was formed consisting of stakeholders sourced from several federal agencies, both local and tribal. The task force aims to restore and preserve the south Florida ecosystem, as well as maintain revenue collection from the Park at manageable levels. The task force sources for ideas from the public before creating or developing strategies which focus on scientific issues and infrastructure management to improve the deteriorating conditions of the Park. Efforts that have been made to further this preservation The Park’s management has introduced regulations to control recreational boating in order to prevent further damage to the seagrass beds that support the Florida Bay. Moreover, the management team is seeking more funding from the government, as well as from private investors, to aid in the conservation initiatives being planned to restore the Park to its former glory. Everglades’ scientists are currently mapping the conditions necessary for the survival of rare plants and animal species in order to develop appropriate habitats for them as way of restoring those destroyed by seasonal flooding. Corridors are being erected in the Park to allow the movement of vulnerable species, as they migrate due to changing climatic conditions in the area. Visitors to the Park have been restricted to use only minimum fuel-consuming vehicles to reduce carbon emissions in order to slow down the effects of global warming that have wiped out close to 90% of all the original glaciers present in the area. Buildings have been installed with energy conserving equipment to reduce the use of electricity in the Park, as well as generating solar and wind power to substitute the mains (Jewel, 2011). Efforts are underway to restore the crocodile dam so that the reptiles can breed without interference. Individual efforts to conserve the Park’s ecosystem Natives living in the environs of Everglades National Park have started Citizen Volunteering programs aimed at assisting government initiatives concerned with conserving the ecosystem. Volunteers work to clear the sawweed that hinders the movement of wading birds as they search for food in the Lake. It is a joint venture between the management in charge of the Park and the community. The initiative aims to promote environmentally friendly farming practices that do not pollute the water flowing into the Lake. Additional measures to insure the preservation of the property Activities such as volunteering and citizen scientist programs can assist to educate the natives of South Florida on the benefits of conserving the environment for future generations. Moreover, regulations need to be put in place to control the type and amount of agricultural fertilizers that farmers use in their plantations next to the Park. The aim of this measure would be to ensure that the level of toxicity and agricultural pollutants is controlled to prevent further damage to the fragile ecosystem (Spoolman & Miller, 2011). Agricultural pollutants disrupt the aquatic life in the Park, causing a scarcity of food for wading birds such as herons that are dependent on it. As a prerequisite to improving the quality of water flowing to the Lake, the public health department of the Federal government should regulate carbon emissions from industries in Miami to prevent the formation of acidic rain that poisons the freshwater streaming down from the melting glaciers. Plans have been put in place to create additional habitats that are secure and enhanced to protect panthers from hunters roaming the park at night in search of game meat. As a way of helping panthers increase in number, artificial insemination programs have been introduced to breed panthers in captivity before releasing them to the wild. So far, eight panthers have successfully been propagated using this program. Appeal to the biological diversity If the human intrusions are not controlled, the flow of water may be completely altered, leading to the Lake drying up and endangering the aquatic life of this magnificent Park. In addition, non-native plant and animal species are slowly pushing the native species aside, creating an imbalance in the ecosystem. If this trend is not arrested in time, the Park may end up losing its original species, paving way for parasitic weeds that do not support aquatic life in the level (Balint, Stewart, Desai, & Walters, 2011). Eventually, the food chain will crumble, leading to the extinction of species that depend upon others for survival. For example, the wading birds will disappear as soon the fish they depend on for food become extinct. The continuous degradation of the marine and estuarine habitats dominant in the area threatens to push the sea turtle, native to the park, to extinction. Commercial harvesting of their eggs by local anglers has significantly reduced their population. Furthermore, the Everglades’ wood stork is currently classified as an endangered species that is fighting extinction due to lack of food during the flooding seasons, when the sea levels rise above their nests. On the other hand, panthers living in the park face several health-risks, some of which are caused by industrial activities around the park that release their waste into the estuary. This has led to a severe case of mercury poisoning that has killed seven panthers over the last 10 years (Balint, Stewart, Desai, & Walters, 2011). Occasionally, panthers have been found dead on State Road 29 after being run over by cars. Therefore, if conservation programs are not established soon, the park will soon loose some of its vital habitats that play host to several species unique to Everglades National Park. This will, in turn, edge out several species, leaving the park without wildlife for future generations. Conclusion It is the responsibility of the government and the community to come together and strategize on ways to save this valuable Park, which is home to hundreds of rare species. From the above joint initiative, the government will benefit from the revenue collected from the Park visitors, while the community will continue to enjoy the ripple effects such as improved economic standards and environment in the area. Lastly, though all measures aim to save the endangered species, global warming is still a problem that needs to be addressed. Appropriate measures to slow down its effects on the plant and animal life in the Park should be implemented. References Balint, J. P., Stewart, E. R., Desai, A., & Walters, C. L. (2011). Wicked Environmental Problems: Managing Uncertainty and Conflict. Chicago: Island Press. Hollar, S. (2011). Protecting the Environment. Carlifornia: The Rosen Publishing Group. Jewel, D. S. (2011). Exploring Wild South Florida. Manhattan: Pineapple Press Inc. Parrish, A. (2011). Everglades National Park. Our Staes: Geographic Treasures. New York: Cengage Learning. Spoolman, S., & Miller, G. (2011). Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions. New York: Cengage Learning. Read More