For more information
Call 1-800-351-0222
Call 1-800-351-0222
FLORIDA EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK.
Term Paper ID:25683
Essay Subject:
Origins, flora & fauna, water system, pollution, restoration, legislation.... More...
10 Pages / 2250 Words
19 sources, 35 Citations,
OTHER Format
$40.00
More Papers on This Topic
Paper Abstract:
Origins, flora & fauna, water system, pollution, restoration, legislation.
Paper Introduction:
The Florida Everglades National Park is the second largest national park in the lower 48 states, and the largest freshwater marshland in the world (10). It is home to more than 600 kinds of animals, and 900 plant species that dwell in a variety of habitats, including mangrove forests, a dry pineland ridge, shallow sloughs that carry fresh water through the park, and several types of tree islands (13:12). While hunting in the park has all but ceased because of the efforts of the park rangers, the park and its residents are now in danger from the effects of pollution from nearby vegetable farms, sugarcane plantations and real estate development. This paper will look at factors contributing to the pollution of the everglades and what is being done to combat the problem and restore the park to its original state.
Text of the Paper:
The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper.
Carney, J. The estimated cost ofthe cleanup is between $7 million and $1 billion. Natl. Not so sweet in sugar land.Newsweek. It was planted in the mid-3 s by anurseryman who thought the tree would suck the water from the ground andprovide a source of lumber on the dried-out land (3). Although the projects are hailed as the beginning of a massiverestoration project, conservationists and other officials are worried aboutpossible adverse consequences (18). Estimates of the cost of restoration ofthe Everglades put the figure at upward of $4 billion for water qualitycontrol and flood protection. Cleansing the river of grass: under new lawU.S., Florida split tab. 1997 Nov. Water used to irrigate fertilized sugarcane fields in the EvergladesAgricultural Area picks up phosphorus and other pollutants, which are thenchanneled into the water-conservation areas. Marshes to filter out pollution in Everglades mayendanger birds. They will flood the land to create avast reservoir and restore saw grass marshes to perform the conservationand cleansing roles played by Lake Okeechobee before humans interfered withthe natural water flow. Itis believed that if the water leaving the filter marsh is clean enough, thenative saw grass will be able to hold its own and reestablish itself inareas contaminated with farm runoff carried deep into the Everglades byflood control canals. Plans to establish a vast series of filtering marshes designed toscour out farm pollution before it reaches the wilds may help restore theEverglades, but it could also prove harmful. All polluters must share in cleanup of Everglades, courtrules. The South Florida Water Management District agree withenvironmentalists that water restoration is essential. In January of 1997, the multibillion-dollar replumbing of SouthFlorida began with the official launching of two major Dade projects aimedat pumping life back into the parched heart of Everglades National Park andnortheast Florida Bay (18). 1994 Mar-Apr. 1993Sept-Oct. Tomeet the required water-purity standards, farmers would have to convert atleast 4 , acres into marshes to filter out the pollutants. The core project will change the way water flows through the park tosomething that more closely resembles the southerly flow which existedbefore the construction of levees and canals. The land would be bought from farmers as itbecame available or acquired by compensated takeovers by the state. 1989Sept. The WashingtonPost. 68:11.1 . In 1988, theRepublican United States Attorney General sued the state of Florida forbreaking its own laws in pumping pollutants into federal lands (4). The sugar industry claim this tax would drive them out ofbusiness and cost the state 4 , industry-related jobs. A:3. In 1994, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a permitto allow pumping of water through the first marsh, a 4,7 -acre prototypein western Palm Beach, but ordered the district to test for presence of theparasite (16). Mairson, A. Thesnout beetle feeds exclusively on the melaleuca tree (3). The Everglades National Park in Florida was authorized by Congress in1934 and established in June, 1947 (11). Everglades National Park expansion back ontrack. Richey, W. An expert on bird-killingparasites says that 4 , acres of "manufactured wetlands" will lure birdsby the thousands, but the pollution they filter could also attract thedeadly Eustrongylides ignotus parasitic worm. Another disruption to the natural habitat of the Everglades was theintroduction of the melaleuca tree. 1997.12. It took more than a year for thewater to reach the bay, and along the way it provided a habitat foralligators, fish and other wildlife. Since the building of the canals, much of the water is shuttled outto sea before it seeps into the ground, which threatens the water supplyfor the growing population in the area (7). Los Angeles Times. According to the Florida Audubon Society website, two current senatebills (#229 and #2142) concerning cleanup of the Everglades wereconsidered this month (3/18/98 and 3/19/98) and referred to NaturalResources for further consideration. The population of wading birds - a symbol ofhealthy marshland - had plummeted to 18,5 from the 265, storks, heronsand egrets that lived there at the turn of the century. The New York Times. Rozsa, L. Florida also gavethe federal government $2, , for acquisition of additional land withinthe park and beyond its boundaries (11). Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. Restoration of water levels in the bay should lead to greater numbersand concentrations of fish. L. 29:329. At the bay, it mixed with salt waterover acres of sea grass, providing a productive nursery for fish andshrimp. The Washington Post. Bringing back the Everglades. 7. They say it is unfair to levy a tax on the industry whenthey are already reducing phosphorus runoff and have committed $22 millionto Everglades restoration (8). TheChristian Science Monitor. Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. The sugar industry argues that phosphates are only a small portion ofthe problems in the everglades and that most phosphates washing into themarshes occur naturally in south Florida soil. The canal system has resulted in a 95 percent drop in the populationof wading birds, and more than 5 species of Everglades plants and animalsare threatened or endangered, including the Florida panther, the wood storkand the snail kite, the American crocodile, the southern bald eagle and theloggerhead turtle (13:6). Zaneski, C. F. 1996 Sept. The parasite does well in high-phosphorusconditions. Clark, M. The canals draw off 4 percent of the fresh water that used to flowthrough the Everglades and direct it straight to the ocean. A large part of the moneywould be used to buy 126, acres of land that, once cleared, wouldprovide a buffer for the fragile ecosystem. 1996 Mar. Evison, S. 8. The Florida Supreme Court, in 1997, held that a constitutionalamendment for the cleanup of the Everglades passed by voters in November,1996 required that polluters both inside and outside the region be heldpartly responsible for pollution. This could leadto a resurgence of life in the bay. Alligators are safe, but the Everglades isendangered. If the western marshesare flooded again in 1998, it is predicted that the sparrow will be extinctin 25 years. Although no one believes that full restoration of the Everglades toits natural state is possible, the efforts underway to reduce pollution,clean up overgrowth of plant growth not natural to the area, andrestoration of water flow to near-normal will go a long way to preservingthe world's largest freshwater marsh and maintaining its unique flora andfauna. They blame mismanagement ofthe water supplies throughout southern and central Florida for many of theEverglades' problems. The land,mostly sugar farms, will allow scientists and engineers to start reversingthe decades of damming and dredging. Mercury is anotherpollutant, which is contaminating fish and wildlife, but as yet no oneknows where it is coming from or how much damage it is causing (7:1689). In 1996, the Clinton administration proposed doubling the $1.5billion spending to restore the Everglades. Taylor Slough, a shallow, wide river,was historically the major source of water for eastern Florida Bay. 3:2.15. Everglades cleanup shows some progress. 3. Farmers now use special equipment toapply phosphorus fertilizers in narrow bands directly to the roots ofplants, minimizing the amount of fertilizer used. Administration's plan for the Everglades is balanced and fair. 2. By the 198 s, scientists and environmentalists feared that theerosion caused by humans, particularly the pollution caused by runoff fromthe sugarcane farms, would spell the end of the Everglades, and the battleto save the Everglades began (6). Levinson, M.; Katel, P. 18: Sect.A:1 . The Wilderness Society believes that if the "river ofgrass" turns into a sea of cattails, the water supply for coastal citiesfrom West Palm Beach to Miami could dry up, and a sunny, subtropicalparadise could become a barren wasteland. In the fall of 1996, President Clinton signed legislation to helprevitalize the Everglades, ratifying the United States Army Corps ofEngineers' restoration efforts and committing to split the tab with thestate of Florida (15). It's "big sugar" vs. Science.268:1688-169 ; 1995. A massive effort is underway, and it will be many years beforeits outcome can be judged. 11:211.----------------------- 11 28: Sect. Before thecanals were built, the one- to two-feet deep water slid through 1 9 milesof native saw grass (from which the Everglades was given the nickname"river of grass" by naturalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, one of the firstpeople to show concern for the need to preserve the Everglades) from LakeOkeechobee southward to Florida Bay. The estimated cost for removal of the trees is at least$1 million to $2 million, so a new plan has been adopted. Phosphorus causes the declineof algae, which are at the base of the food chain (9), and fuels aninvasion of phosphorus-loving cattails, which thrive in a high-phosphorusenvironment. 8:1 8.19. Melaleuca trees werelater planted as erosion protection along the rim of the levees at LakeOkeechobee, since it is resistant to drought, flood and fire. A House bill (#1777) concerning thesame issues was withdrawn. 1991 Oct. The present boundaries of thepark were fixed in 196 , but the federal government is moving to expand thepark by 1 9, acres by the turn of the century (18). H. They also level theirfields, use sediment traps and pump their water in more environmentallybenign ways. The disrupted water flow through the Everglades to Florida Bay hasmade the bay unnaturally warm and saline. In 1991, Congress added melaleuca to the government's official listof noxious weeds. Flood waters pouring through gates under the westernTamiami Trail have decimated sparrow populations on the western edges ofthe Shark Slough, while on the east side of the park, the sparrows aresuffering because their marshes are too dry (19). In the spring of 1994, work began to restore thenatural flow of the Kissimmee River, one of the Everglades' most importantwater sources. Battle lines are drawn over the "River ofGrass". 1997 Ap. It was alsoplanted along reclaimed swampland in the area and has grown out of controlin many areas, growing in dense stands covering as much as 5 acres each(3). National Parks. In 1996, it was suggested that a penny a pound taxbe imposed on the sugar industry to help pay for the Everglades pollutionclean up (5). 1994 Apr.12:412.17. 4. 1997 Sept. Along the L-7 canal north ofLoxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, cattail growth is encouraged in thehope that this 3,8 -acre patch of cattails and other fast-growing plantswill act as a huge natural filter to suck the fertilizer out of the runoffwater, permitting cleaner water to be discharged into the everglades. Populations of allother vertebrates, from deer to turtles, are down 75 percent to 9 percent(7). National Parks. It was recognized that itmay not be possible to fully restore the natural water cycles because ofthe potential for flooding, but the hope is that enough of the flow can berestored to prove beneficial. A:2 . It is home to more than 6 kinds of animals, and 9 plantspecies that dwell in a variety of habitats, including mangrove forests, adry pineland ridge, shallow sloughs that carry fresh water through thepark, and several types of tree islands (13:12). 25:26. Theyhave pushed out the native saw grass, making the area uninhabitable formost wildlife (17). Theparasite coils up and grows in the birds' intestines and is likely to killany nestling it infects (16). 1997 Jan. The stateof Florida initially gave 85 , acres to the United States, and threemonths later, a park of 4 7, acres was established. The farmers point to a 1996 report that showed there has been a 68percent reduction in phosphorus pollution with measure instituted to reducepollution from the sugarcane farms. 9. The plan would remove many ofthe canals, levees and pumping stations in an attempt to restore thenatural water flow through the Everglades (1 ). Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. Nesting crocodiles will also be helped by thehigher water levels, and there should be less dramatic shifts in salinityof the water, which will be beneficial for the seagrass. 14:49.13. Everglades plan comes under fire. USDA's latest weapon has a nose for noxiousweeds. 6. Results are not expected until early next century when therest of the restoration is under way. Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. Everglades National Park. Culotta, E. Water diversions have led to the near extinction of the Cape Sableseaside sparrow. big swamp in Everglades cleanup vote. The Everglades: dying for help. A variety ofweevil known as the snout beetle is being used to attack the trees. This has resulted in a giantalgae bloom which jeopardizes the coral reefs and fishing industry of theFlorida Keys (1 ). 1998 Feb. 4:3 4.18. Everglades case heads back to court. There is an ongoing battle between Congress and the sugarcaneindustry in Florida to clean up the phosphorous pollution. 1996 Mar. They are concerned about unintendedflooding of some farms and the resultant pollution of water being mainlinedinto the park. Literature Cited 1. Rosenberg, C. Baker, D. Cattails crowd out native plants and choke waterways. The main source of water for the Everglades is the Shark Slough,which was severed several decades ago by the construction of the TamiamiTrail, and further water reductions have occurred as water has beendirected away from farms and housing developments which border the park(18). It established a 5 /5 federal/state cost share for allauthorized restoration projects. The act ordered the creation of a federaltask force on the Everglades made up of state, regional and localgovernment representatives, as well as delegates from the Seminole andMiccosukee tribes. Gapswill be opened in the earthen mounds along the canal to allow water tospread out more naturally in the marshes on its way to the bay. 1994 Apr.14. The authorization act allowed fora maximum of 2, , acres for the park, which immediately became awildlife refuge so that it could be given organized protection. Water control has exacerbated weather extremes,and in times of drought, water diverted to croplands and city water systemsleaves alligators trying to survive in mere puddles (17). Reviving Florida's fragile "river of grass". Geog. ColliersEncyclopedia. Unabated farm growth eventually consumed more than 7 , acres ofthe Everglades. While hunting in the parkhas all but ceased because of the efforts of the park rangers, the park andits residents are now in danger from the effects of pollution from nearbyvegetable farms, sugarcane plantations and real estate development. T. Scientists arestudying eight or 1 other beetles which may also help curb the melaleucagrowth. By the 197 s, the Everglades had shrunk to less than halfits original size and dozens of animals native to the area were listed asendangered or threatened (6). The Florida Everglades National Park is the second largest nationalpark in the lower 48 states, and the largest freshwater marshland in theworld (1 ). 67:9-1 .11. A second project will build a pump station that will try to restorewater to the Taylor Slough's headwaters, which was drained by constructionof a canal in the late 196 s (18). Army Corps of Engineers dug 56miles of straight canals to replace 1 9 miles of meandering waterways ofthe Kissimmee River for efficiency of river transport and to controlflooding, but in the process, destroyed 1.2 million square meters ofwetlands (7:1688). These worms are eaten byfish and other worms, both of which are eaten by wading birds. Copeland. Last gasp for the Everglades: a surprise lawsuit maykeep Florida's wetlands from choking on pollution. Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. In the 195 s and 196 s, the U.S. 1996 Oct. Thispaper will look at factors contributing to the pollution of the evergladesand what is being done to combat the problem and restore the park to itsoriginal state. Zaneski, C. There are many problems inherent in the plans for restoration of theEverglades, one of which is the alignment of dozens of government agenciesand interest groups, from sugarcane growers to Indian tribes (7). Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. In the same year, a Senate spending plan earmarked $2 million forEverglades cleanup, allowing the government to begin to purchase more than2 , acres of pasture and farmland near Lake Okeechobee (6). Time. In the originalsystem, wetlands cached rainfall for months and recharged the ground waterof the Biscayne Aquifer, which supplies the cities of Florida's southeastcoast. Bold try to restore Everglades begins.Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. Two pump stations along theTamiami Trail will eventually allow more water into the park, once theNational Park Service completes expansion by buying 1 7,6 acres ofprivately-owned wetlands - projected to be completed by 2 12. The $275 million initiative was designed torestore water into two historic Everglades rivers - the Taylor and SharkRiver Sloughs - to bring larger flocks of wading birds, a baby boom forcrocodiles, healthier seagrass beds and booming fish populations to thenortheast bay. Lawmakers must now come up with aspecific plan to put the amendment into practice. T. However, cattails are also proving beneficial in removing phosphoruscontamination from Everglades waters (14). 4: Sect. It is hope the restoration of the natural habitat will come in timeto prevent the extinction of birds, animals and plant life unique to theEverglades. The package included $1 million for restoration ofthe water flow into Florida Bay. 5. Volgenau, G. 26: Sect. There isstill no consensus on exactly how to increase water storage and flow whileguarding against floods, and restorers have yet to make decisions aboutwhich lands to acquire from private owners for water management (4). 1996 Feb.26:226. 12:1 12.16. 1996 Oct. A:1.
If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again:
or
We can write a Custom Essay just for you.
Browse Essays by Subject