CW4:0323
From Environmental Technology
Can the Everglades Survive?
|
G |
| OK |
a) The most critical issue for the everglades is water management. Storms flood the area in the summer. Water control disrupts the natural flow of the wide based river. From May to October, rain waters fall. Water level drops during the dry season, from December to April. In May, rain falls again, restarting the cycle.
| OK |
b) The habitats of the everglades include marine, mangroves, costal prarie, freshwater marl prarie, freshwater slough, cypress, hardwood hammocks, and pinelands.
| OK |
c) I would say that the Alligator is the largest predator in this region simply because the species is so abundant in the area. Alligators live in mainly grassy areas, rivers, swamps, and freshwater lakes. Alligators eat fish, insects, frogs, turtles,raccoons, otter, deer, and even other alligators. They are known to eat dead animals, as well as alive.
| OK |
d) A manatee is a marine mammal that can grow up to 1000 lbs. They are known to eat aquatic plants and sea grasses of the bay. They are adapted to the tropics and often seek warm waters in the cold winter months. Their endangerment problem is human-based. Not only are our urban expansions destroying their habitats, but many manatees are harmed in boating accidents.
| OK |
e) Fire is actually good for the everglades because it gives the area a chance to remove decaying vegitation and make way for new life. The nutrients released from the fire can also help the surrounding areas.
| OK |
f) At one point in time, water overflowed from the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee which flowed toward Biscayne Bay. The water covered over 11000 square miles creating many marshes and swamps. Thousands of years of adjustment made this area a thriving ecosystem. Over the years, half of the original swampland has been drained by humans in the effort to provide water and protection from flooding for the cities. Because of this attempt, many species are endangered today.
