Today, however, less than half of the historic Everglades ecosystem remains, due to decades of draining wetlands and reclaiming land for agriculture and urban development. The Everglades historically covered approximately three million acres, stretching from headwaters in the Kissimmee River into Lake Okeechobee, through what is now Everglades National Park, and emptying into Florida Bay. Only 200 years ago, this “river of grass” slowly flowed across nearly one third of Florida. #1: One of the largest wetlands in the world - but used to be much larger The IUCN listed the Everglades National Park’s conservation outlook as critical in 2017, stating that unless key restoration projects are completed in the park, especially efforts that allow for natural flow of clean water through the area, the essential qualities and habitat of the park will continue to be lost.īelow are eight facts about America’s Everglades that not only illustrate its uniqueness, but also highlight why we should want to protect it. This national treasure faces an array of threats, including invasive species, climate change and reduced water flows, that must be addressed if we are serious about preserving one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. Only the Everglades combines a subtropical climate, numerous distinct habitat types and an extraordinary array of species in such a diverse, yet vulnerable ecosystem. The Everglades is a unique landscape, unlike any other in the world. Known as a biodiversity hotspot, the Everglades is filled with an abundance of wildlife and is surrounded by numerous human communities, including the cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. America’s Everglades is a subtropical wetland ecosystem spanning 1.5 million acres across south Florida.
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