Everglades Restoration
In the mid-1800s, the wetlands of southern Florida covered an area of almost nine million acres and remained an untamed wilderness into the early 1900s. One hundred years later, the area that once stretched from Lake Okeechobee all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, has now been reduced by more than 50 percent. The Everglades have changed greatly, some due to natural factors but most changes have been a result of human interaction. These man made impacts have severely changed the ecosystem having a negative effect on all organisms and natural resources. (1) Because of a desire for land and raw materials, and due too pollution and indiscriminate hunting many plant and wildlife species are on the verge of extinction. Drainage of wetlands, alteration of overland water flow and hunting have all contributed to species decline. (10) In the early days of human settlement in south Florida including before Europeans arrived water limited where people could live, how successful their attempts at agriculture would be, and how permanent their homes and towns were. The problem seemed to be too much water. Beginning in the mid-1800s, the State of Florida offered cheap farmland in the Everglades to people who could drain it. (2) People would
n 39 million people vacation here some years (10) n Today, 900 people move to Florida daily The everglades are home to hundreds of different species, and in its healthy state, provide a home in which without many of these species would die. Some animals have come close to extinction. The Everglades National Park, established in 1947 serve as a refuge for animals whose futures are in danger. Additionally the Everglades reduces the danger of floods by collecting and storing rainwater, stores groundwater that help during the dry season. (7)
Some common words found in the essay are:
Gulf Mexico, Additionally Everglades, Fort Myers, South Florida's, South Florida, Environmental Ethics, Marine Sanctuary, Florida Bay, Lie Katz, National Park, south florida, water supplies, national park, everglades national park, everglades florida, south florida's, dry season, florida keys, real reason, everglades national, people drain,
Approximate Word count = 980
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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