Basic Information about the Everglades and its Ecosystem

 Captain Rich Smith Adventures

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            This blog is designed to provide a brief overview of the history and characteristics of the Florida Everglades' ecosystems, as well as the aspects of the human impact on the region, and how it can be helped.

Publication of Archival Library & Museum Materials

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            The Florida Everglades are a compilation of subtropical wetlands. This ecosystem is defined by a waterlogged region, usually fostering grasses or mangroves, which lies in the subtropical regions, or the areas immediately north and south of the tropical zones. These tropical zones are bounded by the Tropic of Cancer, 23.5 degrees North, and the Tropic of Capricorn, 23.5 degrees South. The Everglades are located in the southern part of the Florida peninsula, directly north of the Tropic of Cancer. Historically, these wetlands use to cover almost 11,000 square miles, but after years of farmers draining the land to make it viable for agriculture, the Everglades have shrunk to only include 733.6 square miles. This area stretches approximately 100 miles long and 40 miles wide, and it is the largest subtropical wetland ecosystem in the United States.

Rescources: 

             National Park Service. "History and Culture of the Everglades". National Park Services. <http://www.nps.gov/ever/historyculture/index.htm>
             Everglades Forever. "Brief History of the Everglades". Florida Department of Environmental Protection. <http://www.dep.state.fl.us/evergladesforever/about/default.htm>