Humans and the Everglades.

The Everglades supports people in multiple ways. First, one out of every three Floridians rely on the Everglades for their own water supply. This means around 7 million people in Florida depend on this. Without this water source, the state of Florida and the southeastern portion of America would need to find and redirect water from other water sources possibly creating a scarcity in water. The Everglades collect water from the rainfall and with the watershed size dwindling, floods are more often and severe. The Everglades also provide a large portion of the Floridian biodiversity. Having such are habitats and communities, the Everglades hold a biological significance with their surround area. Furthermore, only a handful of species are only found within this region and are also native to it.

Citation:
Schedlbauer, Jessica. "Controls on Ecosystem Carbon Dioxide Exchange in Short- and Long-Hydroperiod Florida Everglades Freshwater Marshes." Wetlands 32.5 (n.d.): 801-12. Web
http://www.guideoftravels.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/everglades.jpg

Everglades Retreating.

Beginning in 1905, the former Governor of Florida, Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, pushed for the Everglades to be drained in order to increase both the agriculture and development of Florida. Large plots of swamps were altered into suitable and productive farmland. This was the birth of large cities, such as Miami and Fort Lauderdale. With a growing population, the government began to push towards more radical measures in order to expand. Flood control in Southern Florida was needed so in 1948, the US Congress passed the Central and South Florida Project. This project became known as the “most effective water management system in the world.” Currently, it is the most extensive system of man-made canals and redirect 1.7 billion gallons of water from the Everglades to the ocean daily. Because of this massive loss of water in the marsh, the natural habitat of many species, including birds, fish, and a variety of animals, began to recede. Without the freshwater to balance the saltwater, the marsh experienced an increased amount of saltwater and along with pollution; the water quality disturbed the growth of native plants. Exotic plants and algae began to flourish while natural species began to decline. As a result, the Everglades are currently half the size it was only a century ago.

Citation:
Bellinger, Brent J. "Nutrient Impacted Florida Everglades with Human Impact." Microbial Ecology 64.4 (2012): 893-908. Web.
"Facts of the Everglades." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0214223/facts.html>.

Early Everglades.

The early settlers in Florida, along with the land developers, considered the Everglades a "worthless swamp." By 1910, large piece of land were already converted to agricultural lands, which stimulated southern Florida's economy. When the railroads hit the Florida peninsula, both visitors and residents flocked to the new lands. The native lands were now transformed to canals, buildings, and roads.

Citation:
"The Florida Everglades." The Florida Everglades. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012.<http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/everglades/everglades.htm>.

Florida Everglades.

The Everglades once reached up to 11,000 square miles of the southern portion of Florida. About a century ago, the Everglades had water flowing from the Kissimmee River straight into Lake Okeechobee. Once the water passed through the lake, it went through the Everglades marsh and eventually down into the Florida Bay. This was considered the "ultimate destination of the pure sheet flow." The Everglades was abundant and rich in both wildlife and plants. Considered a mosaic of different environments, the Everglades was one of the only places that both alligators and crocodiles could coexist because of the unique mixture of salt and freshwater.

Citation:
http://files.maravilhas-naturais.webnode.pt/200000062-f02b2f1212/florida_everglades.jpg
"Quick Facts of Everglades Foundation." Everglades Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://www.evergladesfoundation.org/the-everglades/facts/>.