Since its dedication in 1947, Everglades National Park has been touted as one of the great biological wonders of the world. Taking center stage is the diverse array of animals that call this place home.
Thriving amidst a verdant, expansive wetland, the wildlife of the Everglades encompasses the tiniest grass frog to the largest American crocodile. Here life from the Caribbean tropics coexists with more familiar species from temperate North America.
Environmental Factors
The Everglades comprise a vast, interconnected mosaic of distinct ecosystems. These diverse habitats are in a state of constant change, subject to the influences of a full suite of environmental processes.
Geology, water quality, fire, and weather are but a few of the many natural factors that help shape the development of the Everglades landscape. Still, the actions of humans also have a strong influence. The introduction of non-native species, disruptive water management actions, and the disturbance of natural processes have all worked to undermine the integrity of the historic ecosystem.
Natural Features & Ecosystems
With the dedication of Everglades National Park in 1947, a new precedent was set in the growing conservation movement. For the first time in American history, a large tract of wilderness was permanently protected not for its scenic value, but for the benefit of the unique diversity of life it sustained.
The mosaic of habitats found within the Greater Everglades Ecosystem supports an assemblage of plant and animal species not found elsewhere on the planet. While nine distinct habitats have been identified, the landscape remains dynamic. Ecosystems remain in a constant state of flux, subject to the elements of south Florida.
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