Florida Everglades Flashcards
What are some of the Interacting subsystems in the Everglades?
Water-flow, energy, nutrient, and population systems
How long is there Everglade watershed?
The entire watershed extends more than 50,000km^2, covering most of southern Florida and is connected to three basins.
What does the “Alligator hole” subsystem contain?
small pools (about 2-4 meters) surrounded by marsh plants, but the plants are outside of the holes since this is a permanent home to lots of small aquatic animals and plants.
What has caused the Everglades to become about half it’s original size
20th century, Human population growth and development and the resulting need for water and farmland.
Why does state and federal agency management vary for the Everglades?
The unpredictable regional changes in weather, that causes periods of floods or droughts.
What are example agencies that lead to the restoration plan for the Florida Everglades to be adopted by Congress’s Water Resource Development Act of 2000?
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District.
The congress adopted plan is a multi-system plan is based off what principals?
- needs increased flow of water, 2. needs reduction in wastewater from human development, 3. water needs to be cleaner, 4. ecosystem must be adaptive
One of the principals of the of the Everglades Restoration Plan is that the ecosystem must be adaptive. What is an Adaptive Management plan that the SFWMD designed and what was done with the results?
Designed a plan to reduce total phosphorous entering watershed to provide a test model for a larger proposed system. The results were implemented into future management strategies.
Who is trying to combine geographic information systems and computer simulation models to develop a range of land- and water-use strategies.
The U.S. Department of State’s Man, and the Biosphere Program
What animal depends on the entire Florida Everglades systems for survival? (Hint: its a reptile)
Alligators
What is the formula to calculate Net Population Change? (Similar Formula to Net Flux for accumulation and depletion)
NPC = Inputs (Births +Immigration) – Outputs (Deaths + Emigration)
For environmental systems what are the important factors relating to input and outputs?
Feedbacks (Positive push to overshoot, Negative there is little to no change)
What is one of the leading causes to increased flooding?
The Sea-Level Rising from rain, snowmelt, and glacial melts.
