florida biodiversity assignment quizlet

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How will Florida’s Biodiversity Respond to Climate Change? Completed

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Florida is home to 50 endangered species, 23 National Wildlife Refuges, 9 national parks, and 119 state parks. Straddling both temperate and sub-tropical zones, the state is also unique in that it is a long and narrow peninsula, surrounded on three sides by warm water, creating a dynamic environment. The impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise and severe storms, threaten the state’s unique biodiversity—yet managers are unsure how species will respond to these changes, which makes planning for the future difficult.   In order to identify the impacts of climate change on Florida’s plants and wildlife, researchers developed regional climate scenarios identifying how temperature and precipitation patterns may change in the future. Researchers used climate model downscaling methods, which take climate data produced at a global scale to assess future climate at a local scale, to make climate predictions about Florida’s climate. The results of the climate modeling effort identified changes in precipitation, temperature, seasonal cycles, and the frequency of events such as extreme heat days, frost days, and wildfire threats.   These scenarios were then used in species, habitat, and ecosystem models to characterize the potential ecological impacts of climate change. Focusing on the Greater Everglades and the Suwannee River-Big Bend, two areas that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, researchers modeled how plant and animal communities will respond to the predicted climate conditions.   The ecological impacts of climate change in Florida will have far-reaching implications, including economic – Everglades National Park, for example, receives close to one million visitors each year. Florida is also home to numerous sensitive ecosystems such as wetlands and sea grass, and a multitude of threatened and endangered species, such as the Florida panther and the iconic manatee. This study addresses critical questions about how these species and ecosystems will respond to climate change. The results of this research help indicate what the future looks like for the state, providing valuable information to resource managers seeking to protect Florida’s unique plants, animals, and ecosystems.  

• Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 4f833af3e4b0e84f608680b6 )

Eric D. Swain, Ph.D.

Research hydrologist (rge), daniel slone, ph.d., research ecologist, susan walls, ph.d., research wildlife biologist, don deangelis, ph.d., nathaniel plant, ph.d., center director.

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Ecosystems and Habitats in Florida

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Florida’s ecosystems, or communities of plants and animals, have been described through various classification systems that differ depending on scale and purpose. Learn more about the most commonly used ones .

About Florida's Ecosystems and Habitats

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Examine the varied and unique ecosystems of Florida and uncover the natural treasures that make this land an important habitat for plants and animals.

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Florida's conservation lands not only protect the state's biodiversity but also provide its residents with vital ecosystem services.

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Conserving Ecosystems and Habitats in Florida

Florida has numerous conservation efforts directed at protecting and restoring ecological systems.

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Florida's ecosystems, or communities of plants and animals, are described by various classification systems that differ depending on scale and purpose. Learn about the most commonly used ecosystem classification systems for Florida.

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Florida Seminole Tourism

Biodiversity in the Florida Everglades

View from behind Billie Swamp Safari, Photo by Deanna Butler

Imagine skipping along on an airboat ride, paddling through a mangrove forest, or tromping through the swamp. Enjoy warm humid air on your face as you spy an alligator floating lazily in the water, or a soft pink roseate spoonbill flying by a canal. Biodiversity in the Florida Everglades is unmatched. Once you’ve experienced the Everglades, you know it’s a place unlike anywhere else in the world. Grab your binoculars, field guide, and bring lots of water for this trip through the Florida Everglades!

Starting just below Orlando at the Kissimmee River and reaching to the tip of the Florida Peninsula, the Everglades is a completely unique ecosystem rich with plant and animal life. Water flows from the Kissimmee River down south to Lake Okeechobee. The connection between the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee is essential for the health and resilience of the wetland. This feeds the sheet flow and sawgrass marshes that inspired its iconic name the “River of Grass.” The Everglades is unique among wetlands in that the water comes mainly from rainfall, and not rivers. Water is the beating heart of this 1.5 million-acre wetland . It also provides a large percentage of drinking water for the state of Florida.

Seasonally, this geographical area can be split into two: the wet and dry seasons. When planning a trip to see all the sights, make sure to choose your dates carefully! Wet season typically runs from the middle of May until the end of November. This period is characterized by heavy rainfall, tropical storms, and sometimes hurricanes. Dry season, from December until April, has little to no rainfall and lower temperatures. Water levels can fluctuate significantly between the two seasons, and with that comes changes in the animal populations. While dry season is typically the best time to see wildlife, the wet season also has a lot to offer! You can learn more about how the seasons affect plant and animal life here  in a previous blog post.

The Everglades features a  variety of distinct ecosystems. These range from sawgrass marshes, cypress swamps, sloughs, tropical hardwood hammocks, pineland, mangrove forests, and ending at Florida Bay. The sheet flow is actually a large, slow moving river. Over 100 miles long, the shallow water supports a diverse amount of plant and animal life. Sawgrass marshes and sloughs are loved by alligators, turtles, snakes and fish.

Hammocks are known as tree islands. These tree islands are slightly raised and provide safety for many animals with dense tree growth. The rich biodiversity in the Florida Everglades is not only limited to animal life, but plants as well. With a wide variety  of trees in them, these tree islands are diverse and dense. The pinelands are dry and go through cycles of natural forest fires to clear out needles and underbrush. Because of this, many of the plants are hardy and more fire resistant. These natural fire cycles keep the pineland and surrounding areas healthy.

Along the coast, mangroves flourish in brackish water, where the salt and fresh water meet. These forests are very good at protecting the coast from storms. At the southern-most tip, Florida Bay holds vast beds of turtle grass, which feeds sea turtles and manatees.

These  different ecosystems support a range of plants and animals. Many can only be found in the Everglades. This means the Florida Everglades is a biodiversity hot spot. Over time, the Everglades has become increasingly threatened. Changes to the sheet flow, climate change, and population pressure all have put a strain on this delicate wetland. But many efforts are being made to protect this special wetland and its inhabitants. When visiting and planning your trip, remember to be respectful of this beautiful and fragile habitat. Next, follow along and learn more about some special animals that call the Everglades home.

The American Alligator

Baby Alligator at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, Photo by Joseph Nicholas Butler

A keystone species in the Everglades, the American Alligator is found in the Southeastern United States. Almost synonymous with the state of Florida, the American alligator can grow up to 12 feet in length and top out at 1,000 lbs. Considered an ecosystem engineer, alligators dig ponds called “alligator holes.” These play an important role in providing habitats for other animals in both the wet and dry season. When it is dry, these holes hold water and provide homes for aquatic animals like fish.

Compared to their crocodile cousins, alligators are less tolerant of salt water. Sticking to deep freshwater sloughs and prairies, they often are seen floating lazily along or sunning themselves on the bank. Alligators have even been known to survive icy water by slowing their metabolisms down, making a hole in the ice, and sticking their snouts out over the water line.  Alligators have a distinctive bellow meant to attract mates and protect territory that can be heard around the swamp. Baby alligators are yellow banded and eventually lose their stripes as they mature. The baby alligator shown here was spotted from the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum boardwalk. This alligator may one day grow to be as big as Sally, the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum’s resident alligator. When visiting, try counting as many alligators as you can in your trip through the Everglades!

American Crocodile

The Everglades is the only ecosystem on earth that alligators and crocodiles live together. Much more sensitive to temperature changes, American crocodiles live in a much smaller geographical range than their alligator cousins. South Florida is the only place they can be found in the United States. Crocodiles have a long, thin snout, compared to alligators who have a shorter rounded snout. Living mostly in the coastal areas, the American crocodile prefers brackish or salty water. They eat anything from fish, small mammals, birds, and snakes. Keep your eyes open for these elusive reptiles!

Aquatic herbivores, manatees are also called sea cows.  Manatees were once a food source for the Seminoles .  There are an estimated 6,000 manatees in Florida. They eat over 60 varieties of fresh and seawater plants, and are found in coastal areas. At the moment, manatees are very vulnerable to habitat loss. Manatees’ tails and flippers resemble large paddles that can help them “walk” along the bottom of shallow water. Docile and slow moving, they spend a large amount of their day sleeping. If you are lucky, you may see one (or a few!) on your Everglades adventure. But look closely! In the waterways and springs they can resemble slow moving rocks when submerged underwater.

Florida Panther

Most likely, you will not see a Florida panther while visiting the Everglades. One of the most endangered animals on the planet, the Florida panther is the only cougar population in the eastern United States. Panthers are striking big cats, typically tan in color with a white underbelly and black-tipped ears and tail. Like other cats, they can hiss, growl, chirp, and purr dependent on the situation. Habitat loss has affected the Florida panther significantly, and there are less than 250 panthers left in the wild. In the 1970’s it was estimated that only about 20 wild panthers remained. Through conservation efforts, that number is beginning to rise. As predators, panthers are opportunistic hunters that go after both small and large prey. They can hunt anything from waterfowl to alligators.

Great Blue Heron in the Everglades, Photo by Joseph Nicholas Butler

Famous for its birds, over 360 species  call the Everglades home. This includes many wading birds like the Great Blue Heron shown to the right. Sixteen different species of wading birds can be found. Birds are a great example of the biodiversity of the Everglades. You might see a variety of birds on your trip, including white ibis, wood storks, roseate spoonbills, herons, egrets, and osprey. There are a large variety of land, wading, and prey birds to be found in each unique ecosystem. Birds from all around the world migrate to the Everglades during the dry season to nest. It is one of the easiest places in the world to view a wide variety of bird species at one time. Learn more about birds of the Florida Everglades here in a previous blog post. Grab your field guide to identify all the feathered friends you can spot!

Visit the Florida Everglades

So, whether you’re interested in canoeing, fishing, swamp walks, bird watching, or camping there is something for everyone in the Everglades.  See the biodiversity of the Florida Everglades yourself! A one day trip or an entire week, the Everglades is sure to amaze with its diverse plant and animal life. Immerse yourself in the wild beauty of the Everglades today!

If you would like to see the beauty of the natural Everglades for yourself, there is no better starting point than staying at the Big Cypress RV Resort. “Stay your way” in either RV spots or air-conditioned cabins and enjoy a wide range of amenities. Located on the Big Cypress Reservation, it is the perfect base for your Everglades adventure.

The National Wildlife Federation

The National Parks Service

Audubon Florida

Further Reading on Seminoles and the Everglades:

Seminoles and the Land

Seminole Tribe Environmental Resources Management Department

Seminole Tribe Heritage and Environment Resources Office

The Everglades: An Enduring Battleground

Tribal Historic Preservation Office Awarded Grant for Natural Resource Conservation Service Projects

Soap Up with Vegan and Organic Bathcare by Made By Justine O

Traditional seminole foods: resistance and resilience, comments: 3, pingback: ecotourism in indian country - florida seminole tourism, pingback: the first seminole tourist camps - florida seminole tourism, pingback: welcome to florida's wet season - florida seminole tourism, post a comment cancel reply.

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Introduction to Environmental Sciences and Sustainability is a college-level Open Educational Resource (OER) that focuses on the most relevant environmental science issues and addresses ways to incorporate sustainable practices. The text is designed for an introductory-level college science course. Topics include the fundamentals of ecology, biodiversity, pollution, climate change, food production, human population growth, and incorporating sustainable approaches in our communities, economies, and environments. This resource is targeted at environmental science students.

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Florida Biodiversity

The Miami Blue butterfly, which appears on the Save Wild Florida license tag, is a small, brightly colored butterfly found only in Florida. Not long ago, the Miami Blue, once flying across the entire southern half of Florida, teetered on the verge of extinction.... Read more here .

Would you like to help preserve Florida's wildlife? The simple act of purchasing this license plate will help conserve Florida's beautiful nature.... Find out more here .

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The mission of The Florida Biodiversity Foundation is to provide support for understanding, preserving, and interpreting the rich biota and environment of Florida and their place in the world as a whole. Read more here.

If you would like to contact the Florida Biodiversity Foundation for further information, or if you have any questions, please fill out this form or send an email to [email protected] :

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The Florida Biodiversity Foundation seeks to fulfill its mission through supporting numerous partnerships and projects that focus on environmental issues in Florida and also the world abroad. One way that the Foundation approaches the task of understanding, preserving, and interpreting subjects of interest is through helping to build permanent records and collections of living things with video and photographic documentation.

Additionally, great emphasis is placed on field expeditions. One of the foremost examples of the Foundation's involvement in international projects is field work targeting the migration of the Monarch butterfly between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Though the Monarch and the Miami Blue have both been the recent foci of the Foundation's field work, the Foundation is extending its expertise and support to needs beyond Lepidoptera, including other invertebrates as well as birds, plants, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. The Foundation is also working with other institutional partners to fund field stations and to preserve conservation reserves and imperiled habitat areas. The Florida Biodiversity Foundation is aware of the importance of preserving Florida's natural resources, living and nonliving, and not only because these resources generate billions of dollars every year to Florida's economy. With so many plants, animals, and locations in need of support, the Florida Biodiversity Foundation also recognizes the benefits of bringing outside experts such as scientists and researchers to Florida and, as a result, boosting education here and elsewhere.

WORKING TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE BIODIVERSITY OF FLORIDA