ECS 111 P SPRING 2019 EVERGLADES AND ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES DR. SEALEY WHAT’S COMING UP? 8 7 FEB Community Ecology READ: ESFACW Chapter 2, Module 2.3 The Florida Everglades 9 12 FEB The Future of Restoration and CERP READ: ESFACW Chapter 2, Module 2.3 The Florida Everglades 10 14 FEB What is Evolution? Where does Biodiversity come from? READ: ESFACW Chapter 3, Module 3.1 A tropical Murder Mystery 11 19 FEB Land use change, agriculture and biological diversity READ: ESFACW Chapter 3, Module 3.2 Palm Oil Plantations 12 21 FEB Protected areas and biodiversity READ: ESFACW Chapter 3, Module 3.3 A Forest without Elephants 13 26 FEB Human Populations – A review of demographics READ: ESFACW Chapter 4 and review Appendix 1 14 28 FEB The Kerala Model EXAM 1 READ: ESFACW Chapter 4,Module 4.1 the Kerala Model BIGGEST MEETING ON EVERGLADES RESTORATION HELD EVERY TWO YEARS HERE IN FLORIDA APRIL 22-25, 2019 Coral Springs, Florida You can go FOR FREE as a student volunteer ESSAYS • So far, some excellent essays have been turned in. Please read my comment and posted notes in the essays. • You can submit TWO essay revisions to improve your grade, BUT these can not be submitted after APRIL 9th! • GIVE YOUR ESSAY A TITLE, OR FORMAT AS A LETTER • INCLUDE YOUR LAST NAME AND THE ESSAY NUMBER IN YOUR FILE NAME • WRITE FROM AN OUTLINE – focus on the structure of each paragraph • Structure and organization are integral components of an effective persuasive essay. No matter how intelligent the ideas, a paper lacking a strong introduction, well-organized body paragraphs and an insightful conclusion is not an effective paper. SOME COMMON PITFALLS - PRONOUNS • Avoid using pronouns like “You” and “It”, define your pornouns when used “Each person should follow their dreams,” represents a failure to correctly balance the singular (each person) and the plural (their dreams). Correcting the statement can be done in two ways: Each person should follow his or her dream (to balance the singular) All people should follow their dreams (to balance the plural) WHAT IS THE EVERGLADES? The largest subtropical wetland in the Americas, also called THE BIG SWAMP AND the largest wetland and coastal restoration project in the US WHERE IS THE EVERGLADES? 1- Ecosystems of Florida: Florida ecosystems are dominated by WATER, and populated by unique PLANTS and ANIMALS 2- The Everglades Ecosystem originally occupied about one third of the Florida Peninsula. 3- The Everglades is a massive wetland with shallow rivers and highly variable flows of freshwater from north to south THE SWAMP WAS DRAINED FOR MORE PEOPLE TO MOVE TO FLORIDA: 1 – Wetland flooding was not conducive to development, and an engineered system of canals was designed to control water flow 2- Freshwater was diverted to the ocean instead of flowing through wetlands. The Everglades National Park is only a small p.

1. ECS 111 P
SPRING 2019
EVERGLADES AND ECOLOGICAL
COMMUNITIES
DR. SEALEY
WHAT’S COMING UP?
8 7 FEB Community Ecology READ: ESFACW Chapter 2,
Module 2.3
The Florida Everglades
9 12 FEB The Future of Restoration and
CERP
READ: ESFACW Chapter 2, Module 2.3
The Florida Everglades
10 14 FEB What is Evolution? Where does
Biodiversity come from?
READ: ESFACW Chapter 3, Module 3.1 A
tropical Murder Mystery
11 19 FEB Land use change, agriculture
and biological diversity
READ: ESFACW Chapter 3, Module 3.2

2. Palm Oil Plantations
12 21 FEB Protected areas and biodiversity READ: ESFACW
Chapter 3, Module 3.3 A
Forest without Elephants
13 26 FEB Human Populations – A review
of demographics
READ: ESFACW Chapter 4 and review
Appendix 1
14 28 FEB The Kerala Model
EXAM 1
READ: ESFACW Chapter 4,Module 4.1
the Kerala Model
BIGGEST MEETING ON EVERGLADES RESTORATION
HELD EVERY TWO YEARS HERE IN FLORIDA
APRIL 22-25, 2019 Coral Springs, Florida
You can go FOR FREE as a student volunteer
ESSAYS
• So far, some excellent essays have been turned in. Please read
my
comment and posted notes in the essays.
• You can submit TWO essay revisions to improve your grade,

3. BUT
these can not be submitted after APRIL 9th!
• GIVE YOUR ESSAY A TITLE, OR FORMAT AS A LETTER
• INCLUDE YOUR LAST NAME AND THE ESSAY NUMBER
IN
YOUR FILE NAME
• WRITE FROM AN OUTLINE – focus on the structure of each
paragraph
• Structure and organization are integral components
of an effective persuasive essay. No matter how
intelligent the ideas, a paper lacking a strong
introduction, well-organized body paragraphs and
an insightful conclusion is not an effective paper.
SOME COMMON PITFALLS -
PRONOUNS
• Avoid using pronouns like “You” and “It”, define your
pornouns when used
“Each person should follow their dreams,”
represents a failure to correctly balance
the singular (each person) and the plural (their dreams).
Correcting the statement can be done in two ways:
Each person should follow his or her dream
(to balance the singular)

4. All people should follow their dreams
(to balance the plural)
WHAT IS THE EVERGLADES?
The largest subtropical wetland in the Americas, also called
THE BIG SWAMP
AND
the largest wetland and
coastal restoration project in
the US
WHERE IS THE EVERGLADES?
1- Ecosystems of Florida:
Florida ecosystems are
dominated by WATER, and
populated by unique PLANTS
and ANIMALS
2- The Everglades Ecosystem
originally occupied about one
third of the Florida Peninsula.
3- The Everglades is a massive

5. wetland with shallow rivers
and highly variable flows of
freshwater from north to
south
THE SWAMP WAS DRAINED
FOR MORE PEOPLE TO
MOVE TO FLORIDA:
1 – Wetland flooding was not
conducive to development,
and an engineered system of
canals was designed to
control water flow
2- Freshwater was diverted
to the ocean instead of
flowing through wetlands.
The Everglades
National Park is
only a small part
of the southern-
most end of the
Everglades
Ecosystem.
The Everglades is
bounded by
major urban and
agricultural areas
to the east (Miami

6. and Homestead)
THREATS TO THE EVERGLADES include
1. LOSS OF HABITAT – encroachment of agriculture
and development
2. HYDROLOGICAL CHANGES and diversion of water
3. OVERHARVESTING – overfishing, plume hunters in
the past, removal of orchids
4. POLLUTION – eutrophication, problems caused by
water diversion
LOSS OF HABITAT – encroachment of
agriculture and development
Floods were
controlled by an
engineered system
of dikes, levies,
canals and control
gates
Then lots of people moved to Florida..
MIAMI DADE COUNTY
POPULATION in 2019 = 2.8 million

7. Changes in the ecosystem allowed invasive
species to take over
Cattails invade
Everglades marshes
Brazilian Pepper at the edge of
Everglades wetlands
CERP – it’s all around you!
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project
• See description here
http://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/cerp.htm
The CERP was authorized by Congress in 2000 as a plan to
"restore, preserve, and protect the south Florida ecosystem
while providing for other water-related needs of the region,
including water supply and flood protection."
At a cost of more than $10.5 billion and with a 35+ year
time-line, this is the largest hydrologic restoration project
ever undertaken in the United States.
http://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/cerp.htm
CERP OBJECTIVES:
1. CREATE PARTNERSHIPS
2. RESTORE WATER FLOW

8. TO NATURAL
HYDROLOGICAL CYCLES
3. RESTRICT FURTHER
ENCROACHMENT
4. GRADUALLY REMOVED
EVERGLADES
AGRICULTURAL AREA
(south of Lake Okachobee)
THREE IMPORTANT POINTS
•Everglades restoration is a Hard Restoration project –
there were changes in the previous century, the
modification is a trade-off based on “modern values”.
That means we are not removing canals and levees,
we are modifying the system to balance human and
ecosystem needs
•There are continuous negotiations and stakeholder
struggles, nothing is ever final.
•Implementation is across decades by the
government. The benefits are not immediately seen
by the public, and these benefits are not evenly
distributed over time and space
CHANGING SEAS – FLORIDA’S RED TIDE
CRISIS
CERP ACTIONS IMPACT EVERYONE IN
FLORIDA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DVk

9. HW2W0yE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DVkHW2W0yE
ESSAY #8 – RISING SEAS AND
RISING COSTS: IS THE CERP WORTH
THE MONEY?
•Take a position for or against CERP – The cost
has nearly doubled in the past 10 years, and
now CERP is faced with issues of managing
polluted waters in Lake Okeechobee, red tides,
and salt water intrusion.
Components of the Everglades = natural
communities defined by distinctive
vegetation
CYPRESS WOODLANDS
Freshwater sloughs
Tree Hammocks
Mangroves

10. FLORIDA BAY is the southernmost extent of the Everglades
National Park, and an important coastal lagoon.
Critical wildlife and iconic species of the
Everglades
American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis
American Crocodile, Crocodylus acutus
LOTS OF SNAKES – some poisonous, and one important
invasive species (Burmese python)
EGRETS, HERONS AND STORKS were once hunted for
plumes used in women’s hats in the early 20th century
150 years ago – there were over 33 million
wading birds lived in the Everglades
TODAY THERE ARE LESS THAN 5 MILLION
WADING BIRDS LEFT…

11. The Florida panther
(Puma concolor coryi) is
one of more than 20
subspecies of cougar
(Puma concolor).
Until 1993, the cougar
was classified in the
genus Felis along with
the domestic cat, the
ocelot, and 27 other
species.
In 1993 the cougar was
reassigned to the genus
Puma .
ECOSYSTEMS PROVIDE VALUABLE SERVICES FOR
PEOPLE
33
DESCRIBING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
CARBON BUDGETS and COASTAL
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

12. DEVELOPMENT ON CARBON BUDGETS
35
36Hurricane Donna – Big Sable Creek
Fringing
mangroves
Catastrophic
mortality of trees
Mud flats
LIDAR tools to map
coastal vegetation
HOW ARE CARBON CYCLES DISRUPTED BY
HURRICANES?
In a healthy forest

13. community, more
Carbon is taken in and
stored than is lost to
the system =
NET ABSORBTION
OF CARBON
DIOXIDE!
Soils contain more
carbon than the
atmosphere and all
plant biomass
combined.
More forests mean
more carbon
storage
WHAT IS A CARBON BUDGET?
DONEY, Scott. 2010, Schematic diagram of humans’ impacts on
the oceans through
direct and indirect fluxes from land to sea.
Mangroves and Aquatic plants make up
the Blue Carbon storage