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TheFloraandFaunaofSouthern
Florida
Lecturemap
1. OriginsoftheFloraandFauna
2. Invertebrates
3. FreshwaterFishes
4. MarineandEstuarineFishes
5. Amphibians
6. Reptiles
7. Mammals
8. Birds
9. Synthesis Ecologicalrelationshipsand
ProcessesintheEverglades
Origins
Geologicallyspeaking,Floridaisnewland.
Alternatingsubmergenceandemergence,aswell
asshiftsinclimate,haveeradicatedmanyspecies
throughglacialcycles.
Thefactorsthatdetermineitsnewfloraand
faunaincludegeographicsettingattheedgeof
thetropics,fromwhichitwasisolatedbywater,
anditslandconnectionbyalongpeninsulato
temperateNorthAmerica.
Furthermore,whenColumbuslanded,allthe
plantsandanimalspresenthadgottenhereof
theirmodesofdispersal
Tropicalv.Subtropical
ThetropicalclimateinSouthFloridais
demonstratedbyitsplantcommunities.
Themangroveswampsanduplandhammocks
intheextremesouthernFloridamainland
supportsplantsderivedfromtheCaribbean
tropics.
Thefactthatthesearecoastalareasare
significant,asmarinewaterscontribute
protectivewarmth.
Showswhereaverage
dailytemperaturesto
notfallbelow54
Degrees,which
approximatesthe
distributionofmany
nativetropicalplants
ElementsoftheFlora
Duringtherelativelyrecentglaciation,Florida
wasdrierandcoolerthantoday.
Assuch,temperateflorathrived.
Thetropicalflorafirstarrived56000yearsago.
Withthecontinuedwarmingtrend,tropical
speciesbegantoflourish.
Ofthe1430plantspeciescataloguedsouthof
LakeO,justover60%aretropicalinorigin.
Theremaining40%iscomposedoftemperate
speciesfromthecoastalplainofthe
SoutheasternUS.
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HowdidtropicalspeciesgettoFlorida?
Threemodesofdispersalaccountforthe
distributionofmostplants.
Theirseedsorsporesaretransportedby:
Wind
Water
OrAnimals
Dispersalbyanimalsacrosswaterisnearly
alwaysbybirds
Trees
AlmostallthetropicaltreesinFLarealsofoundin
theWestIndies.
Inhammocks,manytropicalspeciesseedsare
carriedbybirds.Mahoganyiswinddispersed.
Mangroveseedsfloat
Palms
Seedthatfloat CoconutPalm
OtherdispersedbyBirds
Epiphytes
Winddispersal,andincludebromeliadsand
orchids
Ferns
Growasepiphytes,andreproducebywind
dispersedspores.
Bromeliads
Alsoepiphytesandknownasairplants
Winddispersedseed
Orchids
~100differentspeciesinFL,andwinddispersed
seeds
Astheyrequirespecializedpollinators,onlythose
whoarecapableofselfpollinationaresuccessful
here.
Marineflora
Oceancurrents
HurricanesandDispersal
Althoughhurricanescanbeviolentanddestructive,
theyalsoassistinthetransportofseedinstorm
surgesaswellaswind.
ProximityandDispersal
Ofcourse,thesuccessofwindblowndispersal
dependsontheproximityoflandmasses.
TheWestIndieshavebeencloseenoughinthe
last5000yearstofacilitatetheinfluxoftropical
plants.
Ifsealevelrisecontinuesaspredicted,south
Floridamaybecomeoutofreachforsuccessful
colonizationofmanytropicalplants
OriginoftheTemperateFlora
Trees
Migratedbyfloatingseeds(cypress)ofwind
dispersal(mapleandpopash),mammalsand
birds.
Marshvegetation
Theseedsofmostmarshplantsaredispersedby
windandwater,howeverstormscanalso
transportfragmentstonewlocations.
Originsofthefauna
Asanimalsaremobile,definingthoseastropicalor
temperatebasedontolerancetocoldweatheris
impractical.
Sinceanimalsmove,theyoftencanseekoutshelteror
refugefromadverseweatherconditions.
OftheanimalsinsouthFlorida,itappearsthattheyare
almostcompletelyoftemperateorigin.
Onlythemarinelifehasapredominanttropical
heritage.
Beginningwiththeinverts,wewillnowinvestigatethe
originsandcommunityfunctionofthemajorgroupsof
animalsinSouthFlorida.
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2:Invertebrates
Invertslackbackbones,andincludeall
animalsexceptfish,amphibians,reptiles,
mammalsandbirds.
Includedinthisgrouparesponges,corals,
jellyfish,worms,clams,snails,octopuses,
squid,spiders,scorpions,insects,crabs,
lobsters,shrimp,starfishandseaurchins
Dispersal
Mostmarineinvertsdonthavetoworry
aboutcrawlingtonewhabitats.
Thesehaveplanktoniclarvalformsthatare
dispersedbyoceancurrents.
Notallsouthernspeciesofmarineinvertsare
strictlytropical,andsomedependon
estuariesforpartoftheirlifecycle.
Threespeciesofimportancearethebluecrab,
easternoysterandthepinkshrimp.
FreshwaterInverts
Mostfreshwaterinvertsoriginatefromthe
freshwaterofNA.
AstheFloridaevergladeshaslimitedhabitats
andseasonalextremesinbothmoistureand
temp,thereisnotagreatdiversityof
freshwaterinvertsfoundhere.
Thatdoesnot,however,reducetheir
importanceespeciallyintheabilitytomove
energythroughfoodwebs.
ThemostimportantInvertsintheGlades
AppleSnail
Thislargebrownfreshwatermolluskcangrowupto2
inchesinlength.
Itextractsoxygenbyusinggills,andhastheabilityto
alsosipairusingaprimitivelung.
Theydeposittheireggmassesonplantstemsatnight,
andcannotwithstandsubmergence.
Thenewlyhatchedmustenterthewaterinorderto
survive.
Itispredateduponbymanyspeciesincludingseveral
birds,specificallyLimpkinandSnailKites,aswellas
youngalligators
SeminoleandMesaRamshorns
MuchsmallerthantheApplesnail,these
commonflattenedgastropodsareindicative
offreshwaterareas.
Theygrazeonalgae,andinturn,are
importantfoodsourcesforRedearsunfish.
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Crayfish
Ofthenearly300speciesinNA,onlyfive
occurinSouthFlorida.
Highlyimportantinfoodwebs,theyare
preyeduponbyatleast40vertebratesinthe
Glades.
Majorpredatorsincludelargemouthbass,pig
frogs,youngalligatorsandallwadingbirds,
especiallytheWhiteIbis.
GrassShrimpandAmphipods
TwoabundantcrustaceansintheEverglades.
Bothareconsideredkeystonespeciesdueto
theirimportanceinfoodwebs.
Theybothfeedbyscrapingperiphyton from
vegetationandsoil.
AquaticInsects
Ofutmostimportanceinfoodchainsin
freshwaterhabitats.
MostspeciesonlyliveinwaterasLarvae,and
becomeairborneasadults.
Prominentexamplesincludemosquitoes,
damselflies,dragonflies,cranefly,andthe
ubiquitousmidges
Larvaetendtopredatory,butserveasa
importantfoodforlargerfish,wadingbirds
suchastheBlueHeronandIbis
TerrestrialInverts
Spiders:manytropicalspeciesexistasyoung
spidersusewindtodisperse(ballooning)
Scorpions:TwospeciesoccurintheGlades,and
candeliverpainfulstings,butarenotlife
threatening
Insects:Dispersaloftropicalinsectstosouthern
Floridahasaccountedfortheirpresence.
However,manyhavehaddifficultyinestablishing
duetotheirspecifyhostplantsnotbeing
available
TreeSnails: feedsonepiphytes,especiallyon
treeswithsmoothbarkinhardwoodhammocks
ImportanceofInverts
Becauseoftheirlowerpositioninthefood
chain,invertsareofgreatimportanceinthe
dietsofmanyevergladespredators.
Althoughfish,amphibians,youngalligators,
wadingbirds,otters,etc.relyonthisfood
source,thereismuchwedontunderstand
abouttheirrole.
Assuch,thereareampleresearch
opportunitiesawaiting
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3:FreshwaterFishes
Primaryfreshwaterfishes:
Speciesthatareintolerantofsalinity.
Therefore,thisrestrictstheirabilitytoeasilycolonize
newareas.
Examplesincludelargemouthbass,redearsunfish
andgoldenshiners.
Secondaryfreshwaterfishes:
Havemoretolerancetosaltwater,andabletomove
throughestuaries,andevenseawaterforshort
periodsoftime.
Assuch,thesespeciesarecapableofcolonizingnew
areasquickly.
ExamplesincludeKillifish,mosquitofish,topminnow
andflagfish
PeripheralFreshwaterFishes:
Maylivepartormostoftheirlivesinmarine
waters,butregularlymoveorstrayinto
freshwater.
Whilemostspeciesinthisgroupremainnear
marinewaters,somecanbefoundanywherein
freshwaterhabitats.
ExamplesincludeSailfin Molly,Americaneel,
tarpon,snook,needlefishes,gobies,sleepersand
evenbullsharks.
TheFloridaGar
Typifiedbyalongsnoutandrazorsharpteeth,
thistorpedoshapedpredatorlivesinthe
Glades.
Growstoabout30inches,thesefishhavethe
abilitytodualbreathebothairandwater,
whichisatremendousadvantageduringthe
dryseason.
However,duringthesetimewhen
concentratedtoalligatorholes,theybecome
thealligatorspreferredfood.
IntroducedFishes
TheGladesnowhostsseveralfirmly
establishedexoticspecies.
Mostoftheseareaquariumindustryescapes.
Commonlyencounteredspeciesincludeoscar,
Mayancichlids,bluetilapia.
OftenencounteredontheAnhingaTrail
FreshwaterFishandtheFoodChain
FoodchainrelationshipsofEvergladesfishesis
importantinunderstandingthefreshwater
ecologyoftheregion.
Herbivorousspeciesincludethegoldenshiner,
sailfinmolly,flagfish andleastkillifish.
Otherssuchasgoldentopminnow,marsh
killifish,bullheads,bluegillandredearsunfish
feedontheinvertsthatgrazeonplants.
PredatoryfishspeciesincludetheFloridagar,
largemouthbassandwarmouth.
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Warmouth FishCommunityStability
Obviously,thedryseasonposesamajor
challengeformanyfishspecies.
Marshkillifishandmosquitofish areadeptat
recolonizingareasquicklyasfirstrainsfall.
Forothers,solutionholesandluckareneededin
ordertorecolonizeareas.
Forreestablishingpopulations,unrestricted
accesstoopenexpansesofmarshiscritical,as
theseorganismsarethemainpreyitemofboth
wadingbirdsandmanyotherspecies.
Freshwaterfisharekeyintheoverallsuccessof
Evergladeswildlife.
4:MarineandEstuarineFishes DiversityofMarineandEstuarineFish
Quitediverse,about500differentspeciesin
thenearshore areasalone.
Thisisfargreaterthananyothergroupof
vertebratesinSouthFlorida.
Therichnessofthemarinefaunaisdueto
geographicsettinganddiversityofhabitats.
Mostspecieshaveminuteplanktoniclarvae,
andassuch,theFloridaCurrentisthemajor
avenueoftheirarrival.
Thesefish,especiallyasjuveniles,provide
foragingopportunitiesforwadingbirdsatlow
tide.
However,somespecies,suchasthemullet,
provideasourceofenergyforgamefish as
wellasraptors.
Theseherbivoresscrapealgaeand
microorganisms,aswellasconsumesurface
films.
Threatened&EndangeredFishSpecies
OnlytwospeciesintheEvergladeshavebeen
listedbythestateorfedsasT&E.
Mangroverivulus,asmallresidentofshallow
mangroveandmarshenvirons.
AndtheSmalltooth sawfish
Thesefeedbyviolentlyswingingtheirrostrum
sidetosidethroughschoolsoffish,then
consumingthoseimmobilized.
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Thesewereabundantpriortothe1900s,they
havesufferedasharpdecline.
Althoughlistedin2003,theirrecoveryhasbeen
hamperedbythembecomingentangledinfishing
nets.
Malesdonotbecomereproductivelymatureuntil
age10,andfemalesuntilage20.
Theirrelianceonestuarinemangrovehabitathas
alsobeenproblematicasmangrovehabitathas
beenreduced.
EcologicalImportanceofMarineandEstuarineFishes
Thesesupportthefeedingactivitiesoffish
eatingbirds.
Conversely,theyalsorelyontheEverglades
estuarinehabitatsasnurserygrounds.
5:Amphibians
Likeprimaryfreshwaterfish,amphibiansdisperse
insimilarfashion.
Allamphibiansdependonfreshwaterforthe
initialstagesoftheirlifecycle.
Eggsarelaidinfreshwater,andlarvalstageslive
onlyinfreshwater.
Assuch,notropicalamphibianshavebecome
naturallyestablishedinFlorida.
Ofthenativespecies,mostoftheseoccur
throughoutthesoutheast.
Onlythepigfrogisrestrictedtotheextreme
southeast.
SeveralspeciesoccurinSouthFloridaas
distinctivevarietiesofspeciesthatoccur
throughtheEasternUS.
Theseincludethepeninsulanewt,twotoed
amphiuma,thegreatersirenandthe
Evergladesdwarfsiren.
However,humanshavebeeninstrumentalin
establishingseveraltropicalspeciesthatare
invasive.
AmphiumaandSirens
Thesesecretiveamphibianscanbelarge,
reaching3ft inlength.
Sirenshaveredexternalgillsandsmallforelegs
withfingers
Incontrast,theamphiumahasnoexternalgills,
andhasfourthinvestigiallegswithtoes.
Whenconditionsaredry,bothspecieswill
aestivateinthemud.
Theyeatcrayfish,clams,andeventadpoles.
Althoughthehaveastrongbite,theylackteeth.
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Treefrogs andToads
Ofallthefrogsinthepark,thesquirreltreefrog is
mostcommonlyencountered.
Likethelargergreentreefrog,itcanchangecolor
fromgreentobrown.
Althoughbothonceoccurredsouthofthe
Everglades,theirnumbershavebeenreduced,
presumablybypredationoftheintroducedCuban
treefrog.
Themuchlargercanetoad,introducedfrom
Mexico,haspreyedonthesoutherntoad.Ithas
poisonglandsthatemitatoxinknowntokilldogs.
TrueFrogs
Asitisgoodtoeat,thepigfrogisofeconomic
interest.
Itscallresemblesthecontentedgruntof
farmyardpigs.
Itisaslargeastheeasternbullfrog,andjustas
successfulasapredator.
Theywilleatmostanythingthatcanbe
swallowedwhole,includingyoungwater
snakes.
Theimportanceofamphibiansisnotwell
documentedintheGlades,butgiventhe
sheernumbersoccurringeachyear,theymust
playalargeroleintheecosystem.
Theyreproducequicklywhentherainsreturn,
andprovidetheyfirstbiomasscropforwading
birdsasfisharen'tasfasttorepopulate
especiallyinshorthydroperiodponds.
Whenlarvaemature,theadultsoftenmove
intoadjacentuplands,whichthenbecome
partofthosefoodwebs.
5:Reptiles
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Incontrasttoamphibians,reptilescantolerate
saltwateranddryconditions.
Somearecompletelymarine,whileothersare
completelyterrestrial.
Reptiliantoleranceforsaltwateranddrought
confersuperiorpotentialoveramphibiansfor
crossinggeographicbarriers.
Asaresultoftheiradaptability,someofthe
mostdevastatingexoticspeciesthataffectthis
regionarereptilian.
Ofthefewtropicalreptilesthathavereached
SouthFloridanaturallyaremarine,including
theAmericancrocodileandfivespeciesofsea
turtle.
Asfornaturallyinvadingterrestrialtropical
reptiles,onlytwoarepresent.
Thereefgecko,andthegreenanole,or
chameleon.
Somereptileshaveevenformedanunusual
partnership:redbelly turtleandAmerican
Alligator.
TheAmericanAlligator
Partofthecrocodiliangroupwithinthereptilian
classofvertebrates.
Thereare22members,ofwhich14aretrue
crocodiles.Andonlytwoofthosegivethema
reallybadname(Indopacific andNile).
ThelargestAAeverrecordedwereabout17ft
long,andcouldweighnearly1000lbs.
Ingeneral,anadulthumanistoolargetobeof
muchinterest,butchildrenanddogsshould
alwaysbekeptsafedistances.
Alligatorsarebothpredators,andcanbeprey.
Younggatorsaresusceptibletopredationby
raccoon,snakes,largemouthbass,otter,Wood
Storks,largeHeronsandEgrets,aswellasbull
alligators.
Thoseindividualsreaching6ftaresafefrommost
predatorssavemanandlargerbullgators.
Theyoungeatvoraciously,andconsumeapple
snails,crayfish,andinbrackishwater,takeblue
crabs.
Adultsthenbegintoconsumebirds,mammals
andevensnakes.
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Distribution BackfromtheBrink?
Duetohighdemandforalligatorleatherand
meat,theywereactivelyhuntedandpoached
until1969.
OncelistedasaT&Especies,populations
reboundedfirstinLouisiana,thenfollowedin
Florida,andthroughoutitsrange.
Nowharvestingalligatorsishighlyregulated
throughlicensingandtagprograms.
LifeCycle
Maturebullgatorsareterritorialandcompetefor
mates.
Patrolterritoriesofabout5mile
2
,andsometimes
wander.Femalesarenotsoadventuresome,and
stayclosetohome.
FemalesbecomereceptivetomalesinApril,just
beforetheonsetofrainyseason.
Aftermating,femalesthenconstructanestby
heapingsoilandvegetation.
Shethenlaysapproximately30eggsabout7in
deepintothenest,andwaitsuntilAug/Septfor
youngtoemerge.
HomeSweetHome
Alligatorsarepondbuilders,andaswater
levelsdecrease,theygetbusy.
Violentthrashingenlargestheopening,and
theymoundmaterialsattheedges.
Overtime,thismaterialiscolonizedbytree
species,andoftenindicatesthepresenceof
analligatorhole.
Theseareofhighimportancetowadingbirds,
amphibians,fish,turtles,andservesasseed
sourcesoncetherainsfallagain.
TheAmericanCrocodile
IncontrasttotheAA,theAm.Crocodileis
confinedtothebrackishandsaltwatersofthe
southerntipofthestate.
ItisalsofoundonCaribbeanislandsaswellas
centralandnorthernSouthAmerica.Inthe
US,TampaBayisasfarnorthasthespecies
hasventured.
Itisatropicalspecies,andSouthFloridaisat
thenorthernextentofitsrange.
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AmericanCrocodilescanreach
thesamesizeastheAA,butthey
aremuchmoreshy.
Characteristically,thesnoutofthecrocis
muchmorenarrow,andwhenclosed,exposes
downwardpointingteeth.
Juvenilestendtofeedprimarilyoffishand
inverts,whileadultsfeedmainlyonfish,of
whichmulletareimportant.
Thenarrowerjawseemstogiveadvantage
whenforagingonfish.
Flamingo
AlsolistedasaT&Especies,theAChasmake
significantstridesinstabilizingitspopulation.
7:Mammals
TemperateNAistheoriginforallofSouth
Floridasnativeterrestrialmammals.
However,marineandflyingmammalshave
tropicalrepresentation:Themastiffbatcame
directlyfromthetropicsandhasasmall
populationlocalizedinMiami.
Withthatexception,mostnativemammals
areofwidespreaddistributioninNA.
Examplesinclude:raccoons,marshrabbits,
whitetaileddeer,blackbear,easternfox
squirrel,minkandpanther.Inaddition,the
hispidcottonandmarshricerats,alsohavea
presence.
Ofthese,theroundtailedmuskrat(orFlorida
waterrat)istheonlyonewithdistributions
confinedtoSouthFlorida.
Itissmallerthanitscounterpart,andnotclosely
relatedtothecommonmuskratthatisfoundin
northofFlorida.
Liketheircounterparts,theyalsoforageonroot
andstemsofmarshplantsandbuildelevated
nestofcutgrassestoabout2feetindiameter.
Asmanydonotseethesecretiverodents,few
realizetheirsignificanceinenergydynamics.
Theseareafavoredpreyofbobcatandowls.
Asforlargepredators,blackbearandpantherare
seeninfrequently.
However,therenaturalizedcoyotehasbegunto
makeacomebackandiscompetingformanyofthe
sameresourcesutilizedbybobcat.
Oftheintroducedmammals,theblackratandferal
pigsarewreakingthemosthavocinoutcompeting
nativesforresourcesandhabitatdamage
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Byfar,therarestmammalintheGladesinthe
Floridapanther.
Originally,itsrangeincludedSouthCarolinaand
westwardintoArkansas.
Intheearly1970s,theentirepopulationwas
estimatedat1220individuals,andconfinedto
BigCypressSwamp.
By2007,thepopulationwasestimatedat100
120individuals.
Aspartofmanagement,genestockfromTexas
wasintroducetooffsetinbreedingdepression,
geneticdriftandpossibleextinction.
Adultpanthersgrowto7ft inlength,andfemales
weighfrom60lbstomalesclockinginat160.
Thehomerangeofapantherisabout250mi
2
for
males,whilefemalesrangeapproximately
100mi
2
.
Mostlysolitary,althoughfemaleswillraise14
kittensfor1218months.
Deerandferalhogsarethepantherspreferred
prey,butanysmalltomediumsizedanimalmay
betaken.
Notthoughttobedangeroustoman,although
somestalkingincidentshavebeenreported.
8:Birds
BirddiversityintheEvergladesisimpressive,
andcontainamixofbothlandbirdsandwater
birds.
Thereareatleast70speciesoflandbirdsthat
breedinSouthFlorida,halfofwhichare
passerineinnature
Ofthewaterbirds,thereisastaggering120
speciesthatbreedhere.Incomparison,the
entirestateofGAhasonly29breeding
species.
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WoodStork
Atruefisherman,theWoodStorkisoneofthree
birdsthatlocatespreybytouch,called
tactolocation.
Itsfeedingbehaviorhasrendereditendangered
asitneedsaconcentratedfoodsourceinshallow
water.
Itsdietconsistsof110infish,lagerinverts,and
evenwatersnakesorbabyalligators.
Othernotableandcommonlyencountered
waterbirds include:
WhiteIbis
GlossyIbis
RoseateSpoonbill
GreatBlueHeron
GreatWhiteHeron
Tricolored,orLouisianaHeron
ReddishEgret
GreatEgret
SnowyEgret
LittleBlueHeron
GreenHeron
BlackcrownedNightHeron
Mostwadingbirdsnestinlargecolonies,
typicallyintreeonsmallislands.
FloridaBayisaprimelocationtoviewthese.
RookeriescommonlycontainAnhingas,
CormorantsandBrownPelicansinadditionto
wadingbirds.
WoodStorksnestinCorkscrewSwamp,andas
such,ithasbecomeapopulardestinationfor
naturephotographersandbirdwatchers.
T&EBirds
TheFloridaSnailKiteisarecognized
subspecies,andreliesonaspecializeddietof
applesnails.
Astheirpreyareonlyfoundincertain
locations,theyarehighlyhabitatspecific.
Givenreductioninshallowwaterareasto
supporttheirprey,theFloridaSnailKite
populationisatriskofinstability,or
extinction,ifremaininghabitatisntprotected.
9:Synthesis EcologicalRelationships
andProcesses
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Simplyput,Successionistheprocessof
changefromoneplantcommunityinto
anotherasaresultofenvironmental
circumstances.
Forexample,apinelandinSouthFlorida
changesintoatropicalHardwoodHammockin
theabsenceoffire.
Fireisthedisturbancethatstopssuccession,
andthepinelandismaintained.
Peatlands successionisdrivenbyvariousprocesses
1. Surfacefire(removegrowingordeadvegetation)
2. Soilfire(reducedsurfaceelevationandkillsplants)
3. Waterflow(resultingerosionandsedimenttransport)
4. AlligatorActivity(uprootsvegetation,preventssoil
accretion)
5. SoilAccretion(accumulatedplantmaterialinsaturated
soils)
6. SoilFlotation(peatpopupinsloughs,providingbasefor
bayhead development,andperpetuatingdeepslough
environment)
7. NutrientAddition(resultinginthedownstreamexpansion
oftreeislands)
8. Otherbayhead formativeprocesses(humanhabitation)
Upland
Communities
Possible
Successional
communities
Shallowflooded
areas
Dependingonthedrivingforces,andwhen
theyoccur,willdeterminethetypesof
communitiesthatdevelop.
Certainplantcommunitiesarecreatedand
maintainedbycertainprocesses, or
successionaldrivers
Thetworolesoffireareverydifferent.
Surfacefiresonlyremovestandingvegetation,and
preventwoodyspeciesestablishment.
Soilfires,conversely,reduceelevationandcause
majorcommunitychanges.
Opposingtheeffectoffireissoilaccretion.
Accretionresultsfromtheaccumulationofplant
material,aswellastrappedsediments.
Threefactorspreventingsoilaccumulation
Waterflow thinkorientationofstrands
Alligatoractivity Keystonespecies
Popups
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However,verybottomlineisthatforthis
ecosystemtomaintainasteadystate
equilibrium,hydrology mustremainrelatively
constant,andsealevelmustremainstable.
Theimpactsthatbeganin1882,and
acceleratedafter1912,aretheresultof
humanimpacts.
Especiallyalteredhydrology,changesinfire
regimes,reducednumbersofalligators,and
theintroductionofexoticspecies,toname
justafew.
Whataboutallthatenergy?
Onemajorfunctionofecosystemsisthe
transferofbiomass(orenergy)among
categoriesoflivingorganisms,whichare
arrangedinachain.
Ageneralizedfoodchainand
nutrientcyclingdiagram
FoodChainsandWebs
Afoodchainsummarizestheanorganisms
feedingpatterninalinearfashion.
However,thisisadeparturefromtheactual
ecosystemdynamic.
AFoodWebemphasizesthemultiple trophic
pathwaysofreallife.
Andalloftheseavenuesofenergytransferare
maintainedbyrelativeconstancyofabiotic
conditions.
Achangeinanyoneofwhichcouldhave
significantimpactsintheefficientand
continuedflowofenergythroughthissystem.
Humaninfluencehas,andwillcontinuetobe
amajorfactorthatthreatenstheintegrityof
thissystem.
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HumanImpacts
Indifferentportionofthepreviouslectures,
wehavediscussedhumanimpactsto:
Hydrology,resultinginreducedarea,
fragmentation,changesintiming,distributionand
quantityofwater
ThisinturnhasaffectedFireregime,andhas
resultedinsystemwidechanges.
Waterquality
Changesinwildlife,especiallyavianlife
IntroducedSpecies
Exotic,alien,introduced,ornonindigenous.All
areinterchangeable.
However,itisdifficulttopredictthedegreeof
impactanintroducedspecieswillhave,sadly,
untilafteritbecomesestablished.
Thereareseveralthatcausegreatconcernin
southFlorida.
SouthFloridasFlora Plants
Brazilianpepper,Melaleuca,Oldworld
climbingfern,torpedograss,etc.etc.
Notonlyhavetheseplants,andmanyothers
likethem,becomeestablished,theyarealso
alteringtheecologyoftheareastheoccupy.
Melaleuca acenturyoldproblem
Thepaperbarktree,punktree
Australia,1906
BrazilianPepper
CentralAmerica
1840s
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OldWorldClimbingFern
Lygodium microphyllum
SoutheastAsia
Animals
Severalnotableinvadersaredisruptingfood
websanderadicatingnativespecies.
Mostofthesewehavediscussedalready,
includingtheMayancichlid,Bluetilapia,
Cubantreefrog,Blackrat,feralpigandthe
Burmesepython.