Ecosystem Services
The South Florida Everglades
Ecosystem Services
• Resources and natural products supplied
by natural ecosystems, which benefit
humans.
• Can include:
– Fresh Water
– Fresh Air
– Cultural and Recreational Areas
– Climate Control
– Nutrient Support Systems
Ecosystem Services
• The United States Department of Agriculture
explains that, “Many of these goods and
services are traditionally viewed as free benefits
to society, or ‘public goods’ - wildlife habitat and
diversity, watershed services, carbon storage,
and scenic landscapes, for example. Lacking a
formal market, these natural assets are
traditionally absent from society’s balance sheet;
their critical contributions are often overlooked in
public, corporate, and individual decisionmaking.”
USDoA Forest Service. http://www.fs.fed.us/ecosystemservices/
Humans rely heavily on
Ecosystem Services
LTER Group of 100 Meeting, Nov. 2004 (Sklar et al.)
Few people know the true value
of our ecosystems…
• But wetlands alone are worth billions
The Everglades
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Everglades National Park explains, “Slow and rain-driven, the natural cycle
of freshwater circulation historically built up in shallow Lake Okeechobee. It
averages 12 feet (3.7 meters) deep and covers 730 square miles (1890
square kilometers).
“Thus began the flow of the wide, shallow ‘River of Grass.’ Fifty miles (80
km) wide in places, one to three feet (0.3 to 0.9 meters) deep in the slough's
center but only 6 inches (15 cm) deep elsewhere, it flowed south 100 feet
(30 meters) per day across Everglades sawgrass toward mangrove
estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico. A six-month dry season followed.
“Everglades plants and animals are adapted to alternating wet and dry
seasons. Water cycle disruptions ruin crucial feeding and nesting
conditions.
“During the dry season (December to April), water levels gradually drop.
Fish migrate to deeper pools. Birds, alligators, and other predators
concentrate around the pools to feed on a varied menu of fish, amphibians,
and reptiles. This abundant food source is vital to many wading birds who
are nesting during the dry season.”
http://www.nps.gov/archive/ever/eco/ever101.htm
Most of our Water comes from
the Biscayne Aquifer
•
An aquifer is a "body of rock or
regolith sufficiently permeable to
conduct economically significant
quantities of groundwater to springs
or wells“ (Skinner 1999)
•
Most of our drinking water comes
from the Biscayne Aquifer, which
is fed by the Everglades
Skinner, Brian J., Porter, Stephen C. and Daniel B. Botkin. The Blue Planet: An Introduction to Earth System
Science. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1999.
The Most Important Service of the
Everglades: Fresh Water
Water is mostly taken
from the Biscayne
Aquifer, to which the
Everglades is a large
contributor.
Precipitation and
run-off is filtered
through the
Everglades and
eventually makes
its way to the
Biscayne Aquifer.
We draw water
from this Aquifer.
Before we were here…
The Everglades was a freely
flowing river
Water flowed from Lake Okeechobee
and the Kissimmee River Basin into the
Everglades in South Florida.
This water flowed into the Biscayne
Aquifer, from which we get most of our
water today.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/ever/eco/ever101.htm
Now…
The everglades isn’t a free flowing
river anymore.
Much of the water now flows into
man-made water conservation
areas, though some of it still gets
to the Everglades.
Water is occasionally released into
the Everglades from these man
made lakes to maintain
appropriate water levels.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/ever/ed/resources/edhydro.htm
The water in the everglades right
now is of a lower quality than it
was before human interference
because of pollution from various
sources including eutrophication
resulting from water runoff from
farms.
Disrupting the Everglades
Ecosystem
• The Everglades is being contaminated by:
– Septic Tank Drainage
– Run-off from landfills
– Pesticides and fertilizers
– Gasoline
– Other chemicals that absorb into the rocks of
the aquifer
All of this pollution jeopardizes our water
supply!
The Water in the Everglades
Isn’t Just for Human
Consumption
Everglades Food Web
• Arrows point in direction of
energy flow, with color
signifying trophic level of
the animal from which the
arrow comes.
A Delicate Ecosystem
• Eutrophication (nutrient enrichment) of the
water can favor other plants over the
typical sawgrass
• Lower water levels could force certain
species to migrate out of the Everglades
• Pollution can kill off certain species’
All of this, in addition to limiting our
water sources, can destroy the balance
of our environment
"What Can I Do to Help?"
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
• Conserve Water.
• Use soap instead of detergents. Using soaps with
low phosphates and nitrates will keep the water
table cleaner.
• Spread the word! Tell a friend about your concern.
Tell them what they can do. Have them tell a friend,
and so on.
• Make your concerns known to your legislatures.
• Contact environmentally active organizations.
• Become a Volunteer!
http://www.nps.gov/archive/ever/eco/icanhelp.htm