Abiotic Factors
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Although it is common to hear about this marvelous ecological landscape, many will never know more than what is mentioned briefly in the news. Our job here at Python Patrol is not only to publicize the problems faced in The Everglades, but to also get people excited about the paradise in their own backyards.
The Everglades spans a total of 1,542,526 acres, and encompasses a variety of populations and habitats. It contains an abundance of Sawgrass, which is a source of nutrition and food for many species. The primary diet of Marsh Rabbits is Sawgrass. The two main soil types in the Everglades are known as Peat and Marl. Peat soil is organic, and is mainly found in wetlands where there is a lot of flooding. Marl is a mixture of crumbly clays and soils, calcium, magnesium, limestone, and fossils. Marl soils are made of minerals, and are relatively thin. They typically lie above limestone bedrock, and are home to plants, vegetation, bacteria, algae, and microbes. |
The algae and bacteria attached to sediment/submerged surfaces is known as periphyton. Periphyton is eaten by tadpoles, fish, and aquatic life and feeds thousands of organisms within the Everglades. Periphyton also stores Phosphorus and feeds fish while providing shelter to other marine animals. The periphyton and low vegetation on the water surface keeps the environment oxygenated. Underneath the soil, there are large quantities of limestone and bedrock. Along with this, there are many carbonate rocks in the Everglades, which have been dissolved over time by acid rainwater. These dry areas have formed pits, called the Rocky Glades. This terrain is now home to marine animals and acts as a breeding ground when the karsts flood in the summer to species such as the Fox Squirrel and Marsh Rabbits.
Sugarcane in the Everglades decreases soil temperature and slows the process of soil drying, which is known as subsidence. This prevents the soil from completely subsidising in the dry season. The pH in the soil can range from 5.5 to 7.5 pH. The most limited nutrient in the Everglades is Phosphorus. Phosphorus is needed for plant growth and moving nutrients through plant membranes. So without an abundance of phosphorus, plants such as sawgrass, water lilies, and bladderwort thrive. Flora and fauna have adapted to the low phosphorus rich soil, and bacteria and fungi like the Common greenshield lichen help control phosphorus movement. The visibility ranges from 100 to 40 miles since Mercury can pollute the air. Salinity levels vary from 20 all the way up to 40 PSU during various years. This impacts American Alligator populations since they live in freshwater or bodies of water with a low salinity.
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The park temperature ranges between 12° and 25° C in the winter (December to April). However, temperatures during the summer months vary anywhere from 19° C to 31° C (June to September). The two seasons make hunting much easier. For example, The Great Horned Owls can catch a lot more fish when water dries up and the fish are condensed to a smaller area. The Everglades receives approximately 60 inches of rain per year. The majority of this rainfall occurs during the rainy season, starting in May and lasting until September. The heavy rains fill Lake Okeechobee, and overflow into the Everglades Marshes and wildlife. This feeds animals and replenishes natural aquifers. The Everglades has many natural fires due to lightning. This keeps woody brush and trees under their carrying capacities, which prevents them from overpopulating and dominating the habitat. It ensures enough grassland for rabbits and other herbivores.
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