The Florida Everglades a Wetlands Ecosystem Essay Example

The Florida Everglades a Wetlands Ecosystem Paper All Of the wildlife in the Everglades is totally dependent on the cycling Of water. One example of this dependence is the feeding relationship between the snail kite (an endangered bird species), and the apple snail (a freshwater mollusk the size of a golf ball) (Taller). The apple snails reproduce during the rainy season. When water levels are at their highest, they lay thousands of tiny pink eggs on the stalks of marsh grasses. As the water recedes, the snail kites fly all over the Everglades looking for them. Once they find them, they swoop down and use their specialized beaks to pluck the tender snails from heir shells. The water cycle and the lives of apple snails and snail kites are intertwined. Snail kites depend on the successful reproduction of apple snails, which is, in turn, affected by the amount of rainfall. Only recently have scientists been able to observe how close this relationship is. When humans drained large areas of the Everglades and converted them to agricultural lands, the population of apple snails decreased sharply. This had a dramatic effect on the snail kite population. In 2003, only 1 600 snail kites remained in Florida, the birds only U. S. Habitat (Smith). The relationship among humans, nail kites, and apple snails illustrates the delicate balance of nature in an ecosystem. When humans alter the water cycle, they directly affect the food chain. Alligators are animals that often come to mind when people think of the Everglades. The American alligator, once a highly endangered reptile, plays a critical role in the Everglades ecosystem, especially during the dry season (Alligator Holes). As winter approaches, water levels begin to drop. Alligators, which need an ample supply of water to survive, sense the changing of the season and begin to prepare for the dry months ahead. We will write a custom essay sample on The Florida Everglades a Wetlands Ecosystem specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Florida Everglades a Wetlands Ecosystem specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Florida Everglades a Wetlands Ecosystem specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Using their powerful snouts, tails, and legs, they make comfortable dens for themselves by slashing small plants, and muck out of the marsh. As it thrashes its body from side to side, it creates a small hole filled with water. Plant matter and mud piled up around the edges of the hole create dry ground on which other plants eventually grow. After many years, grass, trees, and other plants surround these gator holes like fences. Gator holes are important to other species as well. As the water becomes scarce during the dry season, many animals search for food and remaining pockets of water. The gator holes attract crayfish, frogs, turtles, fish, and other aquatic species, all seeking refuge in the deeper waters of the gator holes. Muskrats, otters, deer, and raccoons, as well as a wide variety of beautiful birds, such as ibises, egrets, and herons, visit these sanctuaries to feed on the small animals that can be found there. Because alligators and the watery hollows they make play such an important role in the Everglades ecosystem, they are considered to be a keystone species since many other species depend upon them for their survival. This has earned them the nickname keepers of the glades. Due to constantly changing water levels, ecosystems like the Everglades can be very unpredictable places. Since the 1 8005, people have tried to control the Everglades to prevent flooding (Blake). Large canals were built to send the water into the ocean and away from the Everglades. The land along the canals dried up and became more useful to people. Before so much Of the Everglades was drained, most of its water came from Lake Cheekbone, which sometimes overflowed along its southern edge. With an annual rainfall of nearly 60 inches (Everglades) and the overflow from the lake, a large area f the Everglades used to be wet for most of the year. But the lake was a source of major flooding to towns, especially during the rainy season. In the 1 sass, other flood control projects were started, including the construction of a dike along Lake Cheekbones southern rim. Because the water no longer overflowed from the lake; farmers and ranchers now had more dry land on which to live and work. More projects followed in the asses and asses. Today, about half of the original Everglades has been drained to create dry land for towns and farms and much of the region is crisscrossed by an elaborate system of canals, dikes, and levees. Blake) Water control efforts have benefited the residents of south Arid, but now nature no longer controls the flow of water into the Everglades; as a result, the natural balance of the ecosystem has been damaged. The draining of the Everglades has harmed many animals that depend on water for reproduction, such as snails, fish, and frogs. Because these creatures are at the bottom of many Everglades food chains, their diminishing numbers have had a rippling effect throughout the entire community. Like the snail kite, other bird species C such as the ibis, heron, and the endangered wood stork CO have suffered. In fact, scientists have estimated that some bird populations have dropped about 90 percent (Birds) over the past fifty years because of the low water levels. Now scientists are encouraging us to realize that a great number of plants and animals must survive to help maintain this delicate environment. Because the canals and dikes have helped to dry up the land, part of the original Everglades has become a rich agricultural area. Yet, productivity within this marsh has had a negative effect on its wildlife. In the asses and asses, bald eagles and pelicans in the Everglades were among the many birds heartened with extinction by the chemical EDT. (Scott) Farmers sprayed EDT on their crops to control insects. They didnt realize that from heavy rains was washing the poisonous chemical into the Everglades. Scientists discovered that EDT caused the shells of birds eggs to thin, resulting in the death of many young birds before hatching. The U. S. Government finally banned the use of EDT in 1972. Agricultural runoff disrupts the Everglades ecosystem in other ways too. Fertilizers, which contain plant nutrients, are washed from the sugarcane plantations a few miles north. These fertilizers cause an excessive growth Of algae. The algae can form large mats called algal blooms, which float on the surface of the water and results in transportation. The effects of transportation can be seen as far south as Florida Bay. As the algae die and decompose, they use up large amounts of oxygen in the water, which causes fish, crabs, shrimp, insects, and other aquatic species to suffocate in the oxygen-depleted water. With the drier conditions created by flood-control, brush fires began to sweep through the Everglades in the 1 sass and asses. These devastating blazes led environmentalists to pressure the government to establish the Everglades National park. (Park Establishment) Today, visitors can experience Florists diverse, rare, and beautiful wildlife in the Everglades National Park. Located in the southwestern portion of the marsh, this is one of the largest national parks in the United States. Each year, millions of tourists come to see the huge array of tropical wildlife, which includes nearly six hundred different types of animals, such as alligators, crocodiles, pelicans, snakes, and a multitude of insect species. The Everglades is the largest freshwater wetlands in the continental United States and one of the worlds great biological treasures. It is home to many species of endangered plants and animals. But it is also an ecosystem in trouble. Over the past century, about half of the original Everglades has been drained, filled, and converted for farmland and other development. Much of the nutrient-filled water that once flowed naturally through the Everglades has been artificially diverted to sugarcane plantations. As a result, the entire ecosystem has suffered. Damaged wetlands cannot provide suitable habitat for the plants and animals that depend on it for survival. In 1 983, the state of Florida, along with several environmental groups, munched the Save Our Everglades campaign to start looking at ways to preserve the troubled wetlands. The project had one clear goal: to make the Everglades look and function more like it did in 1900 than it did in 1983. Throughout the 1 sass, scientists worked on this plan. In 1 994, the Arid state legislature passed the Everglades Forever Act (Longboat), which authorized the Everglades Construction Project the largest effort ever attempted to restore an ecosystem. One of the projects in the Everglades restoration effort is the construction of 40,000 acres of artificial marshes (Diabetes). These marshes will serve as a protective barrier between the sugarcane plantations and the rest of the Everglades ecosystem. The artificial wetlands are essentially huge ponds surrounded by dirt and filled with lots of nutrient-loving plants. Scientists hope that the plants will clean the water by catching and filtering out pesticides, fertilizers, and other farm runoff before it reaches the Everglades. The clean water will then be redirected back into the marsh. Another project is to restore the Kismet River (Restoring a River). Before people began tinkering with the Everglades, the Kismet was a 102-mile meandering river that supplies most of the water to Lake Cheekbone. In 1961, engineers straightened the Kismet River to control flooding around Lake Cheekbone and to make room for farms. Most of the water in the river was then diverted into a 55-mile straight channel, officially named the C-38 canal. Scientists expect that once the river IS returned to its original path, the habitat for more than three hundred fish and wildlife species, including the endangered wood stork and snail kite, will be restored. A total of 24 endangered or threatened plant and animal species live in the Everglades ecosystem (Threatened Endangered Species) and most of these species face extinction due to habitat loss. One large Everglades mammal that faces extinction due to habitat loss is the Florida panther, a type of cougar. Two hundred years ago, cougars roamed freely from Alaska to South America; but today, due to habitat loss, the only cougar population east of the Mississippi River is the Florida panther. Despite widespread efforts to save the panther, fewer than fifty remain in the wild (Florida Panther). This makes it one of the most endangered animals in North America. If habitat loss can be halted, biologists hope that the panther population will increase.

Free Essays on Persian Gulf War

There are three basic causes to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. First, Iraq had long considered Kuwait to be a part of Iraq. This claim led to several confrontations over the years (see below), and continued hostility. Also, it can be argued that with Saddam Hussein's attempted invasion of Iran defeated, he sought easier conquests against his weak southern neighbors. Second, rich deposits of oil straddled the ill-defined border and Iraq constantly claimed that Kuwaiti oil rigs were illegally tapping into Iraqi oil fields. Middle Eastern deserts make border delineation difficult and this has caused many conflicts in the region. Finally, the fallout from the First Persian Gulf War between Iraq and Iran strained relations between Baghdad and Kuwait. This war began with an Iraqi invasion of Iran and degenerated into a bloody form of trench warfare as the Iranians slowly drove Saddam Hussein's armies back into Iraq. Kuwait and many other Arab nations supported Iraq against the Islamic Revolutionary government of Iran, fearful that Saddam's defeat could herald a wave of Iranian-inspired revolution throughout the Arab world. Following the end of the war, relations between Iraq and Kuwait deteriorated; with a lack of gratitude from the Baghdad government for help in the war and the reawakening of old issues regarding the border and Kuwaiti sovereignty. Iraq-Kuwait Relations Prior to the 1990 Invasion. 1961- Iraq (President Qasim) threatens Kuwait, invoking old Ottoman claims. Britain supports Kuwait and Iraq backs down. 1973, March- Iraq occupies as-Samitah, a border post on Kuwait-Iraq border. Dispute began when Iraq demanded the right to occupy the Kuwaiti islands of Bubiyan and Warbah. Saudi Arabia and the Arab League convinced Iraq to withdraw. 1980-1988- Kuwait supports Iraq in the First Persian Gulf War with Iran. On August 2nd, 1990 Iraqi military forces invaded and occupied the small Arab state of Kuwait. The order was gi... Free Essays on Persian Gulf War Free Essays on Persian Gulf War There are three basic causes to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. First, Iraq had long considered Kuwait to be a part of Iraq. This claim led to several confrontations over the years (see below), and continued hostility. Also, it can be argued that with Saddam Hussein's attempted invasion of Iran defeated, he sought easier conquests against his weak southern neighbors. Second, rich deposits of oil straddled the ill-defined border and Iraq constantly claimed that Kuwaiti oil rigs were illegally tapping into Iraqi oil fields. Middle Eastern deserts make border delineation difficult and this has caused many conflicts in the region. Finally, the fallout from the First Persian Gulf War between Iraq and Iran strained relations between Baghdad and Kuwait. This war began with an Iraqi invasion of Iran and degenerated into a bloody form of trench warfare as the Iranians slowly drove Saddam Hussein's armies back into Iraq. Kuwait and many other Arab nations supported Iraq against the Islamic Revolutionary government of Iran, fearful that Saddam's defeat could herald a wave of Iranian-inspired revolution throughout the Arab world. Following the end of the war, relations between Iraq and Kuwait deteriorated; with a lack of gratitude from the Baghdad government for help in the war and the reawakening of old issues regarding the border and Kuwaiti sovereignty. Iraq-Kuwait Relations Prior to the 1990 Invasion. 1961- Iraq (President Qasim) threatens Kuwait, invoking old Ottoman claims. Britain supports Kuwait and Iraq backs down. 1973, March- Iraq occupies as-Samitah, a border post on Kuwait-Iraq border. Dispute began when Iraq demanded the right to occupy the Kuwaiti islands of Bubiyan and Warbah. Saudi Arabia and the Arab League convinced Iraq to withdraw. 1980-1988- Kuwait supports Iraq in the First Persian Gulf War with Iran. On August 2nd, 1990 Iraqi military forces invaded and occupied the small Arab state of Kuwait. The order was gi... Free Essays on Persian Gulf War CASE STUDY THE PERSIAN GULF WAR AND UN INVOLVEMENT The jubilation caused by the drawing down of the Cold War was dramatically overshadowed when Iraq invaded the nation of Kuwait on August 2nd 1990. Iraqi control of Kuwait and the danger it posed to Saudi Arabia and the smaller Gulf states threatened a vital American interest, because the United States and the West in general, remained dependent on this region for much of its oil supplies. President Bush strongly condemned the Iraqi action and called for Iraq's immediate and unconditional withdrawal. An emergency session of the UN Security Council voted unanimously to condemn Iraq, urge a cease-fire and demand the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. When Iraq did not comply with the resolution the Council reiterated the inherent right of self-defence and called for economic sanctions to be applied to Iraq (resolution 661, 6 Aug 1990). In response to this, Iraq announced the occupation of Kuwait and ordered the closing of all embassies in the country, and began taking US and British citizens in Kuwait hostage. Following the steps articulated in the UN charter the Security Council authorised naval ships in the Persian Gulf to use, 'such measures...as may be necessary under the authority of the security Council'# to enforce the sanctions. On August 8, President Bush went on national television to announce the deployment of US troops to the Middle East. The president then worked to assemble one of the most extraordinary military and political coalitions of modern times, with military forces from Asia, Europe and Africa, as well as the Middle East. Bush knew that he must get as many allied countries on his side if he had any chance of winning this battle. However, Bush had to act in an extremely diplomatic way since the future of world oil supply hung greatly in the balance of his actions. In the days and weeks following the invasion, the UN Security Council...

Review of lay literature article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Review of lay literature - Article Example The condition was the seventh leading cause of death in 2010.2 In addition, diabetes is expensive, as the government and the families of the affected often spend a lot of income in trying to provide high-quality healthcare services for their loved ones. Physical therapy, medication and proper diet together form the solution for treatment of diabetes. The project provides more insight into some of the mechanisms that prevent full-blown diabetes as well as most of the complications that come about due to the health condition. The article "Prediabetes? Get Yourself Moving but Do Not Jump Immediately to Drugs As an Answer", is highlighted in The Washington Post as of December 15, 2014. The article titled â€Å"Prediabetes? Get Yourself Moving but Do Not Jump Immediately to Drugs As an Answer†, appeared under the health and science section of The Washington Post on December 15th last year. In as much as the commentary was put together by Consumer Reports, the message delivered throughout the editorial seems apparent. The major argument in the article is that the occurrence of diabetes in the United States is high notably because close to a third of the adult population, which translates to around 86 million citizens, suffer from prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition where the blood sugar level of a person is higher than the standard.1 The extraordinary prevalence of diabetes routinely comes about, for over 90% of those who suffer from prediabetes are not aware of it. The authors share the ideology that as prediabetics routinely embrace medication, the Federal Drug Administration has not availed any prediabetes drug in the market, implying that making such a call amounts to backing the wrong horse.1 Instead of embracing medication, the authors argue that changing an individual’s way of life and living healthy come in handy in reducing the risk of developing