| Formed by centuries of constant lake overflow after heavy rains, the Everglades is a freshwater marsh that covers 12,950 sq km (nearly 5000 sq m) of southern Florida. It is home to mangrove thickets, live oaks, palm and bay trees, as well as the grasses and aquatic weeds and lilies typical of marshland. Animal life includes frogs (once poached for their legs), snakes, shorebirds such as limpkins, and the snails they feed upon. These animals are now protected within the Everglades National Park, but the marsh’s area is in any case too large to be a candidate for drainage, which would cause the mass destruction of all accompanying plant and animal life. Marshes disappear naturally when sediment and organic deposits rise above the water table. They are gradually replaced by terrestrial ecosystems. |
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