The Florida Everglades

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Ecosystem Paper
An ecosystem describes the interactions of several different organisms in a defined area, each performing different functions and working together to sustain life (Botkin & Keller, 2014). The size and complexity of ecosystems varies, depending on a number of factors, including geographical area, the number of species inhabiting it, abiotic factors, food chains, and nutrient cycles. The following is an overview of an ecosystem in south Florida, known as the Everglades.
The Florida Everglades
The Everglades is a vast, swampy region covering over 2.5 million acres in southern Florida (Clark & Bundy, 2011). Dominant species in the region include sawgrass, cattails, saw palmetto, various pine trees, cypress trees, water lilies, …show more content…
Abiotic features of an ecosystem affect how it functions, and thus could have a direct impact on its living organisms. Frequent wild fires, flooding, droughts, and hurricanes are all examples of major abiotic factors in the Everglades (Brown, et. al., 2006).
Nutrient Cycle, Food Chain, & Invasive Species
Much of the Everglades is underlain by peat, which is made up mostly of the decomposed remains of plants that had lived in the area. Peat plays a very important role in the recycling of important nutrient elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Peat, along with algal mats, are home to bacteria, zooplankton, and photosynthetic algae, which are central to the cycling of these nutrients (Brown, et. al., 2006). Algae also make up part of the first trophic level in the Everglades’ food chain, as it is the primary food source for many of the small fish, such as minnows and shiners. These fish are then eaten by frogs and snakes, which are consumed by wading birds; and by bass, sunfish, and crappie, which are major food sources of the American alligator. Other food sources to
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