climatechangeproject

The Impact on the Everglades and South FL

Macayla Henderson - GLY 1030

Solutions andSimilarities

Mini Research Project: Climate Change

Even though the Everglades were birthed from climate change over 10,000 years ago, today's climate change poses a threat to this unique ecosystem.

Rising Sea Levels Impacting Endangered Plant Life

The Climate-Friendly Parks Program

Adapting to Change

What's going on in Cape Sable?

Climate Change in the Rest of Florida

South Florida and Climate Change

Sources

Climate Change and South FL

One of the biggest ways climate change impacted South Florida is the destruction of cultural resources. Sandfly Island is one of many that has been impacted. It houses 22 acres of prehistoric life that are about 3,000 years old! Water erosion and higher salinity from rising sea levels have caused it's tidal creek banks to collapse, harm the prehistoric artifacts and washed away important geological sites that were being analyzed.

What is the Climate-Friendly Parks Program?

In 2005, Everglades National Parks took some of it's first steps to adress climate change by joining the Climate Friendly parks initiative. To help combate climate change, Everglades National Park is now measuring the park-based greenhouse gas emissions, educating staff, partners and stakeholders, on how they can take action to perserve the parks, an working with the CFPP to anticipate the impacts of climate change on the Everglades park resources and get ahead to perserve the ecosystem.

Cape Sable

Cape Sabal (located in the Everglades) is a large freshwater marsh. Due to sea-level rise, it's interior freshwater marsh has almost entirely disappeared, nearby lakes such as Lake Inghram, have been filled with marine sediments. The saltwater has forced mangrove trees to move inland and die more quickly since they can no loger draw nutrients from Cape Sabal's freshwater and large storm surges have contrubited to erosion in Cape Sable.

Rising Sea Levels

​Rising sea levels have been putting endangered species that thrive in the Everglades' freshwaters such as tropical orchards and herbs and the buttonwood forest ecosystem. The rising sea levels have caused salinization of the groundwater and soil.

Adaptive Initiatives

While much damage has already been done to the Everglades due to climate change, initiative is now being taken to protect the ecosystem and surrounding areas. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) works to increase the amount of freshwater storage in the Everglades, improve water quality and re-establish the natural water flow through the Everglades to help protect the Everglades' aquophors from saltwater intrusions. There are also two restoraton canals: C-11 canal and L-29 Canal.

How has Climate Change impacted the rest of FL?

Right now, we're experiencing one of the biggest impacts of climate change all over Florida, not just in the Everglades: Rising Tempuratures. While Florida is known for it's warm and tropical climate, this summer has been reaching record heats on multiple days and has officially been declared Miami's hottest summer. The rising sea levels have submerged wetlands and dry-lands, eroded beaches and exasterbated coastal flooding.