The Grass is Always Greener in the Everglades
The everglades are made up of many types of plants and grasses that help maintain the ecosystem. The Everglades were called the “River of Grass” by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1947 because she recognized that the grasses of the Everglades were crucial to maintaining the water quality to sustain the ecosystem. Due to the high importance of the grasses, nearly all species of plants and animals would be obliterated if the grasses died in the Everglades. If all of the grasses became absent, the water quality of the Everglades would degrade and other species of plants would die. As the water quality of the Everglades decreased, other plants that serve as nurseries for fish would die due to poor water conditions. The seagrasses help move nutrients around for other plants to consume and to survive, but if the seagrasses die then the other plants will not be able to receive the nutrients they need.
When the other plants die from the lack of nutrients in the water, the fish who rely on these plants as nurseries to hide from predators will begin to die from excessive predation. Over time, as predation causes prey species of fish to become extinct, the absence of food will cause populations of predators such as alligators and crocodiles to significantly decrease. The decreased populations of fish, plants and predators will potentially wipe out the ecosystem of the Everglades. The extinction of the seagrasses will also influence the manatee populations who rely on seagrasses as a major food source. The grasses provide food to manatees but they also keep the ecosystem balanced by helping species of fish that are hunted for food hidden from predators in order for the fish populations to continue to increase. Seagrasses can also help to keep the seabed intact during harsh weather due to the roots growing horizontally and vertically. As the seagrasses keep the sea bed intact, erosion is slowed which results in less damage to the sea bed and coastlines.
The Everglades are home to many species of plants and animals that play a crucial role in the ecosystem. The seagrasses are vital to maintaining balance in the ecosystem and to ensure the survival of all of the organisms within it. If the grasses were to die out, it would create a catastrophic chain reaction that would destroy the ecosystem of the Everglades. The process would start with the water quality decreasing and end with the destruction of the ecosystem. All of the plants and animals rely on the environmental conditions such as water temperature, water quality, food availability and habitat availability to survive. Therefore, due to this dependence, if the seagrasses die, the Everglades die.
Great blog post Evan. It's crazy to think just how important something as simple as grass is to a whole ecosystem. Additionally, many people are completely unaware of how important it is to preserve the grasses, not just for the wetlands, but also for filtering toxins that will be deposited into the ocean if not removed.
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