The Florida Everglades A UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site in Crisis PDF

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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture....

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Anth 101/Johnson Project 1 UNESCO Assignment Kadin Campbell The Florida Everglades A UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site in Crisis The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information (unr.org). UNESCO shared vision is to create the conditions necessary for the constructive dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. UNESCO’s mission is to utilize shared cultural dialog to enhance global human rights and achieve a global vision of mutual respect and the development of sustainable resources. UNESCO has identified global heritage sites that represent unique cultural representations of historic and present civilizations. UNESCO has also identified world heritage sites that are in danger of collapse due to environmental and social conflict. I have selected the unique ecosystem of the Florida Everglades in the southern tip of the state as my UNESCO site of choice. The Florida Everglades is certainly an unparalleled ecosystem. The Everglades covers a surface area of over 1.5 million acres (https://floridakoshervillas.com). Per the United States endangered species act, the Everglades houses 36 threatened or endangered native species. The keystone species in the Everglades is the American alligator. Keystone species sit at the top on trophic pyramids as the top consumers. Approximately 1/3 of Florida residents rely on the Everglade water supply for their domestic water. Most people believe the Everglades is classified as a swamp or marsh. In fact, the Everglades is actually a slow-moving river. The Everglades represents America’s largest subtropical wetland. Typically, in wetlands there are only two seasons: wet and dry. Soon after Florida became a state in 1845, engineers beginning planning to drain the “swamp”. Since the highest point in the state of Florida is only 345 feet above sea level, real estate is subject to water logging. Draining the Everglades would serve to establish dry land for development. The depth of water in the Everglades averages about four feet and is only nine feet at the deepest points.

In 1947, two hurricanes struck the Everglades. The United States Army Corps of Engineers took control of the waters contributing to the Everglades. Engineers from the Corps started construction of canals and levees to move water to the Atlantic Ocean with the goal of preventing future flooding. Currently, the Everglades “river” is less than 50% of its original size. Little did the Corps know that their efforts in the mid-twentieth century would result is a loss of habitat to multiple native species found in the Everglade ecosystem. Many native species in the Everglades have been lost and most remaining species are under continued assault of habitat loss and the competition resulting from introduced invasive species. Today, the introduction of nonnative reptiles is threatening the alligator population that the Everglade ecosystem is known for. Snakes introduced from Asia, such as the Burmese python are decimating native animals.

Invasive animals are not the only current threat to the Everglade ecosystem. Over 1.7 million acres of the Everglades is under attack from non-native plants. Trees that were introduced by landscapers have found their way into the Everglades. The Brazilian peppertree and Chinese privet are two examples of trees that thrive in the Everglades free on natural predators. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, drafted and approved in 2000 seeks to restore the Everglade ecosystem to its prior glory. The goal is to restore and protect the natural Everglade ecosystem and protect native species. The restoration of native species will require the elimination of the multiple invasive species that compete with native flora and fauna. The Restoration Plan also seeks a solution to the depletion of aquifers that provide historical water supplies to urban areas.

The degeneration of the Florida Everglades is but one example of will intentions yielding unintended consequences. Remember, the trouble began with development seeking to re-direct the freshwaters of the Everglades to promote development and agriculture. I am sure the Army Corps of Engineers truly believed they were performing a public service and were completely unaware of the consequences their actions were negatively contribute to the ecosystem....