Current Human Impacts

The Florida Everglades is the only type of its ecosystem in the entire United States. This unique ecosystem has been destroyed by humans drastically over the past hundred years and still faces more destruction due to many human factors. The biggest human component that still affect the Everglades today are a continuous  expanding human population in and around the the Everglades.
Growing population dynamics affect the Everglades in multiple ways. The lands in the Everglades are destroyed for agricultural purposes to sustain the growing population. Also with the lands being destroyed for agriculture, this also kills off some of the unique animal species in the Everglades because their land area is being drastically diminished. Sugar cane is the most cultivated food in the Everglades and its pesticide use drastically deteriorates the ecosystem.
 Another problem with the growing population around the Everglades is the amount of water that is diverted from the Everglades to feed the growing population. This water loss affect the Everglades because is diverts necessary nutrients the native plant and animal species, promotes algae blooms,  and deteriorates the wetlands and turns them into dry lands. Another big current human impact is that the growing problems with population allow for invasive species to easily come in and overtake the weakened species because these species readily adapt to the new ecosystem the Everglades are turning into.

This photo shows you just how much land area of the Everglades has already been converted to accommodate the growing human population, and this will just keep continuing to grow.