Human Ecological Stupidity: Everglades Wetland Destruction

Wetlands make up a large part of the United States. In total there is about 105.5 million acres, thats roughly the size of California. The wetlands are an incredible place. Many of us have seen a great example of the wetlands in Florida, the Everglades. The Everglades are the largest wetland in the United States, it is also one of the largest in the world. Destruction of the wetlands causes many problems such as: increased flood damages, increased drought damages, and declining bird populations. Much of the destruction of wetlands is due to human activity. Some actions that are commonly seen are: drainage, tilling for crop production, mining, introduction of nonnative species, dredging, and stream channelization.
Drainage is a big cause of the destruction of the Everglades; in the 1940's a large portion of the Everglades was drained for development purposes. The effects of this were devastating. There was a 90% reduction of bird populations. Some animals were at risk of being completely lost in the area. Many native grasses were choked out by exotic species.
Tilling for crop production has also greatly effected the Everglades. The sugarcane industry is one of the biggest offenders. Whats worse is the farmers are protected by the federal government and even recieve benefits to keep the industry alive. Farmers will block water ways and redirect the water the way they see fit disturbing the natural waterflow and effecting the ecosystem in the surrounding areas. Fertilizers are also becoming more prevelant in the water of the Everglades. The soil of the Everglades are not ideal for growing sugarcane.  Phosphorus is a major component of many fertilizers. The effects are seen in algea blooms which leads to a depleted oxygen supply.
Of the original 3 million acres 1.7 acres have either been drained or turned into farm land. The rest of the Everglades have been turned into a national park but many argue that the destruction of the Everglades is still happening. Restoration efforts are happening but with such a large area destroyed it will take many years to return the Everglades to their original state. This is not just happening in the Everglades it is also happening to many other wetlands. We need to learn from our mistakes and stop this from continuing.
Heres a video from PBS discussing the destruction of the Everglades.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=video&cd=3&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CEAQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.pbs.org%2Fvideo%2F1098938463%2F&ei=x1lcUMLHB6nDyQG3uIHACw&usg=AFQjCNHGsqTXgi5bFRe2CDmNPgaan9IRoQ&sig2=0vtDPqwHY4HRAAhuY6I70Q

Sources:

http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0706f.asp
http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/vital_status.cfm
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