patrickbdevaney/mia9 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 6.44k
(28.3) 83.5
(28.6) 82.8
(28.2) 79.4
(26.3) 73.5
(23.1) 69.3
(20.7) 75.9
(24.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 55.1
(12.8) 56.5
(13.6) 58.0
(14.4) 62.0
(16.7) 66.6
(19.2) 72.0
(22.2) 73.5
(23.1) 74.3
(23.5) 74.2
(23.4) 70.9
(21.6) 63.8
(17.7) 58.6
(14.8) 65.5
(18.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 38.9
(3.8) 41.7
(5.4) 43.7
(6.5) 50.3
(10.2) 58.0
(14.4) 67.8
(19.9) 70.3
(21.3) 71.0
(21.7) 70.8
(21.6) 61.3
(16.3) 52.1
(11.2) 44.5
(6.9) 35.8
(2.1)
Record low °F (°C) 24
(−4) 29
(−2) 31
(−1) 37
(3) 49
(9) 50
(10) 66
(19) 66
(19) 64
(18) 49
(9) 31
(−1) 27
(−3) 24
(−4)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.70
(43) 1.82
(46) 1.93
(49) 2.85
(72) 5.84
(148) 9.00
(229) 6.82
(173) 8.57
(218) 9.01
(229) 5.55
(141) 2.39
(61) 1.88
(48) 57.36
(1,457)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 6.6 6.5 6.7 6.3 10.9 17.2 17.2 19.2 18.3 12.6 7.8 6.6 135.9
Source: NOAA[33][34]
Formative and sustaining processes
Main article: Geography and ecology of the Everglades
The Everglades are a complex system of interdependent ecosystems. Marjory Stoneman Douglas described the area as a "River of Grass" in 1947, though that metaphor represents only a portion of the system. The area recognized as the Everglades, prior to drainage, was a web of marshes and prairies 4,000 square miles (10,000 km2) in size.[35] Borders between ecosystems are subtle or imperceptible. These systems shift, grow and shrink, die, or reappear within years or decades. Geologic factors, climate, and the frequency of fire help to create, maintain, or replace the ecosystems in the Everglades.

Water

A storm over the Shark River in the Everglades, 1966
Water is the dominant force in the Everglades, shaping the land, vegetation, and animal life in South Florida. Starting at the last glacial maximum, 21,000 years ago, continental ice sheets retreated and sea levels rose. This submerged portions of the Florida peninsula and caused the water table to rise. Fresh water saturated the limestone that underlies the Everglades, eroding some of it away, and created springs and sinkholes. The abundance of fresh water allowed new vegetation to take root, and formed convective thunderstorms over the land through evaporation.[36][37]

As rain continued to fall, the slightly acidic rainwater dissolved the limestone. As limestone wore away, the groundwater came into contact with the land surface and created a massive wetland ecosystem.[36] Although the region appears flat, weathering of the limestone created slight valleys and plateaus in some areas. These plateaus rise and fall only a few inches, but on the subtle South Florida topography these small variations affect both the flow of water and the types of vegetation that can take hold.[38]

Rock

Uneven limestone formations in an Everglades sawgrass prairie
The underlying bedrock or limestone of the Everglades basin affects the hydroperiod, or how long an area within the region stays flooded throughout the year.[36] Longer hydroperiods are possible in areas that were submerged beneath seawater for longer periods of time, while the geology of Florida was forming. More water is held within the porous ooids and limestone than older types of rock that spent more time above sea level.[39] A hydroperiod of ten months or more fosters the growth of sawgrass, whereas a shorter hydroperiod of six months or less promotes beds of periphyton, a growth of algae and other microscopic organisms. There are only two types of soil in the Everglades, peat and marl. Where there are longer hydroperiods, peat builds up over hundreds or thousands of years due to many generations of decaying plant matter.[40] Where periphyton grows, the soil develops into marl, which is more calcitic in composition.

Initial attempts at developing agriculture near Lake Okeechobee were successful, but the nutrients in the peat were rapidly removed. In a process called soil subsidence, oxidation of peat causes loss of volume.[41] Bacteria decompose dead sawgrass slowly underwater without oxygen. When the water was drained in the 1920s and bacteria interacted with oxygen, an aerobic reaction occurred. Microorganisms degraded the peat into carbon dioxide and water. Some of the peat was burned by settlers to clear the land. Some homes built in the areas of early farms had to have their foundations moved to stilts as the peat deteriorated; other areas lost approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) of soil depth.[42]

Fire

Wildfire photographed in 1922
Fire is an important element in the natural maintenance of the Everglades. The majority of fires are caused by lightning strikes from thunderstorms during the wet season. Their effects are largely superficial, and serve to foster specific plant growth: sawgrass will burn above water, but the roots are preserved underneath. Fire in the sawgrass marshes serves to keep out larger bushes and trees, and releases nutrients from decaying plant matter more efficiently than decomposition.[43] Whereas in the wet season, dead plant matter and the tips of grasses and trees are burned, in the dry season the fire may be fed by organic peat and burn deeply, destroying root systems.[43] Fires are confined by existing water and rainfall. It takes approximately 225 years for one foot (.30 m) of peat to develop, but in some locations the peat is less dense than it should be for the 5,000 years of the Everglades' existence.[44] Scientists indicate fire as the cause; it is also cited as the reason for the black color of Everglades muck. Layers of charcoal have been detected in the peat in portions of the Everglades that indicate the region endured severe fires for years at a time, although this trend seems to have abated since the last occurrence in 940 BC.[44]

Ecosystems
Main article: Geography and ecology of the Everglades

Major landscape types in the Everglades before human action. Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Sawgrass marshes and sloughs
Several ecosystems are present in the Everglades, and boundaries between them are subtle or absent. The primary feature of the Everglades is the sawgrass marsh. The iconic water and sawgrass combination in the shallow river 100 miles (160 km) long and 60 miles (97 km) wide that spans from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay is often referred to as the "true Everglades" or just "the Glades".[45][46] Prior to the first drainage attempts in 1905, the sheetflow occupied nearly a third of the lower Florida peninsula.[36] Sawgrass thrives in the slowly moving water, but may die in unusually deep floods if oxygen is unable to reach its roots. It is particularly vulnerable immediately after a fire.[47] The hydroperiod for the marsh is at least nine months, and can last longer.[48] Where sawgrass grows densely, few animals or other plants live, although alligators choose these locations for nesting. Where there is more room, periphyton grows.[49] Periphyton supports larval insects and amphibians, which in turn are consumed as food by birds, fish, and reptiles. It also absorbs calcium from water, which adds to the calcitic composition of the marl.[50]

Sloughs, or free-flowing channels of water, develop in between sawgrass prairies. Sloughs are about 3 feet (0.91 m) deeper than sawgrass marshes, and may stay flooded for at least 11 months out of the year and sometimes multiple years in a row.[51] Aquatic animals such as turtles, alligators, snakes, and fish thrive in sloughs; they usually feed on aquatic invertebrates.[52] Submerged and floating plants grow here, such as bladderwort (Utricularia), waterlily (Nymphaeaceae), and spatterdock (Nuphar lutea). Major sloughs in the Everglades system include the Shark River Slough flowing out to Florida Bay, Lostmans River Slough bordering The Big Cypress, and Taylor Slough in the eastern Everglades.

Wet prairies are slightly elevated like sawgrass marshes, but with greater plant diversity. The surface is covered in water only three to seven months of the year, and the water is, on average, shallow at only 4 inches (10 cm) deep.[53] When flooded, the marl can support a variety of water plants.[54] Solution holes, or deep pits where the limestone has worn away, may remain flooded even when the prairies are dry, and they support aquatic invertebrates such as crayfish and snails, and larval amphibians which feed young wading birds.[55] These regions tend to border between sloughs and sawgrass marshes.

(28.3) 83.5

(28.6) 82.8

(28.2) 79.4

(26.3) 73.5

(23.1) 69.3

(20.7) 75.9

(24.4)

Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 55.1

(12.8) 56.5

(13.6) 58.0

(14.4) 62.0

(16.7) 66.6

(19.2) 72.0

(22.2) 73.5

(23.1) 74.3

(23.5) 74.2

(23.4) 70.9

(21.6) 63.8

(17.7) 58.6

(14.8) 65.5

(18.6)

Mean minimum °F (°C) 38.9

(3.8) 41.7

(5.4) 43.7

(6.5) 50.3

(10.2) 58.0

(14.4) 67.8

(19.9) 70.3

(21.3) 71.0

(21.7) 70.8

(21.6) 61.3

(16.3) 52.1

(11.2) 44.5

(6.9) 35.8

(2.1)

Record low °F (°C) 24

(−4) 29

(−2) 31

(−1) 37

(3) 49

(9) 50

(10) 66

(19) 66

(19) 64

(18) 49

(9) 31

(−1) 27

(−3) 24

(−4)

Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.70

(43) 1.82

(46) 1.93

(49) 2.85

(72) 5.84

(148) 9.00

(229) 6.82

(173) 8.57

(218) 9.01

(229) 5.55

(141) 2.39

(61) 1.88

(48) 57.36

(1,457)

Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 6.6 6.5 6.7 6.3 10.9 17.2 17.2 19.2 18.3 12.6 7.8 6.6 135.9

Source: NOAA[33][34]

Formative and sustaining processes

Main article: Geography and ecology of the Everglades

The Everglades are a complex system of interdependent ecosystems. Marjory Stoneman Douglas described the area as a "River of Grass" in 1947, though that metaphor represents only a portion of the system. The area recognized as the Everglades, prior to drainage, was a web of marshes and prairies 4,000 square miles (10,000 km2) in size.[35] Borders between ecosystems are subtle or imperceptible. These systems shift, grow and shrink, die, or reappear within years or decades. Geologic factors, climate, and the frequency of fire help to create, maintain, or replace the ecosystems in the Everglades.

Water

A storm over the Shark River in the Everglades, 1966

Water is the dominant force in the Everglades, shaping the land, vegetation, and animal life in South Florida. Starting at the last glacial maximum, 21,000 years ago, continental ice sheets retreated and sea levels rose. This submerged portions of the Florida peninsula and caused the water table to rise. Fresh water saturated the limestone that underlies the Everglades, eroding some of it away, and created springs and sinkholes. The abundance of fresh water allowed new vegetation to take root, and formed convective thunderstorms over the land through evaporation.[36][37]

As rain continued to fall, the slightly acidic rainwater dissolved the limestone. As limestone wore away, the groundwater came into contact with the land surface and created a massive wetland ecosystem.[36] Although the region appears flat, weathering of the limestone created slight valleys and plateaus in some areas. These plateaus rise and fall only a few inches, but on the subtle South Florida topography these small variations affect both the flow of water and the types of vegetation that can take hold.[38]

Rock

Uneven limestone formations in an Everglades sawgrass prairie

The underlying bedrock or limestone of the Everglades basin affects the hydroperiod, or how long an area within the region stays flooded throughout the year.[36] Longer hydroperiods are possible in areas that were submerged beneath seawater for longer periods of time, while the geology of Florida was forming. More water is held within the porous ooids and limestone than older types of rock that spent more time above sea level.[39] A hydroperiod of ten months or more fosters the growth of sawgrass, whereas a shorter hydroperiod of six months or less promotes beds of periphyton, a growth of algae and other microscopic organisms. There are only two types of soil in the Everglades, peat and marl. Where there are longer hydroperiods, peat builds up over hundreds or thousands of years due to many generations of decaying plant matter.[40] Where periphyton grows, the soil develops into marl, which is more calcitic in composition.

Initial attempts at developing agriculture near Lake Okeechobee were successful, but the nutrients in the peat were rapidly removed. In a process called soil subsidence, oxidation of peat causes loss of volume.[41] Bacteria decompose dead sawgrass slowly underwater without oxygen. When the water was drained in the 1920s and bacteria interacted with oxygen, an aerobic reaction occurred. Microorganisms degraded the peat into carbon dioxide and water. Some of the peat was burned by settlers to clear the land. Some homes built in the areas of early farms had to have their foundations moved to stilts as the peat deteriorated; other areas lost approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) of soil depth.[42]

Fire

Wildfire photographed in 1922

Fire is an important element in the natural maintenance of the Everglades. The majority of fires are caused by lightning strikes from thunderstorms during the wet season. Their effects are largely superficial, and serve to foster specific plant growth: sawgrass will burn above water, but the roots are preserved underneath. Fire in the sawgrass marshes serves to keep out larger bushes and trees, and releases nutrients from decaying plant matter more efficiently than decomposition.[43] Whereas in the wet season, dead plant matter and the tips of grasses and trees are burned, in the dry season the fire may be fed by organic peat and burn deeply, destroying root systems.[43] Fires are confined by existing water and rainfall. It takes approximately 225 years for one foot (.30 m) of peat to develop, but in some locations the peat is less dense than it should be for the 5,000 years of the Everglades' existence.[44] Scientists indicate fire as the cause; it is also cited as the reason for the black color of Everglades muck. Layers of charcoal have been detected in the peat in portions of the Everglades that indicate the region endured severe fires for years at a time, although this trend seems to have abated since the last occurrence in 940 BC.[44]

Ecosystems

Main article: Geography and ecology of the Everglades

Major landscape types in the Everglades before human action. Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Sawgrass marshes and sloughs

Several ecosystems are present in the Everglades, and boundaries between them are subtle or absent. The primary feature of the Everglades is the sawgrass marsh. The iconic water and sawgrass combination in the shallow river 100 miles (160 km) long and 60 miles (97 km) wide that spans from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay is often referred to as the "true Everglades" or just "the Glades".[45][46] Prior to the first drainage attempts in 1905, the sheetflow occupied nearly a third of the lower Florida peninsula.[36] Sawgrass thrives in the slowly moving water, but may die in unusually deep floods if oxygen is unable to reach its roots. It is particularly vulnerable immediately after a fire.[47] The hydroperiod for the marsh is at least nine months, and can last longer.[48] Where sawgrass grows densely, few animals or other plants live, although alligators choose these locations for nesting. Where there is more room, periphyton grows.[49] Periphyton supports larval insects and amphibians, which in turn are consumed as food by birds, fish, and reptiles. It also absorbs calcium from water, which adds to the calcitic composition of the marl.[50]

Sloughs, or free-flowing channels of water, develop in between sawgrass prairies. Sloughs are about 3 feet (0.91 m) deeper than sawgrass marshes, and may stay flooded for at least 11 months out of the year and sometimes multiple years in a row.[51] Aquatic animals such as turtles, alligators, snakes, and fish thrive in sloughs; they usually feed on aquatic invertebrates.[52] Submerged and floating plants grow here, such as bladderwort (Utricularia), waterlily (Nymphaeaceae), and spatterdock (Nuphar lutea). Major sloughs in the Everglades system include the Shark River Slough flowing out to Florida Bay, Lostmans River Slough bordering The Big Cypress, and Taylor Slough in the eastern Everglades.

Wet prairies are slightly elevated like sawgrass marshes, but with greater plant diversity. The surface is covered in water only three to seven months of the year, and the water is, on average, shallow at only 4 inches (10 cm) deep.[53] When flooded, the marl can support a variety of water plants.[54] Solution holes, or deep pits where the limestone has worn away, may remain flooded even when the prairies are dry, and they support aquatic invertebrates such as crayfish and snails, and larval amphibians which feed young wading birds.[55] These regions tend to border between sloughs and sawgrass marshes.