Environment of Florida

The environment of Florida in the United States is very special because it has many different kinds of land and water animals living in a warm subtropical climate. Over the last hundred years, many people have moved to Florida, and the state grows by about 1,000 new people every day. As more people move in, places where nature used to live, like wetlands, have been changed for buildings and roads.

Florida has a lot of special rock called karst limestone with many caves and sinkholes. These caves are important for many water animals, some of which live only in Florida. But as cities grow, people need more water, which can hurt these caves. When the water leaves the caves, the ground can sink and even collapse, which can danger both nature and homes.

One big goal for Florida has been to help the Everglades, a huge and important wet area. In 2000, Congress started a big plan called the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. This plan, costing $7.8 billion over 30 years, works to protect and bring back the Everglades and its special environments. By 2018, about 30% of Florida’s land was set aside to protect nature.

History

Population growth and development

In 1900, Florida had only four cities with more than 5,000 people: Jacksonville, Pensacola, Key West, and Tampa. The whole state had just 528,542 people. Much of southern Florida was wet marshlands.

Over time, people built canals to drain the water and make more land for farming and building. This helped the population grow. After World War II, many more people moved to Florida, especially around Tampa Bay and South Florida.

However, changing the land caused problems. Droughts led to wildfires, and flooding showed that the drainage projects were not good for the environment. In 1947, Everglades National Park was created to protect this special area.

As more people moved in, the natural habitats suffered. Efforts began to restore the Everglades, with a big plan started in 2000 to help fix the damage and protect the environment for future generations.

Resources

Water

Florida gets a lot of its drinking water from underground sources called the Floridan Aquifer and the Biscayne Aquifer. It also uses water from Lake Okeechobee and other lakes. But as more people move to Florida, there isn’t enough water for everyone. To help, the state has built 120 special water-cleaning factories, more than any other state. Some of these factories are the biggest in the world!

Energy

Florida doesn’t use as much energy as other states. About 4 percent of its energy comes from clean, natural sources. The state makes up 6 percent of all the energy used in the United States. Leaders in Florida have worked to cut down on pollution from cars, power plants, and other sources. They also want to use more energy from plants and other natural things instead of oil.

Oil and Gas Exploration

Florida has small areas where oil is found. One area is in the south part of the state, and another is in the northwest corner. The first oil discovery in Florida happened in 1943. Since then, more oil fields have been found, and some of them have produced a lot of oil. Most of Florida’s oil comes from the northwest part of the state. There might be even more oil under the ocean near Florida’s western coast, but people aren’t allowed to look for it there right now.

Waste Management

Florida is running out of space for its trash. One county, St. Lucie County, is trying a new way to handle trash by burning it to create energy. This method could make the whole landfill disappear in about 18 years. The materials made can also help build roads.

Florida wants to recycle more. In 2000, about 28% of trash was recycled. A law from 2008 aims to raise this to 75% by 2020. Schools and government offices must report how much they recycle, and businesses are encouraged to do the same. Each county has goals to increase recycling each year.

Parks and beaches

See also: List of Florida state parks

In 2017, about half of Florida’s sandy beaches were wearing away. Many of these beaches were helped by special projects.

Florida has many special places protected by the National Park Service. Some of these include:

• Big Cypress National Preserve, near Lake Okeechobee
• Biscayne National Park, in Miami-Dade County south of Miami
• Canaveral National Seashore, near Titusville
• Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, in St. Augustine
• De Soto National Memorial, in Bradenton
• Dry Tortugas National Park, at Key West
• Everglades National Park in Southern Florida
• Fort Caroline National Memorial, at Jacksonville
• Fort Matanzas National Monument, in St. Augustine
• Gulf Islands National Seashore, near Gulf Breeze
• Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, in Jacksonville

The United States Forest Service looks after several forests in Florida, such as:

• Apalachicola National Forest along the east bank of the Apalachicola River
• Choctawhatchee National Forest near Niceville
• Ocala National Forest in Central Florida
• Osceola National Forest in Northeast Florida

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service cares for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Biodiversity

Florida is a biodiverse state, with over three thousand native vascular plants and 1,500 vertebrates, more than almost any other state. The Florida Straits have the most life in the Atlantic Ocean, including 25 special species found only there.

Florida has many kinds of plants and animals. It is a great place for birdwatching, with hundreds of bird species seen there each year. The state has many places for people to see birds, like the Great Florida Birding Trail. Sport fishing is also popular, with many types of fish in the water.

Florida's Atlantic coast has the only big coral reefs in the United States. These reefs are protected in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Biscayne National Park.

See also: List of wild mammal species of Florida and List of Florida birds

Endemic species in Florida include the Florida scrub jay, Miami blue, Okaloosa darter, and Key deer.

Environmental issues

Invasive species

See also: List of invasive species in Florida

Florida faces big challenges from invasive species because of its warm weather, many visitors, and trade in plants and animals. Some foreign plants, like the Brazilian pepper, are harmful to local plants and are not allowed to be grown. People work hard to remove these plants, especially near water.

Animals from far away can also cause problems. For example, a tiny beetle from Asia can harm local trees and crops. There are rules to stop certain animals, like large snails from Africa, from coming into the country because they can damage buildings and plants.

Harmful algal bloom

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) happens when too many tiny plants grow in the water. This is often called red tide. It can hurt fish, birds, and other sea animals. Eating affected shellfish can make people very sick, and the air around these blooms can make breathing difficult. Red tide happens naturally but can last longer when there is too much nitrogen pollution. These blooms usually happen in the warm months and can cost a lot of money because of closed fisheries, lost tourism, and cleanup work.