Essay on Invasive Species in the Everglades

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Essay on Invasive Species in the Everglades

The presence of invasive species in the Everglades is a problem because invasive species have no natural predators, they therefore multiply uncontrollably and devastate populations of native birds and mammals. Our main concerning species are pythons. Pythons are very small, 13-14 inches long, when they are first sold at exotic pet conventions. After 3-4 years pythons can grow to 8 feet, and when they do owners are unable to care for them and release them into the Everglades. Along with pet owners releasing pythons, Hurricane Andrew destroyed a hatchery near Miami that released hundreds of newborn snakes into the Everglades. The problem did not occur overnight, the importation of giant exotic snakes, like the python, had been popular and legal since the 1970s. In some cases, Pythons have killed the top predator of the Everglades, the Alligator. Along with killing alligators, Pythons can easily take down a full-grown deer. Pythons can multiply rapidly, a female python can carry up to 100 eggs at once, making their spread very rapid. There is little controversy over the issue because it is a known fact that the pythons do not belong in the wetlands of the Everglades and are highly disruptive. A step in the right direction was made in 2012 when the import of Pythons was made illegal. The ban in 2012 was unfortunately years behind the curb, by the time of the ban over 200 thousand pythons were in the Everglades.

This research started in the second week of January and will end in the second week of April. The sources utilized have credibility, are relevant, and unbiased, and they support the purpose of the research. The studies chosen show the dramatic effects that an invasive species can have on a habitat that lacks a natural predator similar to the invasive species. The studies were all conducted in the Everglades National Park and they all show the present danger that pythons have on the Everglades fragile ecosystem. The source Pythons Devourer Mammals in the Everglades was immensely helpful because it provided the percentages of the decline of medium-sized mammal populations in areas where pythons had been present, which showed a direct correlation that more effort is needed to eradicate pythons in the Everglades.

Annotated Bibliography

Falk Bryan G., Snow, Ray W., and Reed Robert N. (2007) Prospects and Limitations of Citizen Science in Invasive Species Management: A Case Study with Burmese Pythons in Everglades National Park.

The study focuses on the change in the average time it takes to find a python in the Everglades year-round. In 2014 the time it took to find a python ranged from 8hrs to 40hrs. The time range is due to the extreme difficulty of finding pythons by searching visually. The research shows why new methods of catching pythons should be introduced to decrease the time it takes to find a python and increase the number of pythons caught daily.

Hart, Kristen M.1, Michael S.1Smith, Brian J.2Mazzotti, Frank J.3Ikuko, Ray W.4Dorcas, Michael E.5, Pythons Devour Everglades Mammals. Florida, USA. (2015)

The research led by Michael Dorcas and Jhon J.D Wilson, links severe declines of mammal populations in the Everglades to the population soar of Pythons. Their research solidifies the claim that predators native or exotic exert a considerable influence on the structure of their animal communities. In the remote southernmost regions of the park, complete disappearance of rabbits, raccoons, and Opossums occurred along with severe declines in other mammal populations.

Dorcas, Michael, Willson, John, Reed, Robert, Snow, Ray, Rochford, Michael, Miller, Melissa, Meshaka,^Jr., Walter, Andreadis, Paul, Mazzotti, Frank, Romagosa, Christina, Hart, Kristen. Severe mammal declines coincide with the proliferation of invasive Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park. (September 26, 2011)

This source focuses on the decline in mammal populations of the Florida Everglades, due to the introduction of Burmese Pythons. The study stated that raccoon sightings fell by 99.3% due to Pythons. Along with that Opossum, sightings fell by 87.5%. The road surveys conducted showed that in areas where pythons had only recently been discovered mammal populations were much higher than those where pythons had been present for extended periods The study shows that a high python population directly correlates with the ow mammal population.

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