There are a number of

environmental issues Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on t ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

. A large portion of Florida is a biologically diverse ecosystem, with large wetlands in the

Everglades The Everglades is a natural region A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate. From the ecological point o ...

. Management of environmental issues related to the everglades and the larger coastal waters and wetlands have been important to the

history of Florida The history of Florida can be traced to when the first Native Americans began to inhabit the peninsula as early as 14,000 years ago. They left behind artifacts and archeological evidence. Florida's written history begins with the arrival of Euro ...

and the development of multiple parts of the economy of Florida, including the influential

agricultural industry Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

. This biodiversity leaves much of Florida's ecological ecosystem vulnerable to invasive species and human sources of industrial pollution and waste. Moreover, because of Florida's low geography, Florida has been described as "ground zero" in the United States for the impacts of climate change in the United States.

Everglades

The Everglades are tropical wetlands located in the southern portion of Florida that have been designated under the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on W ...

as one of only three wetland areas of global importance. A restoration of the Everglades is being carried out with a $7.8 billion, 30-year project aimed at its preservation and restoration.

Biodiversity

The

Florida panther The Florida panther is a North American cougar (''P. c. couguar'') population in South Florida. It lives in pinelands, tropical hardwood hammocks, and mixed freshwater swamp forests. It is known under a number of common names including Costa ...

is an endangered population of the cougar (''Puma concolor''). There are about 230 individuals in the wild. The

Center for Biological Diversity The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit membership organization known for its work protecting endangered species through legal action, scientific petitions, creative media and grassroots activism. It was founded in 1989 by Kieran Suckl ...

and others have called for a special

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

for the panther.

Manatee Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living speci ...

s are also dying at a rate much higher than their reproduction. In 1977, the federal government placed

alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis'' ...

s on the endangered list. They were removed from the endangered list in 1987 and Florida permitted selective hunting in 1988. In 2013, the US Fish and Wildlife Service was examining a list of nine species to see if they should be added to the protected list. These included bridled darter,

Panama City crayfish ''Procambarus econfinae'', sometimes called the Panama City crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is only found around Panama City, Florida, and is listed as an endangered species An endangered species is a s ...

, Suwanee moccasin shell mussel, eastern

hellbender The hellbender (''Cryptobranchus alleganiensis''), also known as the hellbender salamander, is a species of aquatic giant salamander endemic to the eastern and central United States. It is the largest salamander in North America. A member of t ...

salamander, Florida Keys mole skink, MacGillivray's

seaside sparrow The seaside sparrow (''Ammospiza maritima'') is an American sparrow. Description Adults have brownish upperparts with gray on the crown and nape, and a grayish-buff-colored breast with dark streaks; they have a dark face with gray cheeks, a whit ...

, boreal toad,

Sierra Nevada red fox The Sierra Nevada red fox (''Vulpes vulpes necator''), also known as the High Sierra fox, is a subspecies of red fox found in the Oregon Cascades and the Sierra Nevada. It is likely one of the most endangered mammals in North America. The High ...

, and the Bicknell's thrush.

Invasive species

The state has more invasive amphibians and reptiles than anyplace else in the world. The pet industry was responsible for 84% of the 137 non-native species introduced from 1863 to 2010. 25% were traced to a single importer.

Flora

Approximately 1,300 of Florida's plant species (31 percent of the total) are non-natives which have become established; 10 percent of these are considered invasive. The three most ecologically damaging are

Brazilian pepper ''Schinus terebinthifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to subtropical and tropical South America. Common names include Brazilian peppertree, aroeira, rose pepper, broadleaved pepper tree, ...

(''Schinus terebinthifolius''), which has taken over in south and central Florida, and forms single-species environments;

melaleuca ''Melaleuca'' () is a genus of nearly 300 species of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They range in size ...

(''Melaleuca quinquenervia''), which has invaded - more than 12 percent of total land area in South Florida, and was spreading at an estimated per day; and

Australian pine ''Casuarina'' is a genus of 17 tree species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australia, the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, islands of the western Pacific Ocean, and eastern Africa. It was once treated as the sole genus in the fam ...

(''Casuarina'' spp.) which covered , and whose fallen needles release a chemical into the soil which inhibits the growth of native plants. In 2013, five rare butterflies, indigenous to Florida, haven't been seen in over six years. These include the zestos skipper, rockland Meske's skipper,

zarucco duskywing ''Erynnis zarucco'', commonly known as the zarucco duskywing, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found (rarely) from southern Ontario to the southeastern United States.nickerbean blue, and the Bahamian swallowtail. The

US Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with o ...

is reluctant to declare them extinct because other butterfly species have been "rediscovered" after long periods of not being seen by man. Hydrilla (''

Hydrilla verticillata ''Hydrilla'' (waterthyme) is a genus of aquatic plant, usually treated as containing just one species, ''Hydrilla verticillata'', though some botanists divide it into several species. It is native to the cool and warm waters of the Old World in A ...

'') is the most significant invasive

aquatic plant Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments ( saltwater or freshwater). They are also referred to as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from algae and other microphytes. A macrophyte is a plant that ...

species in the state; aggressive biological, chemical and mechanical management has reduced the effects of water hyacinth (''

Eichhornia crassipes ''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range.Pistia stratiotes'').

Fauna

Due in part to its prevalence in the

exotic pet An exotic pet is a pet which is relatively rare or unusual to keep, or is generally thought of as a wild species rather than as a domesticated pet. The definition varies by culture, location, and over time—as animals become firmly enough est ...

trade, Florida has a large number of non-native species. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission tracks 31 species of mammals, 196 species of birds, 48 species of reptiles, 4 species of amphibians, and 55 species of fish that have been observed in the state. Many of the identified species are either non-breeding or stable populations, but several species, including the

cane toad The cane toad (''Rhinella marina''), also known as the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad native to South and mainland Central America, but which has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania ...

(''Bufo marinus''),

Gambian pouched rat The Gambian pouched rat (''Cricetomys gambianus''), also commonly known as the African giant pouched rat, is a species of nocturnal pouched rat of the giant pouched rat genus ''Cricetomys'', in the family Nesomyidae. It is among the largest mur ...

(''Cricetomys gambianus''),

Nile monitor The Nile monitor (''Varanus niloticus'') is a large member of the monitor family ( Varanidae) found throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa and along the Nile, with invasive populations in North America. The population in West African forests an ...

(''Varanus niloticus''), and

Burmese python The Burmese python (''Python bivittatus'') is one of the largest species of snakes. It is native to a large area of Southeast Asia and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Until 2009, it was considered a subspecies of the Indian python ...

(''Python molurus bivittatus''), have created significant impact on the delicate ecosystems of the state, especially in the tropical southern third of the state. Florida's fresh waters are host to 34 confirmed breeding species of exotic (introduced) fish, a higher number than any other place on earth. Since their accidental importation from South America into North America in the 1930s, the

red imported fire ant The red imported fire ant (''Solenopsis invicta''), also known as the fire ant or RIFA, is a species of ant native to South America. A member of the genus '' Solenopsis'' in the subfamily Myrmicinae, it was described by Swiss entomologist Feli ...

population has increased its territorial range to include most of the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

, including Florida. They are more aggressive than most native ant species and have a painful sting.

Fungus endangering some non-native palms

Native

fusarium wilt Fusarium wilt is a common vascular wilt fungal disease, exhibiting symptoms similar to Verticillium wilt. This disease has been investigated extensively since the early years of this century. The pathogen that causes Fusarium wilt is ''Fusarium ...

is endangering several types of palm trees including the non-native queen palms, and the Washingtonia palms. The fungus is apparently being spread by humans using unsanitized power tools.

Waste in Florida

Florida's 18 million residents (21 million as of 2020) and 80 million visitors generated over million of solid waste in 2010. Increasing landfill space has been an issue. In 2010 landfill space cost about $400,000 per . In 2010, the state had the goal of recycling 75% of its waste by 2020. Municipal experiments in "

single-stream recycling Single-stream (also known as “fully commingled” or "single-sort") recycling refers to a system in which all paper fibers, plastics, metals, and other containers are mixed in a collection truck, instead of being sorted by the depositor into sepa ...

" disposal seemed to indicate that this goal might be achievable. St. Lucie County is planning to experiment with burning trash through plasma arc gamification to generate energy and reduce landfill space.

Pollution and waste

In 2010 there were, in the state, 44 federal

Superfund Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the Environmental Protection Agen ...

sites, 101

brownfields In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land prev ...

, 13,527 petroleum cleanups and more than 3,000 other sites with dry-cleaning fluids or other hazardous waste. Drinking water is at risk because the water table is so shallow. Phosphorus mining is also an important part of the local economy. Tailing ponds from the mines are vulnerable to breach and contamination of the local environment from the radioactive biproduct called

phosphogypsum Phosphogypsum (PG) is the calcium sulfate hydrate formed as a by-product of the production of fertilizer from phosphate rock. It is mainly composed of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O). Although gypsum is a widely used material in the construction industry, p ...

. In 2021, one of the dams breached at Piney Point phosphate plant into the

Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater ...

. Because of its marine origins, Florida soil is naturally high in

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ea ...

. Coupled with fertilizer, this often has resulted in excessive phosphorus in water runoff to nearby bodies of water. As a result, Florida has required certain municipalities to limit the application of fertilizer containing phosphorus.

Climate change

References

External links

Environment Florida
- a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization
Sierra Club Florida
- environmental issues