Everglades Ecosystem
The Everglades ecosystem includes tropical and temperate zones, with the merging of fresh and saltwater habitats that supports a diverse range of plants and animals.  Today, the sawgrass prairie, pine forests and mangrove swamps covers over 1.5 million acres. There are still remnants of Everglades outside the park under other agency management, such as the state Florida.  There are over 300 bird species, including herons and egrets. Alligators, manatees and Florida panthers, many invertebrates such as tree snails, and a myriad of terrestrial and aquatic plants inhabit this extraordinary land. 

It includes:
designated wilderness of 1,296,500 acres (524,686 hectares)
the largest continuous stand of sawgrass prairie in North America
the most significant breeding grounds for tropical wading birds in North America
over 230,100 acres (93,100 hectares) of mangrove forest; the largest mangrove ecosystem in the western hemisphere
nationally significant estuarine complex in Florida Bay
significant ethnographic resources, revealing 5,000 years of human occupation

Today, the Everglades is a International Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site, and Wetland of International Importance. More...