ABSTRACT
The Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Florida Everglades-Florida Bay-coral reef (KOEFR) system, located in central and south Florida, is among the most unique ecological resources in the United States. This system formed over thousands of years as a major wetland represented by the Kissimmee River vegetation, the Florida Everglades, the Big Cypress Swamp, and the coastal mangroves and glades (Mitsch and Gosselink, 1993). The Florida Everglades represent the only such system in the Northern Hemisphere. The KOEFR region, the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the conterminous United States, is a mosaic of freshwater and saltwater areas that includes lakes, grassy wetlands, open prairies, pine rock lands, tropical hardwood forests, mangrove forests, a subtropical estuary, a string of keys, and offshore, hermatypic coral reefs. Unlike any other ecosystem in the United States, the KOEFR system supports a diverse mixture of temperate and Caribbean flora and unique fauna (Davis and Ogden, 1994) that includes nesting and over-wintering fishes, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Various species of wading birds, such as egrets, herons, spoonbills, and the endangered wood stork, need the specific habitat provided by the Florida Everglades. Grassland birds and the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow are also present. Other wildlife includes the Florida panther, alligators, the endangered American crocodile, tropical fish, and crustaceans such as the valuable pink shrimp and spiny lobster.
