It’s 5000 BCE in the verdant swamps of North America, and a young deer is being hunted. Suddenly, an alligator hurtles out of the water at almost 50 kilometers an hour, locking its jaws around its prey and swinging wildly in a signature move known as the death roll. This deer never stood a chance, but then, nothing in this region could compete with this apex predator. These alligators easily devour the birds, turtles, and small fish living in what’s known today as Everglades National Park. But despite ruling the swamp for millennia, the last 500 years have brought deadly new predators that challenge the alligators’ reign.
The origins of these international invaders are just as unexpected as their impact on the Everglades. We tend to think of swamps as hostile landscapes since they’re overflowing with plant and animal life. But all this biodiversity makes these environments vital to regional food webs. And the Everglades are no exception. The park’s subtropical climate can support species from around the world, and its borders are full of ecotones—transition areas between habitats—that connect the region’s freshwater prairies, rocky pinelands, mangrove forests, and more.
Human activity has made the region even more biodiverse, developing Florida into a major port that welcomes countless human and non-human migrants. In the 1500s, Spanish colonizers brought wild boar to the area, which quickly multiplied and uprooted the wetlands. They devoured alligator eggs and spread European parasites to local panthers. Then, in the 1800s, Florida’s shipping industry exploded, bringing all manner of new invasive species. Brazilian pepper trees blocked out the sun, water hyacinths clogged the rivers, and brown anole lizards upset the food chain.
Alligator populations mostly endured this onslaught, but in the late 19th century, human intervention kicked things up a notch. Government and business officials wanted to turn the Everglades into farmland and began building canals to drain the swamp. They also planted non-native trees which crowded out the plants local birds relied on for food and shelter, which in turn limited the alligators’ supply of prey.
Interventions like this wreaked havoc on the Everglades for decades, until a conservationist named Marjory Stoneman Douglas finally came to their defense. In 1947, Douglas published a landmark book explaining that the Everglades were not only a unique and precious ecosystem, but that the region’s most fearsome residents were actually vital to sustaining it. During the wet season, alligators are constantly shaping the muddy landscape, drawing lines with their bodies and digging holes with their snouts, claws, and tails. In the dry season, these indentations become essential watering holes and firebreaks, maintaining and protecting the swamp’s other residents.
Over the next 40 years, the exotic pet trade brought parakeets, iguanas, and relatives of piranhas to the region. In the 1990s, Burmese pythons became a cheap, popular pet for many Floridians. Some snake owners released their pets into the wild when they grew too large. But the python population really exploded in 1992 when a hurricane destroyed a breeding facility and released countless snakes into the wild. Since then, pythons have been connected to a 90% decrease in some local mammal populations, decimating the alligators’ food supply. And with help from other invasive reptiles like black and white tegus—giant lizards who devour alligator eggs—these snakes have made a serious play for the top of the local food chain.
Today, Florida ranks among the regions with the most invasive species in the world. Some researchers suggest hunting these invaders down, while others recommend bringing in yet more creatures to balance the scales, such as releasing insects to eat invasive plants. It might seem absurd to try solving this problem with more foreign fauna. But perhaps a new arrival could fight invaders and feed the alligators—giving them the boost they need to reclaim their ancient home.
Draw a food web that includes alligators, their prey, and the invasive species mentioned in the article. Use arrows to show who eats whom. This will help you understand the complex relationships in the Everglades ecosystem.
Split into groups and role-play a debate between conservationists, government officials, and local residents about the best ways to manage invasive species in the Everglades. This will help you explore different perspectives and solutions.
Choose one invasive species mentioned in the article and research its impact on the Everglades. Create a presentation to share your findings with the class. This will deepen your understanding of how invasive species affect ecosystems.
Imagine you are an alligator living in the Everglades over the past 500 years. Write a diary entry describing how your life has changed due to human activity and invasive species. This will help you empathize with the challenges faced by wildlife.
Create a poster that highlights the importance of alligators in the Everglades and the need for conservation efforts. Use facts from the article to support your message. This will help you communicate the importance of protecting ecosystems.
alligators – large semiaquatic reptiles with long jaws, sharp teeth, and a rough skin that are native to the Americas – Alligators are commonly found in the southeastern United States, particularly in Florida.
Everglades National Park – a large subtropical wilderness reserve located in southern Florida, known for its unique ecosystem and wildlife – Everglades National Park is home to a variety of endangered species, such as the Florida panther and the American crocodile.
biodiversity – the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, including the number of different species present – The Amazon rainforest is renowned for its incredible biodiversity, with thousands of plant and animal species coexisting in the same area.
invasive species – non-native species that have been introduced to a new environment and have the potential to cause harm to the native species and ecosystems – The Asian carp is an invasive species in the Great Lakes, outcompeting native fish and disrupting the natural balance of the ecosystem.
conservation – the protection, preservation, and management of natural resources and ecosystems to ensure their sustainable use for future generations – The conservation efforts of the local community have helped restore the population of endangered sea turtles along the coastline.
human activity – actions or behaviors carried out by humans that can have an impact on the environment, ecosystems, and wildlife – Deforestation and pollution are examples of human activities that can have detrimental effects on biodiversity.
ecosystems – a community of living organisms and their interactions with the non-living components of their environment – Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems that support a wide range of marine life, including fish, corals, and other invertebrates.
food chain – a sequence of organisms in which each organism is the source of food for the next in the series, representing the transfer of energy and nutrients – In a typical food chain, grass is consumed by rabbits, which are then eaten by foxes.
wetlands – areas of land that are saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, and support unique plant and animal communities – The Florida Everglades is a vast wetland ecosystem, providing a vital habitat for numerous species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
reptiles – a group of cold-blooded vertebrates that includes turtles, snakes, lizards, and crocodilians, characterized by scales, a dry skin, and the ability to lay eggs – Snakes and lizards are examples of reptiles that shed their skin as they grow.
