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Endangered Species
The Wood Stork: An Indicator of an Endangered Everglades
The Everglades of the 1930s, largely un-drained and without complex water control structures, supported a nesting population of approximately 4,000 pairs of wood storks. Modern water control programs in south Florida have so greatly changed the flooding and drying patterns of the Everglades that the very survival of stork nesting colonies in the park is in question. Although the number of storks in Everglades colonies remained as high as 2,500 pairs as recently as 1960, accelerated development of water control structures and unnatural water delivery schedules have sharply increased the birds' decline during the past 30 years. By the mid-1980s, only 250 pair of wood storks were still nesting in Everglades National Park!
The stork's indicator role has been dramatically demonstrated, as total numbers of all species of wading birds nesting in mainland Everglades colonies have also dropped during this same 30 years from an estimated 40,000 to 9,000 pairs. Since the 1930s, the decline in all wading birds has exceeded ninety percent!
The southern Everglades ecosystem has been incapable of supporting viable populations of wood storks and other wading birds for several decades. While the storks have been chronicling the deterioration in the ecosystem, at the same time they are providing information that is needed for the system's restoration. Understanding of the habitat requirements of wood storks makes it possible to revise water management practices in order to restore good wading bird feeding conditions. The challenge, however, is to implement these improved water management programs in the face of the rapidly growing human demands for water and space in southern Florida.
Why are more people moving to Florida then any other state in our country? Is it our beautiful beaches, our beautiful flowers and palm trees, a tropical breeze blowing through your hair or is it something similar to Mozart playing in the background while eating in an upscale restaurant. That’s how most people living and visiting Florida see our beautiful birds (they are quietly being observed in the background). Shouldn’t we be concerned about our great-great grandchildren and the environment we will leave for them to live in? Will our descendants be able to enjoy this beautiful state as we known it, or will this beautiful state look like New York City……..with wall to wall concrete and skyscrapers, with no room for our wildlife. If you look at the declines of the population of our birds you will understand the problems we are creating are already haunting us and they need to be addressed.
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