Everglades Wildguide / Handbook 143

The handbook surveys the natural history of Everglades National Park, describing its major habitats—freshwater marshes, mangrove and coastal prairies, cypress swamps, pine rocklands, and hardwood hammocks—and how water, limestone substrate, and seasonal cycles of flood, drought, and fire shape them. It explains ecological relationships among plants and animals, from marsh fish and wading birds to reptiles and invertebrates, and highlights adaptations that allow species to persist in changing conditions. Chapters include field-oriented sections with maps, checklists, a glossary, and appendices on rare and endangered species and cultural interactions with indigenous peoples. Throughout, discussion emphasizes conservation issues arising from altered drainage, habitat loss, and human impacts.