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History |
Population growth and development |
Ortona Lock and Dam, on the Caloosahatchee River, part of the Okeechobee Waterway, in Glades County, Florida, a part of the Army Corps of Engineers project to control water flow in the Everglades. |
The 1900 United States Census identified only four cities in the state of Florida with more than 5,000 inhabitants: Jacksonville, Pensacola, Key West, and Tampa.[7] The total population of the state was recorded as 528,542.[8] The southern third of the state was sparsely populated, and much of it was partially submerge... |
As World War II came to an end, thousands of people moved to Florida, bringing about a sharp population increase. The state's population in 1940 was 1,897,414; in 1950, it was 2,771,305, an increase of 46.1 percent. [14] The Tampa Bay area and South Florida were the biggest-growth areas, although almost all of the coas... |
By 1945, a prolonged drought in Florida spotlighted the first signs of the consequences of altering the environment. Saltwater intrusion became an issue in wells in the southern part of the state, and large wildfires consumed parcels of farmland, destroying the peat which had made the land so fertile.[9] Prior to insti... |
Extensive flooding in 1947, during which 90 percent of the state south of Orlando was underwater, made it clear that the current drainage projects were not beneficial to the environment, to farmers, or to the developing cities.[9] 1947 was also the year that Everglades National Park was dedicated,[17] and the year in w... |
To control flooding, the Kissimmee River was straightened from 1962 to 1970. While the project delivered on the promise of flood protection, it also destroyed much of a floodplain-dependent ecosystem that nurtured threatened and endangered species, as well as hundreds of other native fish and wetland-dependent animals.... |
During the 1960s and 1970s, continued growth along both coasts of the state and along Interstate 4 increased the strain on the ecosystems of the state. Portions of Big Cypress Swamp were drained for development, until the creation of Big Cypress National Preserve in 1974.[20] Additional acreage was added to Everglades ... |
As the Southeast Florida area approached buildout, growth shifted to more rural areas in central and north Florida. Between 2000 and 2006, Flagler County was the fastest growing county in the nation, and both Osceola County and St. Johns County were among the 25 fastest growing;[24] Flagler County was identified as a M... |
Studies show that Florida is among a string of "Deep South" states that will experience the worst economic and environmental effects of climate change.[29] |
Resources |
Water |
Florida obtains much of its drinking water from the Floridan Aquifer and the Biscayne Aquifer, as well as from surface water from Lake Okeechobee and other lakes, but population increases have begun to strain available sources. The state has built 120 desalination plants, more than three times as many as any other stat... |
Energy |
Crystal River North steam complex, in Crystal River, Florida |
Sunniland Oil Fields |
Sunniland stratigraphic column |
Florida ranks forty-fifth in total energy consumption per capita, despite the heavy reliance on air conditioners and pool pumps. This includes coal, natural gas, petroleum, and retail electricity sales.[33] It is estimated that approximately 4 percent of energy in the state is generated through renewable resources.[34]... |
In July 2007, Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced plans to sign executive orders that would impose strict new air-pollution standards in the state, with aims to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. Crist's orders would set new emissions targets for power companies, automobiles and ... |
In 2006, the state enacted "Farm to Fuel" initiative, an effort to increase production of renewable energy from crops, agricultural wastes and residues produced in the state of Florida.[39] On 22 January 2008, Florida's Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner announced funding for four commercial ethanol and bio... |
Oil and Gas Exploration |
There are two oil-producing areas in Florida. One is in South Florida, with 14 fields, and the other is in the western panhandle, with seven fields. The South Florida fields are located in Lee, Hendry, and Collier county. Florida’s first oil field, the Sunniland field, in Collier County, was discovered in 1943. It has ... |
Production in the western panhandle began with the discovery of the Jay field in June 1970. Jay is the most significant oil field discovered in the United States since the discovery on the Alaskan North Slope of the giant Prudhoe Bay field in 1968. Another significant discovery in the area, during the same period, was ... |
Since then, an additional six oil fields have been discovered in the western panhandle of Florida. North Florida has dominated Florida oil production since the discovery of the Jay field. North Florida oil fields account for 83 percent of the state’s cumulative production, with the Jay field alone responsible for 71 pe... |
It is believed that significant energy resources are located off of Florida's western coast in the Gulf of Mexico, but that region has been closed to exploration since 1981.[45] |
Waste Management |
Increasing landfill space is also an issue. St. Lucie County is planning to experiment with burning trash through plasma arc gasification to generate energy and reduce landfill space. The experiment will be the largest of its kind in the world to date, and begin operation no later than 2009. If successful, experts esti... |
Recycling |
The recycling rate in Florida is estimated at 28% in 2000.[47] The county with the highest recycling rate is Lee County, with a 43% recycling rate as of 2008.[48] |
Florida's Energy, Climate Change, and Economic Security Act of 2008 set a goal of progressively improving recycling to reach a 75 percent rate by the year 2020. It directs public entities (schools, state and local public agencies) to report the amount they recycle annually to their counties. Private businesses are enco... |
Parks and beaches |
See also: List of Florida state parks |
The beach at Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys |
Caverns at Florida Caverns State Park |
In 2017 about half of the state's sandy beaches were eroding. About half of these were covered by a beach project.[51] |
Areas under control of the National Park Service include: |
Big Cypress National Preserve, near Lake Okeechobee |
Biscayne National Park, in Miami-Dade County south of Miami |
Canaveral National Seashore, near Titusville |
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, in St. Augustine |
De Soto National Memorial, in Bradenton |
Dry Tortugas National Park, at Key West |
Everglades National Park in Southern Florida |
Fort Caroline National Memorial, at Jacksonville |
Fort Matanzas National Monument, in St. Augustine |
Gulf Islands National Seashore, near Gulf Breeze |
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, in Jacksonville |
Areas under the control of the USDA United States Forest Service include: |
Apalachicola National Forest along the east bank of the Apalachicola River, |
Choctawhatchee National Forest near Niceville, |
Ocala National Forest in Central Florida, and |
Osceola National Forest in Northeast Florida. |
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service is responsible for one sanctuary: |
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary |
Biodiversity |
Florida is a biodiverse state, with 3,500 native vascular plants and 1,500 vertebrates, a higher number than all but three other states.[52] A 2003 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization study stated that the Florida Straits had the highest biodiversity in the Atlantic Ocean, and were the home to 25 endemic s... |
Stand of Melaleuca in the Everglades |
Flora |
In 2005 Red tide was an issue on the southwest coast of Florida. While there has been a great deal of conjecture over the cause of the toxic algae bloom, there is no evidence that it is being caused by pollution or that there has been an increase in the duration or frequency of red tide outbreaks.[54] |
Prior to instituting controlled burns, the state forests and pastures burned for months during the dry season. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the state and federal government assumed control of burning that largely prevented uncontrolled fires.[55] In 2010, the state burned a record 2,600,000 acres (11,000 km2).[56] |
Fauna |
The Florida scrub jay is found only in Florida. |
See also: List of wild mammal species of Florida and List of Florida birds |
Endemic species in Florida include the Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens),[57] Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri),[58] Okaloosa darter (Etheostoma okaloosae),[59] and Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium).[60] |
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