FLORIDA, Oct 9 — Umberto Gimenez loves alligators. He gives them nicknames such as “Smile” and “Momma Gator” and laughs when he thinks of their antics.
But time is running short, and global warming is sabotaging a subtropical wilderness that is home to more than 2,000 species of animals and plants. In addition, salt water risks destroying the habitat for much of the rare fauna and flora in the area. Intensifying droughts and reduced rainfall, other consequences of climate change, are also causes for concern.
For thousands of years, water accumulated north of the Everglades in the rainy season, shaping the landscape by moving very slowly as it followed the slight slope of the terrain. “Everglades restoration is the model for other ecosystem restoration efforts whether it’s wetlands like the Pantanal or estuaries like the Chesapeake Bay,” Davis says. “We have the same kind of issues here,” he adds. “It’s about ensuring the proper quantity of clean water moving through the ecosystem.”The effects of rehabilitation are already noticeable. Davis gets off the boat, dips his hands into the clear water and scoops up a dark glob from the bottom.