[DATE OF SAMPLING UNKNOWN OR NOT APPLICABLE.) The Everglades, covering an area 
of about 3,900 square mi, is the lower segment of a large naturally integrated drainage 
system of about 9,000 square miles. Lake Okeechobee occupies a 730 square mi basin 
with its floor at sea level almost in the middle of this system. In pre-drainage days as 
now, drainage began in the northern-most part of the Kissimmee River basin, near 
Orlando, and flowed southeast into the lake. During these pre-drainage times, most of 
the KLOE (Kissimmee - Lake Okeechobee - Everglades) drainage system was inundated 
much of the time and during flood periods when the Lake's level rose to heights of about 
14.6 ft MSL (mean sea level), two separate segments of the Lake's southern shore, 
totaling about 19 mi, overflowed into the Everglades. When lake levels reached about 
18 ft MSL, the entire southern shore for a length of about 32 mi poured a sheet flood 
into the upper glades. Sheet flow continued from there on south to the Bay of Florida 
with notable discharge to the Atlantic Ocean through such streams as New and Miami 
Rivers, and through transverse glades across the coastal ridge. During extended 
droughts, the sawgrass plains dried out and at times fierce fires swept the glades 
burning the muck and peat down to the lowered water table. Buried ash layers 
incorporated into the body of the peat deposits give mute testimony to these prehistoric 
fires and the severe droughts that allowed them to burn the dried-out peat. 
1974 0 
Stephens, J. C. (1974) Subsidence of organic soils in the Florida Everglades - a review and 
update. Enviro n ments o f South Fl orid a; Pre sent and Past, Memoir 2. P. J. Gleason (ed.). 
Miami Geological Society, Coral Gables, FL. 352-361. 
[DATE OF SAMPLING UNKNOWN OR NOT APPLICABLE.) The Everglades contains the 
largest single tract of organic soils in the world, over 3,100 square miles. Formed 
under marshy conditions, they subsided when drained by compaction, biochemical 
oxidation or burning. Biochemical oxidation has accounted for approximately two-thirds 
of the total loss of the arable soils in the Everglades. Subsidence has had serious 
environmental effects on agriculture, water supplies, and wildlife. Flooding the land in 
Conservation Areas will halt subsidence, and losses on arable lands can be ameliorated 
by maintaining water tables as high as feasible, making productive use of drained lands 
as soon as possible, and increasing research. 
1974 0 
Thomas, T. M. (1974) A detailed analysis of climatological and hydrological records of 
South Florida with reference to man's influence upon ecosystem evolution. Environments of 
South Florida: Present and Past. Memoir 2. P. J. Gleason (ed.). Miami Geological Society, 
Coral Gables, FL. 82-122. 
[DATE OF SAMPLING UNKNOWN OR NOT APPLICABLE.) An attempt has been made to 
summarize the historical climatological records of southern Florida south of latitude 
29° N. Rainfall and temperature records were obtained for 157 stations within this 
region. Calculations determined that a minimum of seven years data per station was 
required to obtain statistically valid monthly and annual averages, but that the 10 - 15 
yrs, suggested by Sass (1967) were more suitable. Using monthly and annual averages 
calculated for 119 station many of which dated prior to 1900, synoptic maps were 
constructed displaying the geographical distribution of these two climatic variables. 
From statistical inference, i.e. averages, standard deviations and coefficients of 
variation, areas with similar characteristics were isolated and reduced to a single 
monthly time series record varying from 50 to 70 yrs in length and analyzed for 
evidence of long term changes as well as cyclical behavior. This analysis suggests that 
no long term changes have occurred when independently considering all the Januarys, 
Februarys, Marches, etc. but that from a standpoint of a linear record by month, by 
years a bi-annual component appears as well as one in the proximity of five years. This 
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