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No comparison can be made between Amazon and everglades. the two are worlds apart. one if a subtropical wetland with 1% of the biodiversity of the other while, the other is a tropical jungle with the highest concentration of species in the planet earth, also considered the lung of the world...
Btw, if the Everglades has 1% of the biodiversity of the Amazon, then any similar hotspot in CA has .3% of the biodiversity of the Amazon.
Amazon: The basin encompasses 7,000,000 square kilometres (2,700,000 sq mi)
Everglades: 734 mi² (1,900 km²)
For comparison: the amazon rainforest has 1500 species of birds as opposed to 350 in the Everglades.
You're confusing a biodiversity hotspot with a rain-forest that extends in several South American countries.
It does, but California's dry season is longer and more intense than many other Mediterranean climates. Perth, Australia or most of Southern Europe doesn't as brown for as long because its dry season is weaker. Southern California barely has enough rainfall to qualify as Mediterranean: San Diego gets classified as semi-arid. Much of Italy, say Naples, gets small amounts of rain during the summer (interior gets some thunderstorm from convection), and more annual rain than just about anywhere in the Bay Area. Summer dryness may be more akin to Oregon (Rome is at the same latitude as the Californian-Oregon border).
Yea, that's the point--hence dry and brown. No need for a "but", it's just how it is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nei
Growing anything is possible with an endless supply of cheap water. California is one of the biggest rice producers in the country, despite rice requiring inundation in the warm season (for California: rainless).
Yep, California has great insolation and decent dirt. It had cheap water from the massive irrigation projects, but that's not looking so great right now.
Btw, if the Everglades has 1% of the biodiversity of the Amazon, then any similar hotspot in CA has .3% of the biodiversity of the Amazon.
Amazon: The basin encompasses 7,000,000 square kilometres (2,700,000 sq mi)
Everglades: 734 mi² (1,900 km²)
For comparison: the amazon rainforest has 1500 species of birds as opposed to 350 in the Everglades.
You're confusing a biodiversity hotspot with a rain-forest that extends in several South American countries.
That's just misinformed. Overall, California is the most biologically diverse state in the country including Alaska and Hawaii. That is taking the entire state into account however, but there are plenty of hotspots in the state. As far as marine biodiversity goes, the central and southern coasts are one of the most biologically diverse and productive ecosystems on the planet. Same goes with areas of Florida as well. As far as endemism, California is also the number one state. Meaning there are several hundred species of flora and fauna that can be found nowhere else in the world. This is also true for Florida.
Point is, they are both very diverse biologically, that arguing the two is pointless because it is apples and oranges.
That's just misinformed. Overall, California is the most biologically diverse state in the country including Alaska and Hawaii. That is taking the entire state into account however, but there are plenty of hotspots in the state. As far as marine biodiversity goes, the central and southern coasts are one of the most biologically diverse and productive ecosystems on the planet. Same goes with areas of Florida as well. As far as endemism, California is also the number one state. Meaning there are several hundred species of flora and fauna that can be found nowhere else in the world. This is also true for Florida.
Point is, they are both very diverse biologically, that arguing the two is pointless because it is apples and oranges.
It's pointless because you leave out marine biodiversity, which is convenient. FL has no mountains and it's 60% smaller than CA.
In overall (terrestrial/marine) biodiversity, FL easily tops the list. Just the Gulf of MX has 15K species vs 10K in CA.
HI has a lot of biodiversity(marine and terrestrial) for a small cluster of islands.
The Gulf of Mexico, just the American shoreline is 1,680 miles long, compared to 840 miles along CA. It's over 1.6 million square kilometers. The table you linked does not specify the Gulf as just the Florida shoreline, so in a sense, you kind of just proved my point.
I kind of wonder what impacts the drought in California is having on it's economy.
Sure, Florida has had droughts in the past, but the drought in California ATM is pretty brutal with no relief in sight.
To the guy who mentioned rain, you're pretty much spot on. California gets the vast majority of it's precipitation in winter. If there isn't enough rain/mountain snow, they're screwed come summer time.
The Gulf of Mexico, just the American shoreline is 1,680 miles long, compared to 840 miles along CA. It's over 1.6 million square kilometers. The table you linked does not specify the Gulf as just the Florida shoreline, so in a sense, you kind of just proved my point.
Wait, are you suggesting that biodiversity is different on the West part of the Gulf vs the East, close to the FL coast? It's the same; it's the same ecosystem. Plus you have the coral reefs in South FL down to the Keys and some on the Gulf side close to West FL. What coral reefs do you have in CA to have higher marine biodiversity. Ah ok..none.
Last edited by Trigger-f; 03-27-2015 at 08:24 AM..
Wait, are you suggesting that biodiversity is different on the West part of the Gulf vs the East, close to the FL coast? It's the same; it's the same ecosystem. Plus you have the coral reefs in South FL down to the Keys and some on the Gulf side close to West FL. What coral reefs do you have in CA to have higher marine biodiversity. Ah ok..none.
It's actually not the same. Are you really that uneducated? That would mean that Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida all have the exact same level of biodiversity. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
Coral reefs are not the only factor that makes a place biologically diverse. Just by the insane amount of large mammals that inhabit California waters you know your in a biodiversity hotspot. You can find Grey Whales, Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Killer Whales, Minke Whales, Bryde's Whales, Fin Whales, Right Whales, Sperm Whales, Bottlenose Dolphins, Common Dolphins, Rissos Dolphins, Pacific Whitesided Dolphins, California Sea Lions, Harbor Seals and Porpoises; all along side several species of migratory tropical fishes that inhabit our waters in summer such as Albacore Tuna, Yellowfin and Bluefin Tunas, Skipjack Tuna, Mahi Mahi. All of these animals can be present in just Southern California waters at one time. That doesn't include the hundreds of native fishes that also share our coastline with those animals.
None of this is saying that Florida is any less diverse, but open your mind a bit and don't discredit the biodiversity of California's waters.
It's actually not the same. Are you really that uneducated? That would mean that Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida all have the exact same level of biodiversity. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
Coral reefs are not the only factor that makes a place biologically diverse. Just by the insane amount of large mammals that inhabit California waters you know your in a biodiversity hotspot. You can find Grey Whales, Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Killer Whales, Minke Whales, Bryde's Whales, Fin Whales, Right Whales, Sperm Whales, Bottlenose Dolphins, Common Dolphins, Rissos Dolphins, Pacific Whitesided Dolphins, California Sea Lions, Harbor Seals and Porpoises; all along side several species of migratory tropical fishes that inhabit our waters in summer such as Albacore Tuna, Yellowfin and Bluefin Tunas, Skipjack Tuna, Mahi Mahi. All of these animals can be present in just Southern California waters at one time. That doesn't include the hundreds of native fishes that also share our coastline with those animals.
None of this is saying that Florida is any less diverse, but open your mind a bit and don't discredit the biodiversity of California's waters.
There's coral reefs on both sides of FL (from Tampa down to the Everglades and from the Keys up to Stuart, although the reef structure extends further north, on both sides). None in AL, MS, LA (waters are too cold). The only one in close proximity to TX is Flower Gardens, northern most coral reef in North America (due to the gulfstream reaching up there). FL is sandwiched by rich waters. Besides kelp and the open water species you mentioned(which can also be found in FL waters) there's less marine biodiversity in CA (the waters are significantly colder).
Subtropical/tropical places have more species. CA, while notable for cold water biodiversity, is not HI, nor the Caribbean (which FL waters are part of).
""Almost 1,400 species of marine plants and animals, including more than 40 species of stony corals and 500 species of fish, live on the Florida Reef. The Florida Reef lies close to the northern limit for tropical corals, but the species diversity on the reef is comparable to that of reef systems in the Caribbean Sea.""
Me thinks you're the uneducated one because you don't know what coral reefs are. Have you even seen one up close?
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California is one of the biggest rice producers in the country, despite rice requiring inundation in the warm season (for California: rainless).
