Explanation: The Everglades was once a large, intricate system of rain-fed wetlands, lakes and rivers covering almost 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) of land. However, humans have been altering the Everglades landscape since the 19th century, by clearing land for agriculture and urban development and by setting up flood-control structures and water diversions. As a result, the size of the Everglades has decreased significantly.
