The snail kite is an endangered bird of prey that feeds almost exclusively on apple snails. As the apple snail requires habitats with extended periods of inundation, when water delivery to Everglades National Park is delayed the snail population is affected thus affecting the dwindling numbers of snail kites. Below, south of the Mahogany Hammock Trail, freshwater marl prairie is seen along the east and west sides of the main park road. Large expanses of freshwater marl prairie are found within Everglades National Park. Looking from the cleared grassy area along the main park road, a mixture of plant life grows along the edge of the freshwater marl prairie.
Hammocks interrupt the flat sawgrass expanse.
Beyond the freshwater marl prairie's sawgrass and hammocks , ponded waters are seen in the distance. Periphyton Periphyton is a useful mix of different types of algae that grows under water in mats. In the winter dry season, the periphyton will provide small organisms with the moisture they need to survive until rain comes again. This hammock community exists because it grows atop an elevated mound of limestone and has been bypassed by fires. Pine forests grow where frequent fires have kept back the growth of hardwood trees.