Wetlands are important because they:
- improve water quality.
- provide wildlife habitat.
- maintain ecosystem productivity.
- reduce coastal storm damage.
- provide recreational opportunities.
- improve the water supply.
- provide opportunities for education. Why Are Wetlands Important?
How do wetlands function and why are they valuable?
- Wetlands are sometimes called the worlds kidneys because they serve the very important function of filtering water.
- An acre of wetland can store 1–1.5 million gallons of floodwater
- Up to one-half of North American bird species nest or feed in wetlands.
Why are wetlands so important?
Wetlands are highly productive and biologically diverse systems that enhance water quality, control erosion, maintain stream flows, sequester carbon, and provide a home to at least one third of all threatened and endangered species. Wetlands are important because they: improve water quality; provide wildlife habitat; maintain ecosystem productivity
What are the economic benefits of wetlands?
“The economic assessment of the wetlands ecosystem services and biodiversity aimed at investigating beneficiaries of economic benefits from the wetland, current value of the biodiversity and ecosystem services, the economic impact of wetland degradation ...
What are ecological services provided by wetlands?
Wetlands are important features in the landscape that provide numerous beneficial services for people and for fish and wildlife. Some of these services, or functions, include protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats, storing floodwaters and maintaining surface water flow during dry periods.
How do wetlands help the environment?
Water Quality: Wetlands act as natural water purifiers, filtering sediment and absorbing many pollutants in surface waters. In some wetland systems, this cleansing function also enhances the quality of groundwater supplies. Reduction of Coastal Storm Damage: Coastal wetlands help to blunt the force of major storms.
How do wetlands help with floods?
Flood Control and Streamflow Maintenance: Wetlands along rivers and streams absorb energy and store water during storms, which reduces downstream flood damage and lessens the risk of flash floods. The slow release of this stored water over time can help keep streams flowing during periods of drought.
Why are wetlands important?
Today, we know that wetlands provide many important services to the environment and to the public. They offer critical habitat for fish, waterfowl and other wildlife, they purify polluted waters, and they help check the destructive power of floods and storms.
What are some examples of wetlands in Florida?
For example, wetlands in Florida's Everglades help recharge the Biscayne Aquifer, the sole source of drinking water for the Miami metropolitan area. A staff member at Channel Islands National Park describes a wetlands restoration project to visitors and the media.
How do coastal wetlands help?
Reduction of Coastal Storm Damage: Coastal wetlands help to blunt the force of major storms. For example, mangrove forests in south Florida and salt marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts reduce flooding, coastal erosion, and property damage during major storms.
What are the habitats of the least bittern?
Least Bittern. Photo by Thom Curdts. Wildlife Habitat: Wetlands provide habitat for many species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals that are uniquely adapted to aquatic environments. Upland wildlife like deer, elk and bears commonly use wetlands for food and shelter.
How many acres of wetlands were destroyed in the late 1700s?
A study published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1990 revealed a startling fact: more than half of the 221 million acres of wetlands that existed in the lower 48 states in the late 1700s have been destroyed. Today, we know that wetlands provide many important services to the environment and to the public.
What are wetlands used for?
Therefore, wetlands provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional wastewater and stormwater treatment options. Erosion Control. Riparian wetlands, salt marshes, and marshes located at the margin of lakes protect shorelines and streambanks from erosion.
What is wetlands protection?
Wetlands protection activities provide meaningful opportunities to educate the public regarding wetlands science, wetlands protection, and the value of water resources. Aesthetic Appeal. Wetlands provide a certain visual value and are often incorporated as features within landscape design.
How do wetland plants help the river?
The roots of wetland plants hold soil in place and can reduce velocity of stream or river currents. [ 3] Flood Abatement. Wetlands can play an important role in flood abatement, soaking up and storing floodwater.
How do wetlands help the ecosystem?
Habitat Enhancement. Wetlands can enhance habitat for game and non-game species. According to EPA, wetlands provide an essential link in the life cycle of 75 percent of the fish and shellfish commercially harvested in the U.S., and up to 90 percent of the recreational fish catch.
What are the activities that can be done in the wetland?
Wetlands can become a destination for outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, bird watching, photography, and hunting. More than 82 million Americans took part in these activities in 2001, spending more than $108 billion on these pursuits. [ 10] Partnerships.
What are the benefits of wetlands?
Such benefits may include environmental, economic, educational, societal, recreational, or aesthetic benefits. Consider the following: Improved Water Quality.
Wetlands and Nature
- Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs. An immense variety of species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and mammals can be part of a wetland ecosystem. Climate, landscape shape (topolo…
Natural Products For Our Economy
- We use a wealth of natural products from wetlands, including fish and shellfish, blueberries, cranberries, timber and wild rice. Some medicines are derived from wetland soils and plants. Many of the nation's fishing and shellfishing industries harvest wetland-dependent species. In the Southeast, for example, nearly all the commercial catch and over half of the recreational harves…
Fish and Wildlife Habitat
- More than one-third of the United States' threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands, and nearly half use wetlands at some point in their lives. Many other animals and plants depend on wetlands for survival. Estuarine and marine fish and shellfish, various birds and certain mammals must have coastal wetlands to survive. Most commercial and game fish breed and rai…
Flood Protection
- Wetlands function as natural sponges that trap and slowly release surface water, rain, snowmelt, groundwater and flood waters. Trees, root mats and other wetland vegetation also slow the speed of flood waters and distribute them more slowly over the floodplain. This combined water storage an braking action lowers flood heights and reduces erosion. Wetlands within and downstream o…