Wetland conservation
Encyclopedia
Wetland conservation is aimed at protecting and preserving areas where water exists at or near the Earth's surface, such as swamps, marshes and bogs. Wetlands cover at least six per cent of the Earth and have become a focal issue for conservation due to the ecosystem services
they provide. More than three billion people, around half the world’s population, obtain their basic water needs from inland freshwater wetlands. The same number of people rely on rice as their staple food, a crop grown largely in natural and artificial wetlands. In some parts of the world, such as the Kilombero wetland in Tanzania, almost the entire local population relies on wetland cultivation for their livelihoods.
Fisheries are also an extremely important source of protein and income in many wetlands. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the total catch from inland waters (rivers and wetlands) was 8.7 million metric tonnes in 2002. In addition to food, wetlands supply fibre, fuel and medicinal plants. They also provide valuable ecosystems for birds and other aquatic creatures, help reduce the damaging impact of floods, control pollution and regulate the climate. From economic importance, to aesthetics
, the reasons for conserving wetlands have become numerous over the past few decades.
, defines wetlands as including: lakes and rivers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands and peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, near-shore marine areas, mangroves and coral reefs, and human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs, and salt pans. Meanwhile, the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) or Wetlands Reserve Program
, describes wetlands as "those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas." Wetlands vary widely in their salinity levels, climatic zones, supported flora, surrounding geography, whether they are coastal or inland and so on.
’s dead zone
, an area where nutrient excess has led to large amounts of surface algae, which use up the oxygen and create hypoxic conditions (very low levels of oxygen).
Wetlands can even filter out and absorb harmful bacteria
from the water. Their complex food chain hosts various microbes and bacteria, which invertebrates feed on. These invertebrates can filter up to 90% of bacteria out of the water this way.
(107.7 million acres), you get an approximate total of 107.7 - 161.6 million million gallons of floodwater US wetlands can store. By storing and slowing water, wetlands allow groundwater
to be recharged. "A 550,000 acre swamp in Florida has been valued at $25 million per year for its role in storing water and recharging the aquifer." And combining the ability of wetlands to store and slow down water with their ability to filter out sediments, wetlands serve as strong erosion
buffers.
quickly). Freshwater wetlands are even comparable to tropical rainforests in plant productivity. Their ability to efficiently create biomass may become important to the development of alternative energy sources.
While wetlands only cover around 5% of the Conterminous United States’s land surface, they support 31% of the plant species. They also support, through feeding and nesting, up to ½ of the native North American
bird species. Bird populations, while playing a major role in food webs, are also the focus of several, well-funded recreation sports. (Waterfowl hunting and bird watching to name a pair)
in the United States are wetland dependent.. Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is an example of recreational destination for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography that has a good wildlife management. Some parts of the area are wetlands managed for providing habitat of migratory birds, such as waterfowl and songbirds. The 14 million United States hunters generate in excess of $50 billion annually in economic activity. This does not include the 60 million people that watch migratory birds as a hobby. The Florida Keys
wetland area generates more than $800 million in annual tourism income alone.
The past several decades have seen an increasing number of laws and regulations regarding wetlands, their surroundings, and their inhabitants, creating protections through several different outlets. Some of the most important have been and are the Migratory Bird Act, Swampbuster, and the Clean Water Act.
Below we see an abbreviated list of laws and regulations with notable impact on wetland conservation:
(NRCS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They each oversee a different aspect of wetlands conservation, from funding other groups or individuals, to regulating wetland use, to establishing new areas for wetlands restoration.
(DNR) or Fish and Game
Department. These groups typically control licensing, hunting limits, prairie burns, as well as patrol protected areas and manage state parks. States can also act to preserve wetlands through the creation of new parks or adding new wetlands to existing parks or state property.
, as they are one of a few focused nearly entirely on wetlands. Their mission statement is:
and influenced another 47000000 acres (190,202.4 km²). The Nature Conservancy
, Audubon Society, and Pheasants Forever
are a few more of the large private groups that focus part of their time and resources on wetlands conservation. Individuals should not be overlooked in their contributions, as they are often the most direct route to protecting and restoring wetlands.
, land purchase, revolving land, and monetary funding. Conservation easements can meet the needs of interested owners of working farms, ranches, timberlands, sporting properties and recreational lands, who wish to protect valuable natural resources
while retaining ownership of the property. In locations where wildlife habitat has been degraded & the land is for sale, DU will seek to acquire it. Once purchased, the habitat will be restored and easements will be placed on land to perpetually protect resource values. In special cases, where intact waterfowl habitat is at imminent risk or of high importance, groups or individuals may seek to acquire the property instead. Once purchased, the habitat is restored and can be entered into easements to ensure their continued protection or be kept in their ownership. Monetary funding exists most often as a subsidy
, grant
, or tax-break from the government. Instead of doing all the work and labor themselves, they seek to encourage others to take on those tasks themselves. All of these methods are important to ensuring protection for wetlands, now and in the future.
Ecosystem services
Humankind benefits from a multitude of resources and processes that are supplied by natural ecosystems. Collectively, these benefits are known as ecosystem services and include products like clean drinking water and processes such as the decomposition of wastes...
they provide. More than three billion people, around half the world’s population, obtain their basic water needs from inland freshwater wetlands. The same number of people rely on rice as their staple food, a crop grown largely in natural and artificial wetlands. In some parts of the world, such as the Kilombero wetland in Tanzania, almost the entire local population relies on wetland cultivation for their livelihoods.
Fisheries are also an extremely important source of protein and income in many wetlands. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the total catch from inland waters (rivers and wetlands) was 8.7 million metric tonnes in 2002. In addition to food, wetlands supply fibre, fuel and medicinal plants. They also provide valuable ecosystems for birds and other aquatic creatures, help reduce the damaging impact of floods, control pollution and regulate the climate. From economic importance, to aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
, the reasons for conserving wetlands have become numerous over the past few decades.
Wetland Definition
Various definitions of wetlands exist. The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, also known as the Ramsar ConventionRamsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
, defines wetlands as including: lakes and rivers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands and peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, near-shore marine areas, mangroves and coral reefs, and human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs, and salt pans. Meanwhile, the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) or Wetlands Reserve Program
Wetlands Reserve Program
The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service administers the program with funding from the Commodity Credit Corporation.- Establishment :The WRP...
, describes wetlands as "those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas." Wetlands vary widely in their salinity levels, climatic zones, supported flora, surrounding geography, whether they are coastal or inland and so on.
Wetland functions
The main functions performed by wetlands are water filtration, water storage, biological productivity, and provide habitat for wildlife.Filtration
Wetlands aid in water filtration by removing excess nutrients, slowing the water allowing particulates to settle out of the water which can then be absorbed into plant roots. Studies have shown that up to 92% of phosphorus and 95% of nitrogen can be removed from passing water through a wetland. Wetlands also let pollutants settle and stick to soil particles, up to 70% of sediments in runoff. Some wetland plants have even been found with accumulations of heavy metals more than 100,000 times that of the surrounding waters' concentration. Without these functions, the waterways would continually increase their nutrient and pollutant load, leading to an isolated deposit of high concentrations further down the line. An example of such a situation is the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
’s dead zone
Dead Zone
Dead zone may refer to:* Dead zone , low-oxygen areas in the world's oceans* Dead zone , an area where cell phones cannot transmit to a nearby cell siteDead Zone may also refer to:* "Dead Zone" , a 2011 album by Merzbow...
, an area where nutrient excess has led to large amounts of surface algae, which use up the oxygen and create hypoxic conditions (very low levels of oxygen).
Wetlands can even filter out and absorb harmful bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
from the water. Their complex food chain hosts various microbes and bacteria, which invertebrates feed on. These invertebrates can filter up to 90% of bacteria out of the water this way.
Storage
Wetlands can store approximately 1-1.5 million gallons of floodwater per acre. When you combine that with the approximate total acres of wetlands in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(107.7 million acres), you get an approximate total of 107.7 - 161.6 million million gallons of floodwater US wetlands can store. By storing and slowing water, wetlands allow groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
to be recharged. "A 550,000 acre swamp in Florida has been valued at $25 million per year for its role in storing water and recharging the aquifer." And combining the ability of wetlands to store and slow down water with their ability to filter out sediments, wetlands serve as strong erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
buffers.
Biological Productivity
Through wetlands ability to absorb nutrients, they are able to be highly biologically productive (able to produce biomassBiomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
quickly). Freshwater wetlands are even comparable to tropical rainforests in plant productivity. Their ability to efficiently create biomass may become important to the development of alternative energy sources.
While wetlands only cover around 5% of the Conterminous United States’s land surface, they support 31% of the plant species. They also support, through feeding and nesting, up to ½ of the native North American
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
bird species. Bird populations, while playing a major role in food webs, are also the focus of several, well-funded recreation sports. (Waterfowl hunting and bird watching to name a pair)
Wildlife Habitat
Wildlife habitat is important not only for the conservation of species but also for a number of recreational opportunities. As a conservation purpose, wildlife habitat is managed for maintaining and using the resources in sustainable manner. Ninety-five percent of all commercially harvested fish and shellfishShellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
in the United States are wetland dependent.. Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is an example of recreational destination for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography that has a good wildlife management. Some parts of the area are wetlands managed for providing habitat of migratory birds, such as waterfowl and songbirds. The 14 million United States hunters generate in excess of $50 billion annually in economic activity. This does not include the 60 million people that watch migratory birds as a hobby. The Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
wetland area generates more than $800 million in annual tourism income alone.
Wetland Conservation History
Over the past 200 years, the United States has lost more than 50% of its wetlands. And even with the current focus on wetland conservation, the US is losing about 60000 acres (242.8 km²) of wetlands per year (as of 2004). However, from 1998 to 2004 the United States managed a net gain of 191750 acres (776 km²) of wetlands (mostly freshwater).The past several decades have seen an increasing number of laws and regulations regarding wetlands, their surroundings, and their inhabitants, creating protections through several different outlets. Some of the most important have been and are the Migratory Bird Act, Swampbuster, and the Clean Water Act.
Below we see an abbreviated list of laws and regulations with notable impact on wetland conservation:
- Migratory Bird Conservation ActMigratory Bird Conservation ActThe Migratory Bird Conservation Act of February 18, 1929, created the United States Migratory Bird Conservation Commission to consider and approve any areas of land and/or water recommended by the Secretary of the Interior for purchase or rental by the U.S...
, ch. 257, , (1929)
-
- Established a commission to approve the acquisition of migratory bird habitat.
- Rivers and Harbors Act, , (1938)
-
- Provides that "due regard" be given to wildlife conservation in planning Federal water projects.
- Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention ActWatershed Protection and Flood Prevention ActThe United States Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954 is a United States statute. It has been amended several times.Under this Act, the Soil Conservation Service at the Department of Agriculture provides planning assistance and construction funding for projects constructed by...
, , (1954)
- Fish and Wildlife Coordination ActFish and Wildlife Coordination ActThe Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of the United States was enacted March 10, 1934 to protect fish and wildlife when federal actions result in the control or modification of a natural stream or body of water...
(1956)
-
- Authorizes the development and distribution of fish and wildlife information and the development of policies and procedures relating to fish and wildlife.
- Federal Water Project Recreation Act, ,(1965)
-
- Recreation and fish and wildlife enhancement must be considered by Federal water projects. Authorizes Federal funds for acquiring land for waterfowl refuges.
- National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
Acts (1966, improvement amended 1997)
-
- Numerous statutes establish refuges, many of which contain significant wetland acreage.
- National Environmental Policy ActNational Environmental Policy ActThe National Environmental Policy Act is a United States environmental law that established a U.S. national policy promoting the enhancement of the environment and also established the President's Council on Environmental Quality ....
, , (1969)
-
- Requires the preparation of an environmental impact statement of all major Federal actions significantly affecting the environment
- Federal Water Pollution Control, ,(Clean Water ActClean Water ActThe Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
), Section 404 (1972)
-
- Regulates many activities that involve the disposal of dredged and fill materials in waters of the United States, including many wetlands.
- Ramsar ConventionRamsar ConventionThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
(Treaty), (adopted 1973, enforced from 1975)
-
- Convention maintains a list of wetlands of international importance and encourages the wise use of wetlands.
- Executive Order 11988 & 11990, Protection of Floodplains/Wetlands, (1977)
-
- Requires Federal agencies to minimize impacts of Federal activities on floodplains/wetlands.
- Food Security Act (SwampbusterSwampbusterSwampbuster is a provision of the Food Security Act of 1985 that discourages the conversion of wetlands to cropland use.Producers converting a wetland area to cropland lose eligibility for several federal farm program benefits. Benefits are lost from when water levels are lowered to facilitate...
), , (1985)
-
- "Swampbuster" program suspends agricultural subsidies for farmers who convert wetlands to agriculture.
- U.S. Tax Code Reform Act, , (1986)
-
- Eliminates incentives for clearing land. Deductible conservation expenditures must be consistent with wetlands protection. Capital gains on converted wetlands treated as income.
- North American Wetlands Conservation ActNorth American Wetlands Conservation ActThe North American Wetlands Conservation Act authorizes a wetlands habitat program, administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which provides grants to protect and manage wetland habitats for migratory birds and other wetland wildlife in the United States, Mexico, and Canada...
, (1989)
-
- Provides matching grants to organizations and individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the benefit of waterfowl and other wetland-dependent migratory birds.
- Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act, , (1990)
-
- Wetland Reserve Program purchases perpetual non-development easements on farmed wetlands. Subsidizes restoration of croplands to wetlands.
National Agencies
There are a number of government agencies in the United States that are in some way concerned with the protection of wetlands. The top five are the Army Corps of Engineers (ACoE), Natural Resources Conservation ServiceNatural Resources Conservation Service
The Natural Resources Conservation Service , formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service , is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and managers.Its name was changed in 1994 during the Presidency of...
(NRCS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They each oversee a different aspect of wetlands conservation, from funding other groups or individuals, to regulating wetland use, to establishing new areas for wetlands restoration.
State Level
Most states of the US have their own set of agencies that also oversee some wetland conservation. These are usually in the form of something like a Department of Natural ResourcesDepartment of Natural Resources
Many sub-national governments have a Department of Natural Resources or similarly named organization:Australia*Queensland Department of Natural Resources and MinesCanada*Natural Resources Canada*New Brunswick**New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources...
(DNR) or Fish and Game
Fish and Game
Fish and Game may refer to:*Alaska Department of Fish and Game*Alberta Fish and Game Association*Arizona Game and Fish Department*California Department of Fish and Game*Fish and Game New Zealand...
Department. These groups typically control licensing, hunting limits, prairie burns, as well as patrol protected areas and manage state parks. States can also act to preserve wetlands through the creation of new parks or adding new wetlands to existing parks or state property.
Private
There are many private groups that practice wetlands conservation. The largest of these players is Ducks UnlimitedDucks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It currently has approximately 780,000 members, mostly in the United States and Canada.-Introduction:Ducks Unlimited was...
, as they are one of a few focused nearly entirely on wetlands. Their mission statement is:
Ducks Unlimited conserves, restores, and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people.They have conserved more than 12000000 acres (48,562.3 km²) of wetlands in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and influenced another 47000000 acres (190,202.4 km²). The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
, Audubon Society, and Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, Inc. is a nonprofit conservation organization in the United States formed in response to the continuing decline of upland wildlife. Pheasants Forever have 700 chapters, including 74 in Minnesota, and about 110,000 members Nationwide, including 22,500 in Minnesota. Quail Forever,...
are a few more of the large private groups that focus part of their time and resources on wetlands conservation. Individuals should not be overlooked in their contributions, as they are often the most direct route to protecting and restoring wetlands.
Conservation Strategies
Nearly all wetland conservation work is done through one of 4 channels. They consist of easementsEasement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
, land purchase, revolving land, and monetary funding. Conservation easements can meet the needs of interested owners of working farms, ranches, timberlands, sporting properties and recreational lands, who wish to protect valuable natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
while retaining ownership of the property. In locations where wildlife habitat has been degraded & the land is for sale, DU will seek to acquire it. Once purchased, the habitat will be restored and easements will be placed on land to perpetually protect resource values. In special cases, where intact waterfowl habitat is at imminent risk or of high importance, groups or individuals may seek to acquire the property instead. Once purchased, the habitat is restored and can be entered into easements to ensure their continued protection or be kept in their ownership. Monetary funding exists most often as a subsidy
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
, grant
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
, or tax-break from the government. Instead of doing all the work and labor themselves, they seek to encourage others to take on those tasks themselves. All of these methods are important to ensuring protection for wetlands, now and in the future.