You can also stay informed about new proposals that would potentially destroy wetlands by adding your name to our action alert alerts here. Do you have the inside scoop on a wetland under threat? Check out our helpful map to see wetland impacts across Louisiana. Email the Project Manager and scott healthygulf. Acre for acre, wetlands shelter more species than any other habitat on earth. They are home to over one-third of the threatened species in the United States.
Almost all of the commercial fish and shellfish harvested in the Gulf of Mexico are dependent on wetland nurseries, and Gulf fisheries introduce billions of dollars into the economy annually. Beyond the rich biodiversity of wetlands, these habitats provide crucial services to coastal communities.
By KumKum Dasgupta. KD: Why it is important to save wetlands? What kinds of challenges do they face? KD: How important is community involvement to save wetlands? Get our Daily News Capsule Subscribe. Thank you for subscribing to our Daily News Capsule newsletter.
Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin. Sign Up. Edit Profile. Six states lost 85 percent or more of their original wetland acreage, and 22 lost 50 percent or more Dahl, Major loss of wetland habitat occurred during the mids to mids, but since then, the rate of loss has decreased to 70, to 90, acres annually. In addition to the wetlands that have been completely lost, others have just been degraded by chemical contamination and excessive nutrients, fertilizers, and sediments flowing into them.
The increase in flood damages, drought damages, and the declining bird populations are, in part, the result of wetland degradation and destruction. Wetlands loss did not happen all at once. Events in history, technological innovations, and society's values all contributed to the destruction or preservation of this habitat throughout time. Wetland destruction began with permanent settlement of Colonial America. Though wetland drainage was widespread prior to , few complete records exist before the Land Ordinance Act established the Public Land Survey that year, requiring the surveying and partioning of land prior to settlement.
Wetlands were regarded as swampy lands that were unhealthy and stood in the way of agricultural uses of the land. This was a period of numerous large land acquisitions the Louisiana Purchase, annexation of Texas, lands ceded from Mexico, etc. With increases in land came increases in population from 7. Bureau of the Census, This, combined with technological advances, greatly facilitated loss of wetland habitat. Large-scale conversion of wetlands to farmlands began to have an impact on the distribution and abundance of wetlands around the country.
Congress aided and promoted wetland drainage, as well, with the Swamp Land Acts which granted all swamp and overflow lands to individual states for reclamation. The American Civil War focused attention on developing routes around, through, and over water bodies and wetlands that stood as logistical barriers to the movement of men and heavy equipment.
Because accurate maps were critical to war efforts, an early glimpse of some of the Nation's wetlands was finally gained. After the war, attention was focused on westward expansion and settlement. Railroads became an enemy of wetland habitat through both developing and draining these lands and as direct consumers of wetland forest products needed for railroad ties and fuel.
Agricultural demands for large tracts of land caused increasing drainage of the abundant wetlands in the mid-continent, including prairie potholes in the North Central U. The Central Valley of California was also targeted during this time. This period in American history was a time of ambitious engineering and drainage operation, with two of the most notable projects being the lock and dam system developed on the Mississippi River and the continued modification of wetlands in California's Central Valley.
Technology advanced rapidly, and by the s, large-scale flood control projects, diversion dams and the like were being built on major river tributaries. Though the government continued to encourage the drainage of wetlands during this period of history, it also initiated the process of acquiring and restoring America's wetlands through the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act.
During the mids to the mids, an average of , acres of wetlands were lost each year Office of Technology Assessment, Agriculture accounted for more than 80 percent of these losses Frayer and others, Since the s, though, there has been increasing scientific awareness that wetlands are valuable areas that provide important environmental functions.
We now know that wetlands are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs. Wetlands are critical to the ecology of watersheds because they help regulate water levels within the watersheds; improve water quality; reduce flood and storm damages; and provide important fish and wildlife habitat.
Lately scientists have also realized that they serve as global reservoirs for carbon, preventing the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and thus helping to moderate global climate conditions. The effects of Federal policy reversal on the rate of wetland loss are not clear. From to the present, Federal efforts to restore wetlands has increased. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that between and approximately 90, acres were added to the Nation's wetland inventory.
However, wetlands are still suffering losses, and more frequently, degradation. Manipulation of water levels in wetlands is the current trend. Once a wetland is polluted, it's difficult to clean it up. The best way to keep wetlands clean is to protect them from pollution in the first place, by ensuring a contaminant-free water supply.
Global warming is also a threat to wetlands. A study by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change found that as air temperatures rise, so do water temperatures. The algae bloom known as red tide releases toxins, which have killed thousands of fish. Eating affected shellfish can expose humans to these toxins. Breathing the air near a red tide can also cause respiratory issues in some people [source: CDC ].
Also, many fish rely on cooler water to survive and can die out when smaller lakes or ponds warm up. Elevated temperatures also lead to reduced precipitation, which reduces the amount of runoff provided to wetlands [source: Pew Center]. So what can be done to save the wetlands? Keep reading to learn what the U. Clean Water Act and other private organizations are doing to protect wetlands.
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