The functions that Wetlands provide

Wetlands provide many different services and goods to society. Some that we can easily see and measure are wetland dependent fish, fur animals (such as the muskrats), shellfish, and waterfowl. These are easily quantifiable goods that wetlands provide. The goods that are not as obvious are generally ecosystem-level processes. These include storm abatement, flood control and water quality. Additionally, wetlands help regulate global levels of many gases such as nitrogen, sulfur and carbon. Wetlands also have an asthetic value. These functions are lost when wetlands are destroyed, and the result is declining environmental quality in watersheds accross America.

Populations of animals that depend on wetlands for their survival:

Fur Animals
Fur animals are harvested for their pelts. These include muskrats, nutria, beaver, mink, otter and alligators.

Waterfowl
Many different species of bird depend on wetlands. Eighty percent of America's breeding bird population and more than 50 percent of the 800 species of protected migratory birds rely on wetlands. (Wharton, 1982) These birds are important for their part in the ecosystem as well as the recreation and hunting services they provide.

Fish and shellfish
Different species of fish and shellfish have varying degrees of dependance on wetlands, however most fish and shellfish in the US depend on wetlands in some way. All species of freshwater fish depend on wetlands either directly for food, habitat or breeding or indirectly by consuming prey that are wetland dependent. Seventy-five percent of all commercial marine fish and shellfish depend on wetlands.

Ecosystem level services that wetlands provide:

Water Quality
Wetlands have been shown to have major cleansing affects on water that flows through them, trapping sediment, capturing organic and inorganic nutrients, as well as toxic materials. In some places wetlands have been constructed for the express purpose of removing materials from water.

Storm Abatement
Coastal wetlands provide buffers between developed areas and the ocean. This can help when major storms come ashore. Natural wetlands sustain little damage from major storms, but can take some of the initial fury out of the storms before they hit human populated areas. This impact is prevalent in coastal areas like Florida, where development has been encroaching on wetlands for a long time. Florida has had a number of major hurricanes lately that have destroyed huge areas inland, and some of that damage could have been prevented through less wetland destruction and drainage.

Flood Control
Wetlands can help reduce the risk of flooding in times of large water discharge by storing and trapping water in wetlands. This water is then slowly discharged over time. For example, it is estimated that bottomland hardwood forests along the Mississippi river can store about 12 days worth of flooding, but that is down from 60 before European settlement. (Gosselink, 1981)

Groundwater Recharge
Wetlands function as exchange mechanisms between the surface water and the groundwater. Draining wetlands can reduce water tables levels and availability, because if surface water runoff occurrs rapidly, the underground aquifers receive less replenishment. So, wetland destruction reduces water quality and water quanitity--two big concerns for America's growing cities and suburbs.