Essay On Freshwater Wetlands

1407 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ecological impacts of wetlands

1.1. Introduction to wetlands
Freshwater wetlands are a unique and valuable resource constituting about 6% of the land surface on Earth. They sustain a multitude of unique biological species and provide high levels of primary productivity (Graham & Mendelssohn, 2010). Compared to other natural environments, plant primary productivity in wetland ecosystems is among the highest known (Benner, Maccubbin & Hodson, 1884). Wetlands serve essential ecological functions which provide many important services to human society. Flood mitigation and water filtration are essential services. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an acre of wetlands are able to store over 1 million gallons of flood waters. Water Storage by wetlands can slow down water’s momentum and reduce erosion in surrounding areas, as well as reduce flood heights, support groundwater recharge and contribute water to other systems during dry periods. In addition to these benefits, wetlands have high biological productivity. 31 percent of the plant species of the United States are found in wetlands. About half of the bird species in North America depend on wetlands for either feeding or nesting. Because of their high productivity, wetlands are able support commercial shellfish and fishing industries as well as ecotourism activities (such as fishing, bird watching, hunting and photography) that bring in billions of dollars to the national economy annually (EPA.gov, 2001). However, the value of freshwater wetlands has historically been overlooked. According to the Environmental Protection Agency over half of the estimated 220 million acres of wetland that existed in the United States in the 1600s have now been drained or converted t...

... middle of paper ...

...nd, fire regimes, and nutrient cycling. As a result these changes have negatively impacted and changed populations of native species including plants, wading birds and fish populations. Since the 1980s, there has been an effort towards conservation and restoration of the Everglades to how it had functioned at the turn of the century. The creation of the Save Our Everglades Program in 1983, the Florida Preservation 2000 act in 1990 (which provided funding for land acquisition for conservation and recreation), The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) of 1992 (which re-examined previously implemented flood control practices), and The Everglades Investment Act of 2000 (which committed Florida to a 50% cost share for Everglades restoration), have been some of the recent legislation efforts made to study, conserve and restore the Everglades (Lodge, 2010).

Show More
Related

  • Marjory Stoneman Douglas' Dedication to the Florida Everglades

    1428 Words  | 3 Pages

    Florida became a state in 1845 and almost immediately people began proposing to drain the Everglades. In 1848, a government report said that draining the Everglades would be easy, and there would be no bad effect. Canals and dams were dug to control seasonal flooding. Farmers grew vegetables in the rich soil of the drained land, Ranchers had their cattle graze on the dry land, and new railways lines were constructed to connect communities throughout south Florida; but the ecosystem of the Everglades was not suited for either farming or ranching. The natural cycle of dry and wet seasons brought a devastating series of droughts and floods. These had always been a p...

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Conservation Banking

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...nks distinguish between preserved, restored, or created credits, conservation banks currently do not. The FWS’s federal guidance and California’s guidance do not state a preference for restored, enhanced, created, or preserved habitat, but approximately 94% of conservation bank credits are derived from preservation. Regulatory agencies often struggle with awarding credits for created wetland habitat due to performance risks and doubt about ecological value. Habitat creation for conservation banking has yet to be tested. Another issue of concern to conservation banking and preservation habitat is long-term management. Unless there is active management on areas where the ecosystem relies on it (e.g., controlled burning, invasive species control), using preservation for mitigation could lead to a net loss of habitat for a particular species. (Fox and Nino-Murcia, 2005)

    Read More

  • The Effect of Pesticide Runoffs on the Everglades

    967 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is a very critical situation that needs to be fixed urgently. The habitats of the Everglades depend on an annual water cycle which has been hindered by the development construction which was imposed on the farmland. Back in the 19th century, developers were keen on draining all the swamps in the Everglades for developmental purposes. Their intention was to grow sugarcane plantations on the land yet sugarcanes are highly destructive to the Everglades. They too disrupt the water cycle to which the wildlife has adapted. The Florida sugar industry built on the southern Shore of Lake Okeechobee directly clocks the water source for the remaining Everglades hence destroying the habitats of the wildlife existing in the affected areas.

    Read More

  • Water Supply In The Everglades Essay

    529 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fifty percent of the original wetlands doesn’t even exist today. The water supply in the Everglades is changing and that has affected the Everglades in many ways. For one, population is decreasing and mankind needs to restore it somehow. Next, the Everglades are in need of some money to do that restoration, but where will they get it from? Last, the water supply is poisoning the humanity around it with much bacteria and many bad and dangerous elements. The Everglades water supply affected it in fixing the Everglades and wildlife.

    Read More

  • Abiotic Factors Of The Louisiana Coastline

    1666 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...n, the Louisiana wetlands are an extremely valuable asset to the State of Louisiana and the United States. The continual loss of Louisiana wetlands has the potential to have an immensely negative effect on the economy at a state and national level. Over 2 million people live in the Louisiana coastal parishes (Field et al., 1991). The majority of people living on the Louisiana coast make their living from things that are directly related to the wetlands. The Louisiana wetlands make up the largest wetland community in America and is being lost at a rate greater than the other wetland communities in the country. The suggested strategies that are being taken into consideration could be helpful but it seems that the State of Louisiana is not as concerned as it should be given the future consequences and much like climate change coastal erosion is not being taken serious.

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects of Humans and Nature on Florida’s Marine Ecosystems

    2053 Words  | 5 Pages

    Nature designed Florida to be one large marine ecosystem. Florida is one big sand peninsula located below the 40th longitudinal North American line. Three bodies of salt water (Gulf of Mexico, Strait of Florida and Atlantic Ocean) surround three out of four directions of Florida. Man-made canals, natural lakes, rivers and estuaries are confined within the State of Florida’s physical boundaries. All of these form an interlocking system of waterways that impact the interconnected marine environment (marine ecosystem). All of Florida’s waterways are connected back to the surrounding bodies of water while passing through Florida’s sub-tropical and temperate zones and impact the delicate marine ecosystem balance. Man and nature are causing a negative impact to this region like never before. Hurricanes, lack of green initiatives, garbage, pollution and the stripping of natural resources for population growth are decimating Florida’s natural ecosystems.

    Read More

  • The Florida Everglades

    1335 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...restore natural lands. The federal, state, and local governments are joining forces to bring these pristine natural lands back to their original splendor and beauty. "The question of why we should protect the Everglades has now evolved into how we should restore the Everglades," according to Suzie Unger. "Everglades National Park is the largest remaining sub-tropical wilderness in the continental United States and has extensive fresh and saltwater areas, open Everglades prairies, and mangrove forests. Abundant wildlife includes rare and colorful birds, and this is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side. The park is 1,506,539 acres (606,688 hectares) in size. It is a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, and a Wetland of International Significance," according to the following website: http://nps.gov/ever

    Read More

  • Florida Manatee and Sea Turtle Efforts

    1410 Words  | 3 Pages

    Within the state of Florida there are dozens of individualized, non-profit organizations making an effort to help the local wildlife. The local land and marine wildlife includes birds, geckos, frogs, snakes, panthers, manatees, sea turtles, fishes, sharks, corals, lizards and many, many more. Florida State is located on the Southeastern tip of the United States providing a unique opportunity for conservation of salt-water animals. While there are animal conservation efforts taking place all over the world, this essay will focus on two animal species that humans are specifically trying to save in Florida State. The two main animal species of focus are manatees and sea turtles.

    Read More

  • The Florida Everglades

    3829 Words  | 8 Pages

    Maintaining ecological diversity is necessary for the survival of a biological community. In the United States, American citizens are on the verge of irrevocably damaging one of the country's most unique and diverse treasures - the Florida Everglades. This national park is now the only remaining patch of a river that used to span 120 miles from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Bay. Dikes and levees created by the Army Corps of Engineers in the late 1940's drained this river to reduce flooding and increase useable water for the development of the region. This major diversion of water lead to a trickle down effect causing the continual decline of the environmental state of the Everglades. Since then, debates over the Everglades' future have silently raged on for years about how, why, and when the restoration will begin. This ongoing, but virtually unproductive effort has cost taxpayers a great deal without any apparent benefits. Recently, this debate has been amplified by the voices of the sugar industry in Florida, which was attacked for its major contribution to pollution of the Everglades. Now debates rage on with a new effort called the Restudy. Backed by the Army Corps of Engineers, this effort would change the flow of the Everglades, potentially restoring it into the viable community of life that it used to be. The question now is, will this latest attempt to restore the Everglades ever be realized (thus ending the cyclic Everglades debate) or will it simply add up to one more notch on the bedpost of inadequate and failed attempts to save this national treasure. The world is watching to see how the United States will handle this unprecedented cleanup.

    Read More

  • Essay On Florida Everglades

    2012 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Florida Everglades have been slowly and steadily diminishing in size for over many decades. Throughout the years, the Everglades have had an abundant, healthy environment. The massive swamps were once rich with marshland, and had ecosystems chock-full of wildlife. However, due to large corporations, natural disasters and most importantly, the growth of the human population, the Everglades are 50% smaller than they were hundreds of years ago. The destruction of the Florida Everglades includes not only a diminishing number of the marshland, but also the lessening of wild life, such as alligators, herons, and exotic plants. While there is a government plan set for the restoration of the everglades, it will take many years to make up for the

    Read More

  • Essay On Everglades

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Florida Everglades is very valuable to the environment. The Everglades helps the food chain continue and keep plant and animal life safe. Many different kinds of species that live in the Everglades. If someone destroyed the Everglades, then a lot of plants and animals would die and have nowhere to go and possibly go extinct. The Everglades provides many habitats for different types of plants and animals that only can survive in it. The Everglades provides a healthy ecosystem for plants and animals to work in harmony.

    Read More

  • Duck Unlimited Essay

    1551 Words  | 4 Pages

    DU they do not just go a fill up a pond of water and call it good. “Ducks Unlimited is the leader in the conservation of habitats that are essential to North America’s waterfowl and countless other species of plants and animals. Because they cross an enormous scope of geography, waterfowl and other migratory species have especially complex needs. The continent’s 36 species of ducks, 10 species of geese, and 2 species of swans depend on a broad array of wetland and upland habitats at each phase of their annual cycle” (DU plan).

    Read More

  • Everglades Essay

    1479 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Everglades national park is one of the largest American national parks that cover 1,506,539 acres of saw grass marshes, tropical hardwood hammocks, pine rock lands, mangrove forests, fresh water lakes, saltwater and fresh water marshes. The Everglades is home to many rare, threatened and endangered species. According to (UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 2011) “These include the Florida panther, snail kite, alligator, crocodile, and manatee.” The Everglades is also home to many different species of birds and reptiles.

    Read More

  • The Loss of Coastal Wetlands

    588 Words  | 2 Pages

    Globally coastal wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate, the problem is most of society does not realize the value of these precious wetlands. Coastal wetlands provide an important role in the coastal ecosystem. “Coastal wetlands provide critical services such as absorbing energy from coastal storms, preserving shorelines, protecting human populations and infrastructure, supporting commercial seafood harvests, absorbing pollutants and serving as critical habitat for migratory bird populations”(Anonymous, 2011). Coastal wetlands are an economical asset as well as an environmental one.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Global Warming on Wetlands

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems. Wetlands include marshes, estuaries, bogs, fens, swamps, deltas, shallow seas, and floodplains. Wetland habitats support a vast range of plant and animal life, and serve a variety of important functions, which include water regime regulation, flood control, erosion control, nursery areas for fishes, fish production, recreation, plant production, aesthetic enjoyment, and wildlife habitat. Wetlands account for about 6% of the global land area and are among the most valuable environmental resources.

    Read More

More about Essay On Freshwater Wetlands

Open Document