Wetlands
Costs or Effects of Wetland losses
The loss of wetlands directly impacts the surrounding ecosystem and those organisms that rely on wetlands to provide either food or shelter. There are three main costs or effects of wetland loss that can be identified which are:
Increased flooding events - A wetland temporarily stores floodwater by trapping it and slowing the water down as it passes through the wetland. This reduces the volume of water and protects areas downstream during flooding events. If a wetland is modified or degraded, then the water that would usually utilise this wetland has nowhere to go and will consequently move into areas it would not otherwise have done. This is likely to result in an increased occurrence of floods, as well as soil erosion
Loss of wildlife habitat - Removing the wetland directly removes the plants or animals that once existed in the wetland ecosystem. This shifts the food chain out of balance and may actually result in the extinction of those species with close associations with the environment. All these species are closely linked to wetlands and to each other, forming a life cycle and a complex set of interactions. If one species disappears, the whole food web is endangered, which could lead to the loss of an entire ecosystem over time. For this reason, protecting wetland habitats is essential for maintaining biodiversity
Decline in water quality - Removing a wetland can cause a change in the chemistry of major water systems that those wetlands would otherwise filter out. With increasing use of cars, fertilizers and pesticides, there are an increasing number of pollutants entering our waterways.
One of the best known cases of water quality being affected by loss of wetlands is the Mississippi River. Nutrients from fertilizer used on farmland and large amount of sediment from erosion are being washed into streams and rivers. Without the Everglade wetlands, which used to filter out these components from the water, the nitrate, phosphorus, bacteria, and sediment carried by stream and river systems in the Midwest, now run directly into the Mississippi River. These pollutants ultimately flow into the Gulf of Mexico, having drastic negative effects on the ecosystem.
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Information for Action
Information for Action is a non profit environmental organization committed to environmental change in our global community. Work on the website began in 1999 by President Rowland Benjamin and is maintained by a group of talented volunteers.
