Wetlands and Conservation

Watson's Wildlife is concerned with preservation of wildlife and their habitats, especially the waterfowl and wetlands of the Atlantic Seaboard. To promote better understanding of the complexity of wildfowl preservation and wetlands conservation, we offer the following information.

What Are Wetlands?

Wetlands are areas of peatland, marsh, fen or where the water meets the land. Wetlands are where thousands of birds come to rest and feed during their migratory flight, and where ducks and geese breed and raise their young. Wetlands are where anglers fish in the spring, and recreationists relax in the summer. Wetlands are where aquatic life, wildlife and people come together. Wetlands support more than 900 wildlife species, ensure clean and abundant water, control flooding, and provide recreational opportunities for millions of people each year.

Wetlands come in all shapes and sizes, and vary in type and function. They occur in every state of the United States, from the coastal marshes of Alaska to the mangrove forests of Florida. Some kinds of wetlands are dry on the surface most of the year, such as bottomland hardwood swamps, and others remain saturated or even inundated because they are located near or at the groundwater level.

Although wetlands come in many forms, they can be identified by a few common characteristics. Wetlands are areas that, whether or not they are covered by surface water, have at least periodically water-logged soil. As a result, wetlands support the growth of water-loving plants and provide habitat for fish and wildlife communities that cannot live without wetlands.

Main Types of Wetlands

Bogs

Also known as peatlands, bogs are simply wetlands that have organic soils consisting of peat--the partially decomposed remains of plants and animals. Bogs are found in colder regions of the world where the temperatures and limited oxygen supply in the water discourage the breakdown of organic material. Bogs usually occupy shallow depressions associated with areas of water discharge, such as springs and brooks. Bogs are acidic nutrient-poor wetlands. Bogs become a become highly stressful environment for most plants as the bogs develop. They contain a limited supply of nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are needed for plant growth as the water is still or slow moving.

Coastal marshes

Coastal marshes are open, shallow wetlands which connect major water bodies with smaller lakes and streams. Coastal wetlands support a rich and diverse aquatic ecosystem, providing spawning grounds for a vast portion of our nation's commercial fish and shellfish harvest. These wetlands are found primarily found along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Alaskan coasts, and are thinly dispersed on the U.S. West Coast.

Freshwater marshes

Familiar to most Americans, freshwater marshes make up nearly 90 percent of our Nation's wetlands. Marshes are open areas, usually with few trees and shrubs, that provide food supplies for migratory birds and other wildlife. The water in a marsh fluctuates, rising during the rainy season and disappearing during dry periods. Remaining freshwater wetlands in suburban and urban areas are valuable for purifying storm water and reducing flooding.

Prairie potholes

Prairie potholes are saucer-shaped depressions formed by retreating glaciers in the ice age. Although inundated with water for only a short period of time each Spring, they play a vital role in aquatic and wildlife habitat. Prairie potholes are located in the Upper Plains States and are often called the "duck factories" of America because of their importance to the livelihood of ducks and other migratory birds.

Swamps

Swamps are shrubby or forested wetlands, located in poorly drained areas on the edges of lakes and streams. Forest swamps primarily exist in river floodplains connected to major river systems. In particular, bottomland hardwood forests filter and purify the waters adjacent to rivers in the Southeast region of the U.S.

Vernal pools

Vernal pools are small, isolated wetlands that retain water on a seasonal basis. The pools are vital to the survival of amphibians; nearly 50 percent of the amphibians in the U.S. breed primarily in vernal pools because the pools are too shallow to support fish, the major predator to amphibian larvae. Vernal pools are also home to many endangered and rare plant species.

Coastal ecosystems are dynamic, diverse areas of enormous ecological significance. They contain some of the nation's most productive wildlife habitats, support valuable fisheries, and provide recreation for millions of people. With proper stewardship, these areas should continue to meet many differing human demands without compromising ecological integrity or biological diversity.

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What's Happening to the Wetlands?

The collision of migrating birds with human-built structures and windows is a worldwide problem that results in the mortality of millions of birds each year in North America alone. Over the past 200 years, human activities have directly caused the destruction of valuable wetlands. Historically, hundreds of thousands of acres of wetlands were destroyed because of agricultural practices. Drainage, dams, industrial development, river control and irrigation projects all contribute to a loss of nature, eventually affecting people as well. Today, immediate threats to wetlands are more diverse than ever before.

Modern Threats to Wetland Survival

 

Urban sprawl

Urbanization results in the filling and dredging of wetlands as well as the degradation of remaining wetlands. As more buildings, homes, and roads are constructed, ground surfaces become impervious to rainfall, and, consequently, polluted run off and flooding increases. This makes the remaining urban wetland increasingly important to protect, even as their functions decline. Urban pollution originates from many widespread sources, such as sewage and stormwater overflow, parking lots, lawn pesticides, and dumping of toxic waste.

Highways and roads

Highways and roads are often built through or adjacent to wetlands. Highways can change the water flow in a watershed, disrupting wetland functions and the water quality of the water bodies connected to wetlands. Car emissions, salting, and erosion produce excess amounts of contaminants and impact nearby wetlands and water bodies.

Mining

Mining pollutes wetlands by seeping toxic chemicals into the water system. Strip mining produces acid mine drainage and physically destroys streams and wetlands. Hard rock mining in the arid West leaves toxic waste and can lower water tables, drying up groundwater-fed wetlands. Sand and gravel extraction destroys habitat along the bottom of rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

Stream Channelization

Channelization, the physical modification of the natural course of streams and rivers, typically results in increased downstream sedimentation and increasingly severe flooding. It can also completely wipe out riparian wetlands. Channelization of estuarine environments causes ocean water to move rapidly through salt marshes into freshwater systems, killing vegetation and removing valuable wetland soil in the process.

Logging

Timber harvesting in wetlands is the leading cause of wetland destruction in the Southeast U.S. Building of forest roads threatens vital wetlands and riparian habitats in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and the Rocky Mountain States.

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Why Should We Be Concerned?

Unfortunately, more of America's valuable wetlands are destroyed every year. For decades National Wildlife Federation has been striving to protect American's unique and diverse wetlands. America's wetlands provide enormous recreational and aesthetic benefits, and also perform several other less visible but essential functions. They protect our health, our safety, our property and the economy.

Human Benefits of Wetlands

 

Floods and Runoff

Wetlands act as sponges, storing snowmelt and rainfall and releasing it gradually. This slows flood waters and reduces flood damage to the human and natural environments. Likewise, wetlands help control the increase in rate and volume of runoff in urban areas. Thus wetlands provide long-term insurance, protecting our property and our families from the expensive and dangerous impacts of flooding and runoff.

Water Quality

Wetlands improve water quality by filtering out organic wastes, heavy metals, and other pollutants. As runoff flows through a wetland area, up to 90 percent of sediments it contains adhere to vegetation, resulting in purer, healthier drinking water for our communities.

Habitat

Wetlands are among the most biologically productive and diverse ecosystems in the world. Because many wildlife and fish species feed on decomposed vegetation, the depend on wetlands for their survival. Animals also use wetlands for breeding grounds, resting sites and shelter from weather and predators. Freshwater and saltwater wetlands are home to 43 percent of all federally listed endangered and threatened species, including the bald eagle, the Stellar sea lion and the whooping crane.

Commercial Fishing

Wetlands are the foundation of the economically important fishing industry. Each year millions of fish return to wetlands to spawn. The young fish remain in shallow water wetland habitats until they are strong enough to venture into lakes, rivers, or oceans. According to the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman's Associations, most of the $111 billion in economic activity in the industry and one and a half million U.S. jobs depend on fish that rely on wetlands.

Groundwater Recharge

Wetlands are the link between our surface water and underground drinking water supplies. During the rainy season, surface waters in wetlands feed downward to recharge groundwater aquifers, which half of Americans rely on for drinking water. During the dry season, groundwater-fed wetlands offset the effects of droughts and water shortages.

Erosion

Coastal wetlands prevent erosion by functioning as a buffer between ocean waves and the land. They are a cost-effective way to protect shorelines from violent storms that endanger homes, businesses, and human lives.

 

 

 

The Federal Duck Stamp and its Role in the History of Wetlands Conservation

The Duck Stamp has been a fixture of waterfowling since 1934. The idea of wetland habitat conservation already was well established in the earliest years of this century. And even the concept of a revenue stamp purchased by waterfowl hunters for wetland acquisition was under way before 1920. In 1919, the chief U.S. game warden, George A. Lawyer, was the first to advance the idea of a Federal revenue stamp for waterfowl hunting to generate funds to acquire wetlands to assure habitat and public hunting areas. Congressional support resulted in a bill being introduced in 1921. The proposed legislation called for the creation of a wetland habitat acquisition program; its source of funding: receipts from the sale of "duck stamps."

Ducks Unlimited Role In Conservation

According to a Ducks Unlimited study hunters are more concerned about wildlife conservation and issues than the general public. Hunters have a higher interest in wildlife and higher participation in the efforts of groups like Ducks Unlimited. Hunters are more likely to participate in organized wildlife conservation efforts than non-hunters.

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