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Wetlands Functions and Values
![Picture of a pond of water lillies with title:Wetlands Module, William S. Sipple, U.S. EPA Office of Water.](/peth04/20041109131744im_/http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/wetlands/images/s00.jpg)
Introduction
This
module is about the benefits, or values, that wetlands provide. These
values arise from the many ecological functions associated with wetlands.
These societal benefits and ecological functions are discussed in detail
below, and in some instances resource-specific or site-specific examples
are presented. Much of the material was drawn from sources that are
cited in the Acknowledgments, References, and World Wide Web Sources
sections following the body of the text. Wetlands Functions and Values discussed in
this module appear in red, bold italics.
Only
relatively recently have we begun to understand the many ecological
functions associated with wetlands and their significance to society.
Wetlands were once considered useless, disease-ridden places (e.g.,
malaria and yellow fever) that were to be avoided. We now realize that
wetlands provide many benefits to society -- such as fish
and wildlife habitats, natural water quality improvement, flood storage,shoreline
erosion protection, opportunities for recreation and aesthetic appreciation,
and natural products for our use at little or no cost.
Protecting wetlands can, in turn, protect
our health and safety by reducing flood damage and preserving water
quality.
Wetlands
are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to
rain forests and coral reefs. They also are a source
of substantial biodiversity in supporting numerous species
from all of the major groups of organisms – from microbes to mammals.
Physical and chemical features such as climate,topography (landscape
shape), geology, nutrients, and hydrology (the quantity and movement
of water) help to determine the plants and animals that inhabit various
wetlands. Wetlands in Texas, North Carolina,and Alaska, for example,
differ substantially from one another because of their varying physical
and biotic nature.
If this is your first visit to a Watershed Academy Web module, click on the "How to Navigate" link at the top of the page for general browsing instructions.
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