recharge the Biscayne Aquifer which provides drinking water for the Miami metropolitan area This storage of water is important during dry periods and times of drought MOSQUITO CONTROL Swamps and other areas that hold standing water are frequently thought to be infested with mosquitoes However in healthy wetlands that is not the case To the contrary the species that live in the wetlands serve as a type of mosquito control Wetland species including fish amphibians insects birds and bats are all natural predators of mosquitoes In healthy wetland ecosystems they help keep mosquito numbers down When wetlands are filled in poisoned or used as dumps many species cannot survive but mosquitoes can Mosquito larvae thrive in unhealthy wetlands because they don't have any natural predators controlling their numbers Wetland plants slow down water moving through streams and rivers too which reduces erosion They also lessen flood damage and lower the risk of flash floods Coastal wetlands likewise serve as buffers absorbing much of the impact of rushing water from storms Mangrove swamps and salt marshes reduce erosion on the coasts and minimize property damage for those living there Another important function of wetlands is that they act as carbon sinks At a time in human history when a high level of carbon dioxide is entering the atmosphere this function of wetlands is extremely important Similarly to forests wetlands pull carbon dioxide from the air and store it thus playing a crucial role in the overall health of the environment A typical acre 0 4 ha of wetland can hold more than 1 million gallons Wetlands have great economic value as well 3 8 million L of water Many people make their living fishing and trapping in wetlands Of all commercial fisheries in the United
States more than 75 percent depend on wetlands for fish crab and other catches The economic benefits of wetlands also extend to improved drinking water quality pollution control and flood mitigation Finally wetlands are also a source of recreation in the form of hiking photography birding hunting boating and more Billions of dollars are spent annually on these activities bringing revenue to communities and creating jobs for those who live there Yet the value of wetlands both economically and ecologically is something humans have been slow to acknowledge Historically wetlands have been destroyed or degraded to make way for other human pursuits as was the case at Story Mill Yet as humans have come to understand wetlands value efforts to increase conservation have led to the preservation restoration and protection of the world's wetland ecosystems DUCKS UNLIMITED One organization that has understood the value of wetlands for decades is the nonprofit organization Ducks Unlimited Starting in the 1930s duck hunters saw the duck populations plummet as a result of severe drought The hunters feared that duck populations would never recover Instead of sitting idly by a group of sportsmen came together to form Ducks Unlimited The organization had a single mission to preserve habitats for waterfowl Since its inception in 1937 the organization has become a world leader in wetland conservation dedicated to restoring conserving and managing these habitats through public policy education and fund raising using both public and private partnerships As of 2017 the organization had conserved more than 13 million acres 5 3 million ha of wetlands
SCIENCE CONNECTION THE SCIENCE OF WETLANDS In the human body kidneys filter waste and extra nutrients from the blood Wetlands serve a similar function in nature filtering water before it moves downstream or into the groundwater supply To start when water enters a wetland it slows The sediment carried with it naturally settles to the bottom of the wetland in a process called sedimentation This keeps sediment from flowing farther downstream where it can disrupt ecosystems and the natural flow of water Excess nutrients and pollutants are also trapped in wetlands In urban areas the runoff from industry streets buildings and residential areas carries numerous toxic pollutants In agricultural areas runoff frequently carries fertilizers pesticides and manure When the runoff reaches the wetlands excess organic nutrients are absorbed by plants or are converted to less harmful forms thus protecting the water from nutrient overload that can result in harmful algal blooms the production of toxic chemicals and hypoxia Wetlands remove other pollutants from the water too Much of this occurs through sedimentation because many heavy metals and other pollutants stick to soil particles and are buried when the particles settle to the bottom of the wetland Other pollutants are converted to less harmful substances by the organisms living in the wetland or through exposure to sun Plants algae and bacteria also take up many pollutants The water that leaves the wetland by either seeping into groundwater supplies or moving downstream is naturally purified and free of sediment
Polluted Water Clean Water Wetland River Sediment Clean Groundwater Polluted Groundwater Wetlands filter water before it reaches a body of water
