Discuss. With the members of your table, discuss these two questions and come up with a list:

Transcription

1 WETLANDS

2 Discuss With the members of your table, discuss these two questions and come up with a list: 1) There are 3 defining qualities that makes a piece of land a wetland. Name the 3 qualities that would define something as a wetland. 2) Brainstorm 3 natural services or functions that wetlands provide.

3 What is a wetland? In order to be called a wetland, a piece of land must have these three things: 1) Hydrophytic plants plants that like water or wet areas 2) Hydric soils soils that indicate wet conditions usually gray in color due to low oxygen levels 3) Hydrology soil that is covered, inundated, or saturated with water for all or part of the year

4 Why are wetlands important? 1) They absorb flood and rain water About 95% of runoff is captured and kept in a wetland 2) They filter water Water in a wetland is slowed down and can thus percolate, allowing it to be cleaned Plants in wetlands absorb many pollutants Wetlands act as natural buffer zones Buffer zones are vegetated land strips that are next to water. The zone traps and filters nutrients, sediments, and pollution and keeps them from larger waterways. Riparian zones are vegetated buffer strips next to rivers.

5 Why are wetlands important? 3) Act as a barrier to storms Coastal wetlands protect inland areas during hurricanes 4) They provide habitat to many species Act as nurseries for fish/shellfish and other organisms 5) They provide food. Wild rice, cranberry farms, fish, ducks, and other organisms all commonly found in wetlands

6 Why are wetlands important? 6) Recreational Location Wetlands provide many recreational opportunities which in turn helps economic growth 7) They store carbon The vegetation in a wetland acts as a carbon sink

7 Some Ways Wetlands Get Degraded Draining them (install drainage tiles) Filling them for development Polluted runoff or stormwater Purposeful dumping of pollution Water diversion projects Overextraction of natural resources Invasive species Rising sea levels from climate change Dredging - digging up the bottom of a waterway Channelization/River Channel Alteration Often straightens the river, leading to faster water flow and more soil erosion less sediment is deposited to reform wetlands Use of riprap on river banks prevent river erosion also prevent wetland formation

8 Wetland Development We have lost a majority of our wetlands in the U.S., so there are many laws governing further wetland use now. If you develop a wetland, you will be asked to make a new one somewhere else. This is called mitigation: Making another piece of land like the one that was destroyed somewhere else Keeps total land area the same although the sites of this area are different Often, mitigated habitats are not truly the same as natural ones

9 Reversing Wetland Development Wetland Development Restoration the restoring of a habitat to its natural cycling For wetlands, this means removing the drainage materials out of farm fields and letting the area fill back up with water and aquatic plants Government grants and programs are encouraging people to restore former wetlands to their original state.

10 Golden Meadow Wetland 1958 and 1995

11 Make these Predictions What are the road like paths that are more prevalent in the water of the 1995 picture? How have these things changed over time at this site? Amount of Flooding Inland Why? Hurricane Damage to the Area Why? Amount of Percolation/Infiltration Occurring Why? Water Quality for Surrounding Community Water Supplies Why? Amount of CO 2 Released From Local Area Why?

12 North Shore Wetland 1958 and 1995 COMPARE!!!

13 Mono Lake 1985 and 1995

14 What do you notice about Mono Lake? What do you see has happened over time? What does this mean? How does this relate to the previous history of Mono Lake that we learned about last week?