Wetland Importance and Values. Civilization and Wetlands. Wetland Values. Matthew J. Gray University of Tennessee. 6,000 Years of History

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1 Wetland Importance and Values Matthew J. Gray University of Tennessee Civilization and Wetlands Atchafalaya Basin 6,000 Years of History Southern Iraq Sinister Image of Wetlands Wetland Values Wetland-dependent Wildlife Habitat Aquatic and Terrestrial Fish and Wildlife Habitat Reservoirs of Biodiversity Flood Control Groundwater Replenishment Shoreline Stabilization Sediment and Nutrient Retention & Export Fur & Timber Harvest Recreation/Tourism Aesthetics Economic Value (consumptive & non-consumptive uses) 1

2 Wetland Dependent Wildlife Waterbirds: NA Waterfowl Population Size 80% Breeding Birds in NA 50% of Migratory Birds Shorebirds, Wading birds, Waterfowl Use all Wetland Types $150 Million in MS Waterfowl Hunting ⅔ of Pop winters in MAV Notice Correlation with Wetland Abundance Wetland Dependent Wildlife Fish and Shellfish: 95% of Shellfish Use for spawning (FW) and nurseries (FW, SE) Recreation 60% $3 Billion Annually for Commercial Fisheries Shrimp and Fish Harvests are positively correlated with nation wetland area. Wetland Dependent Wildlife Reptiles/Amphibians: $16 Million in LA Declines, Indicators 700K Pelts Annually $500+/day in AK Mammals: 10 Million Pelts Annually 2

3 Aquatic and Terrestrial Wildlife Aquatic Wildlife Bluegill Beds Many Species Use Wetlands Facultatively and Opportunistically Interactions Terrestrial Wildlife Species Richness & NPP in Tidal Estuarine Wetlands Rivals Tropical Rainforests Biodiversity of Wetlands 4% of Earth s Surface Area 40% of World s Species Depend on Freshwater Wetlands Unknown Medicinal Uses 25% of Marine Life Depend on Coral Reefs & Estuarine Wetlands NOTE: 50% of Listed Animals Occur in Wetlands 1 ha Wetland can store 15,000 m 3 of floodwater 2 Functions: Slow Velocity Store Water Buffer Discharge Flood Control 10 m = ½ energy dissipated (Katrina) 1 ac. Wetland 4 ac-ft water Deforestation Channelization Levees Buffering Effect $1.5 Billion (NC 2016: Matthew) MS River HBL Forest 60 Days (1500s) 12 Days (now) $12 16 Billion in Damage from 1993 MS River Floods 3

4 Shoreline Stabilization Reduce Erosion Buffer Ocean Storms 2004 Hurricanes Charley (22) Frances (15) Ivan (60) Jeanne (6) $25 Billion in Damage in U.S. Groundwater Replenishment Soil Type Area of Wetland Human Uses: ft Irrigation 65% in High Plains ft thick Hydrologic Inputs Depth of Aquifer Daily Life Needs 95% of Pumping from Ogallala Aquifer SHP (TX) Groundwater Replenishment Playa Wetlands Recharge at inches / ac / yr (0.35) 400 million a.f. 174,000 mi Billion ac-ft (336,000 gal = 1 ac-ft) Dropping 1 2 ft / yr 4

5 Chemical & Nutrient Update by Plants 98% N, 97% P Sediment & Nutrient Retention & Export Waste Water Treatment Bind with Soil Particles & Become Buried Eutrophication Climate Control 40% of Global C Hyacinth, Cattail Pesticides, Heavy Metals, Grease, Oil (100,000X) Water Quality Carbon, Sulfur, Nitrogen Sinks Trapping and Timber Harvesting 12 Million Pelts Annually 40 mil (⅓) $1 Billion Florida $16 Million for Alligators 22 Million ha total in US 13 Million ha of Hardwood Bottomlands in SE $620/ha or $8 Billion Total Cherrybark, willow, water, Nuttall, pin oaks Recreation & Tourism 98 Million Americans $60 Billion Annually ($150 million in MS) Fishing, Crabbing Waterfowl Hunting Trapping Wetland Tours: Wetland Bird Festivals full_site 5

6 Estimated Economic Value Nature 387: Total value (US $) per hectare per year Total global flow value $ per year) Estuaries 22,382 4,100,000,000,000 Seagrass/algae beds 19,004 3,801, 000,000,000 Coral reefs 6, , 000,000,000 Tidal marsh/ mangroves 9,990 1,648, 000,000,000 Swamps/floodplains 19,580 3,231, 000,000,000 Lakes/rivers 8,498 1,700, 000,000,000 (US Wetland Ecosystems = $14.9 Trillion All Natural Ecosystems = $33.0 Trillion Thus, wetland systems account for approximately 45% of the realized value of natural ecosystems! Reflects the multiple values! Aesthetics Bluff Lake, Noxubee NWR 6