Among the richest of all fish and wildlife habitat, wetlands are also
important for controlling
flooding and purifying our nation's waters. But the tremendous
economic and ecological value of wetlands has only recently
gained widespread
recognition.
When the early settlers landed, this country had some 215 million acres
of rich wetlands. Today,
less than half remains. Between the mid-1950s and the
mid-1970s, the United States lost an estimated 458,000 acres of wetlands
each year, mostly from development
and agriculture. More recently, the loss continues at a rate of nearly
300,000 acres annually.
Economists have estimated that $13 billion worth of recreational fishing
in the United States depends
on wetlands. This does not include the commercial
catch, almost half of which depends on wetlands. For natural
waste treatment functions
of southeastern tidal marshes, economists have estimated
that wetlands are worth more than $50,000 an acre.
A price tag cannot be placed on the value of wetlands in the life cycle
of humankind
and wildlife.
Wetland Flora
Aquatic Plants -
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