Wetland Threats and Conservation

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Wetland ThreatsandConservation
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Controversial Issue

• The issue of how much wetland acreage has been
  lost in the United States has led to heated
  debates about limiting alteration of natural
  resources.
• Overstatements or misrepresentations of the
  remaining wetland acreage are usually the result
  of emotional arguments rather than factual data.

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Objectives

• 1) Describe amount of wetland loss in U.S.
• 2) Describe human actions that threaten wetlands.
• 3) Identify causes of wetland alteration.
• 4) Discuss opportunities for conservation

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How Much Wetland Area Has Been Lost?? (since
pre-settlement 1600s)?

• Nationwide gt53 (in lower 48)
• 1780 221 million acres
• 1980 102 million acres
• Kentucky (example)
• gt 80 of total wetlands lost
• Most of Alaskas 170 million acres of wetlands
  remain intact
• 45 of Alaskas land surface!

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Major Effects of Wetland Losses

• gt 50 loss of spawning grounds for fish
• gt 50 loss of waterfowl habitat
• gt 50 loss of flood control capability
• gt 50 loss of erosion control and
  sediment-trapping capability

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Why So Much Wetland Loss?

• Perception of wetlands as wastelands
• Because the values of wetlands and their overall
  environmental importance have been only recently
  recognized, the United States has a 200-year
  history of wetland conversion.
• Economic incentives for development and urban
  sprawl
• Considering short term gains and not long-term
  degradation of ecosystems
• Long term disaster?

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Major Causes of Wetland Loss Degradation

• A) Biological Alterations
• B) Chemical Alterations
• C) Physical Destruction or
• Degradation

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A) Biological Alterations

• 1. Removal of wetland or riparian vegetation
• 2. Introduction of non-native/exotic species

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Removal of riparian vegetation next to stream
due to residential development.
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Farming up to edge of stream.
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Livestock corral adjacent to stream
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Introduced weeds and non-native plants, i.e.
purple loosestrife need to be controlled
through biological, chemical and/or mechanical
means or prevented by proper land management,
i.e. minimize disturbance.
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Chemical Alterations

• 1. Release of pollutants toxic
• chemicals
• 2. Change in nutrient levels

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Agricultural runoff carries pesticides,
fertilizers and manure.
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Livestock corral on streams allows manure
(nutrients) to enter stream unfiltered by
vegetation.
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Sediment plume discharging into river and then
entering lake.
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Physical Destruction or Degradation_____

• 1. Filling
• 2. Draining
• 3. Dredging Stream Channelization
• 4. Peat Mining
• 5. Flooding Changes in Sediment Deposition
  Patterns due to Dam Construction.
• 6. ATV/Recreational Uses

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Stream channelization straightening of rivers
streams for railroad and highways.
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Peat Mining

• Michigan is largest peat producer.
• Other large peat producers are Florida,
  Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota
• Peatland crop production (sod, carrots, onions,
  celery, potatoes, lettuce, cranberries, mint,
  radishes.
• Horticultural use containerized seedlings used
  in forest industry.

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Flooding (and flood damage) is much greater when
streams are straightened and riparian vegetation
has been removed.
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ORVs What about the bank of the stream?
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WETLANDS DAMAGE FORCES ATV BAN ATVs have been
banned from many areas of the National Forest,
but not others. The Valhalla Sunbowl near
Washburn, WI has been permanently closed to ATVs
after a small wetland once home to frogs, deer
and rabbits was turned into gray muck and pools
filled with stagnant water by ATV riders. It is
estimated to take 10-15 years to repair..
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II. Education Efforts to Protect and
Enhance Wetlands____

• A. Public Education
• Brochures booklets
• Landowners Guide handbooks
• Landowner workshops
• Videos
• Logger certification programs
• Teacher workshops
• Curriculum development K-12 and university
• Childrens literature

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Educational materials for landowners and public
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Workshops for ranchers, farmers and landowners.
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Forest Stewardship Programs educate forest
landowners loggers.
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• Teacher workshops
• wetlands
• soils
• stream monitoring
• wildlife
• WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands An Educators Guide
• A Thousand Friends of Frogs Educator Activity
  Guide
• http//cgee.hamline.edu/frogs/
• (Center for Global Environmental Education)

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Wetlands Ecology Course _at_ university level
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Learning about ducks and wetlands at the BG Army
Depot
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• Adopt-a-Stream Projects
• Lake Linden-Hubbell
• Middle School students
• cleaning the Trap Rock River,
• near Lake Linden, MI.
• Trap Rock River Newsletter
• sent to all residents of school
• district.
• 65 tires removedand lots of several pick-up
  trucks of trash.

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B. Organizations Agencies with Wetland
Education Protection Mission___

• State and Federal Agencies
• Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife
  Resources,
• Division of Water
• Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission
• U.S. EPA (epa.gov/owow/wetlands/)
• U.S. Fish Wildlife Service
• U.S. Geological Survey
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (www.usbr.gov/main/abo
  ut/)
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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• Professional Organizations
• Society of Wetland Scientists (sws.org)
• Soil Water Conservation Society
• The Wildlife Society (wildlife.org)
• Advocacy Stewardship Organizations
• National Wildlife
• Sierra Club
• Protection/Conservation Organizations
• The Nature Conservancy
• Ducks Unlimited

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Summary

• 3 categories of wetland
• alteration
• Major causes of wetland
• loss degradation
• Education is essential