Wetlands are beneficial to everyone, whether they realize it or not. Landowners with wetlands on their property may experience some of these benefits more directly. In this section you will see that wetland conservation can maintain a variety of ecological functions.

Wetlands are important ecosystems for humans, plants, and animals. When we contemplate the importance of wetlands we often think about wetland values and functions. Wetland values generally imply things that humans find to be worthy or desirable. We often associate a dollar amount to this value. Wetland values include protecting property from floods, providing opportunities for waterfowl hunters to hunt, the harvest of beaver, muskrat, and mink for furs, and clean water. Wetland values can change over time as people’s opinions change.

Functions imply the biological, physical, and chemical processes and their impact on plants, animals, soil, and hydrology. Wetland functions include nutrient cycling, sediment retention, maintenance of plant and animal communities, water storage, flood control, and sediment retention. Wetlands can also be grazed. Click here for a video clip. Wetland functions does not depend on peoples’ feelings. Therefore, wetland functions occur whether or not people’s values or opinions change.

Most wetland functions and values do not operate on a year-round basis and every wetland does not provide every function or value. A wetlands position in the landscape, climate, and the underlying soil and rock, all influence which functions a wetland provides. For example, wetland located near a stream may perform numerous functions, where as a wetland located on a slope may perform fewer functions. It also is important to remember that wetlands are but one part of a fully functional watershed. If the rest of the watershed is completely impacted by development, than one small wetland will likely not drastically improve water quality or reduce flood runoff. However, if a number of wetlands occur in a moderately impacted wetland, than substantial benefits can likely be realized.

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