causes and effects of wetland destruction

Conversion to agricultural use was the primary cause for most of the losses, but urbanization, reservoir construction, highway construction, and other activities also contributed. Spatial and temporal variations in sediment grain size in tidal wetlands, Yangtze delta: on the role of physical and biotic controls. 2015. What are 3 major causes of degradation and loss of wetlands? Biogeosciences. According to a. , the number of trees worldwide has decreased by 46 percent since the start of civilization. The alterations include global warming and climate change which can increase the risks of climatic natural disasters, and ozone layer depletion which increases the risk of skin cancer, eye disease, and crop failure. 2015. Throughout history, there have been many historical events that, according to the dominant ideas or economic needs of the time, have modified and/or eliminated entire ecosystems. The amount of newly created wetlands, however, will be much smaller than the area of wetlands that are lost. Mller I., Kudella M., Rupprecht F., Spencer T., Paul M., van Wesenbeeck B.K., et al. Sci. Biol. Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences, New Orleans, La., USA. Today, wetlands degradation and destruction is occurring more rapidly than in any other ecosystem. 2002. Reduction in water quality is responsible for more than two million deaths and billions of illness annually across the globe. Water Resour. Clim. 2010. It is important to recognize to what extent various disturbances affect wetlands when assessing disturbance and impact, and when considering wetland protection options (Clearwater et al., 1998). Why? 2016. Surface wave propagation in mangrove forests. Contact Us . Unfortunately, weve lost approximately 15.3 billion trees, representing the current decline of the ecosystem. According to the. 2017. Res. Environ. Enter your email address below and we will send you your username, If the address matches an existing account you will receive an email with instructions to retrieve your username, Enter your email address below and we will send you the reset instructions, If the address matches an existing account you will receive an email with instructions to reset your password. Some huge lakes, such as Antela in Ourense or La Nava in Palencia, succumbed to the agricultural development plans of the 20th century. 2015. Impact of humans on the flux of terrestrial sediment to the global coastal ocean. 2012. This is a typical example of environmental degradation. Along sandy beaches, like wetland shores, property owners often erect these structures to halt erosion. Arkema K.K., Verutes G.M., Wood S.A., Clarkesamuels C., Rosado S., Canto M., et al. Curr. During the development of petroleum industry and urban expansion, wetlands were degraded due to population growth, irrational land use, in addition to adverse natural eco-environment such as lower precipitation, higher soil evaporation and soil salinazation. 2 What are 3 major causes of degradation and loss of wetlands? 10.1016/j.rser.2014.01.056 [Google Scholar] This article is open access. and Faber P.B., 2001. As the buffer zone between land and sea, they are frequently threatened from both sides. Wetlands. Lett. The world coastal wetlands are faced with great pressure of being squeezed by human land use and sea-level rise. startxref Sea-level rise and its impact on coastal zones. It has also impacted on humans on the account of changes in environmental support processes such as weather conditions. 2) Wetland plants bind and lock down the soil with their roots, which criss-cross underground throughout the soil. The evolution of embryonic creek systems in a recently inundated large open coast managed realignment site, Coastal wetlands mainly include ecosystems of mangroves, coral reefs, salt marsh, and sea grass beds. In part, this has been a result of natural evolutionary processes, but human activities, such as dredging wetlands for canals or draining and filling for agriculture, grazing, or development, share a large part of the responsibility for marsh habitat alteration and destruction. One of the calamitous effects of landfills is the destruction of nearby environmental health together with its ecosystems. The data obtained from interviews were concerned with the causes of wetland destruction, condition of wetland and threat to the wetland in Makhitha village. Geosci. 0000008710 00000 n How does a wetland help to prevent erosion? One of the most emblematic is in Spain, specifically in the Nava lagoon in Palencia. 2013. J. A 3-foot rise in sea level (for example) would enable a 15-year storm to flood many areas that today are only flooded by a 100-year storm. Dams on the Mekong: cumulative sediment starvation. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. #MaandamanoTuesday will begin at 6;00am no matter the case! Hu Z., Lee J.W., Chandran K., Kim S., and Khanal S.K. The unplanned conversion of lands into urban settings, mining areas, housing development projects, office spaces, shopping malls, industrial sites, parking areas, road networks, and so on leads to environmental pollution and degradation of natural habitats and ecosystems. 417 pp. Wetlands, which cover six percent of the worlds' surface and are biodiversity hotspots, are under threat from climate change. Soil compaction, low organic matter, loss of soil structure, poor internal drainage, salinisation and soil acidity problems are other serious soil degradation conditions that can accelerate the soil erosion . Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content. In the past, the societal and ecological value of wetlands were not widely recognized and many wetlands were destroyed. Most disturbances that result in direct impacts to wetlands are controlled by State and Federal wetland regulatory programs. Habitat loss is primarily, though not always, human-caused. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. All rights reserved. Zhang K.Q., Liu H.Q., and Li Y.P. 2002. Nature. Chin. Coastal waters of the world: trends, threats, and strategies. Serious consequences have already been caused by the coastal wetland loss, such as coastal flooding, erosion, and biodiversity decrease. How effective were mangroves as a defense against the recent tsunami? In the case of any doubt, it's best to consult a trusted specialist. Today, only 15 percent of the land and 7 percent of the ocean is protected, leaving us with a challenging yet attainable goal. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. (from: www.epa.gov). Co., New York, N.Y., USA. Tessler Z.D., Vrsmarty C.J., Grossberg M., Gladkova I., Aizenman H., Syvitski J.P.M., and Foufoula-Georgiou E. 2015. 2006. According to a study by the UNEP Global Environment Outlook, excessive human consumption of the naturally occurring non-renewable resources can outstrip available resources in the near future and remarkably destroys the environment during extraction and utilization. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Water Resour. Nat. The study assesses the nexus between the drivers of wetland utilisation patterns, land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) and the current status of provisioning and cultural services in Driefontein . Natl. 2006. The miasmatic theory of disease, popular until the late nineteenth century, associated infectious diseases with bad air from wetlands and marshes. The total decline of wetland since 1978 is estimated at 41,000 acres, with the rate of decline slowing between the periods 1978 to 1998 (loss of approximately 1,642 acres per year) and 1998 to 2005 (approximately 1,157 acres per year). 2011. 0000001433 00000 n Also, environmental degradation aspects such as deforestation and mining destroy the natural land cover. 69 0 obj <>stream A wetland is an area of land that is saturated with water and characterized by plants that can tolerate wet soils and low oxygen levels at their roots. Available from. An estimated 95 percent of these wetlands are freshwater; the rest are marine or estuarine.1 Wetland extent can be affected by a variety of natural stressors, such as erosion, land subsidence, droughts, sea level change, and storms. Curr. Estuar. Ecol. In addition to the loss of habitat, deforestation reduces the ability of forests to provide the critical benefit of absorbing carbon, which helps to mitigate the effects of climate change. The number of threatened species persists to multiply worldwide whereas some have completely gone extinct. However, things soon turned around, as well see in the next section. Whittaker, R.H. 1975. Nat. Available from. Gardner, R. C., & Davidson, N. C. (2011). Nat. Copyright 2023 Earth Eclipse . Ecol. And degraded lands are also often less able to hold onto water, which can worsen flooding. The landfills discharge various kinds of chemicals on the land adjacent to forest, various natural habitats, and water systems such as underground and surface water which makes the environment unappealing to the survival of trees, vegetations, animal and humans. The impact of the change in vegetation structure on the ecological functions of salt marshes: the example of the Yangtze Estuary. xb`````AXf`8u2 MY9& "]3@Z@aVbu 8C50U0J2JqQ An effective strategy for protecting coastal wetlands includes a coastal marine spatial planning effort focused on the shared goal of identifying future competitive uses and impacts. Human activities can also increase the extent of wetlandsfor example, by creating shallow ponds or re-establishing formerly drained wetlands on farmlands. Coastal management: wetland issues in integrated coastal zone management. Some research has estimated that 87% of the Earths wetlands have disappeared since the 19th century. Gao S., Du Y.F., Xie W.J., Gao W.H., Wang D.D., and Wu X.D. Countries with the most land reclaimed from seas & wetlands. 0000003086 00000 n Howard J., Sutton-Grier A., Herr D., Kleypas J., Landis E., Mcleod E., et al. This indicator provides a comprehensive look at changes in the acreage of different types of wetlands since the 1950s, and classifies the causes of these changes. 0000008323 00000 n Why Does Wetland Loss Cause These Negative Impacts? Primary productivity: the link to global health. Vulnerability of the Indus Delta to climate change in Pakistan. Bruno J.F. 0000003694 00000 n Profound consequences have been caused by coastal wetland loss, such as habitat loss for wild species, CO. Land Resour. We also have thousands of examples of restored wetlands. Environ. Geosci. Changing climate also increases the vulnerability of coastal areas to flooding and erosion. Types of coastal wetlands include: Salt marshes This commitment represents our best opportunity to preserve the ecosystems necessary for our survival. Rasul G., Mahmood A., Sadiq A., and Khan S.I. Overestimation of marsh vulnerability to sea level rise. Copyright Maryland.gov. Kirwan M.L., Murray A.B., Donnelly J.P., and Corbett D.R. Wetlands, or marshes, fens, bogs, and swamps, are the link between land and water. Select from the 0 categories from which you would like to receive articles. Sustainable hydraulic engineering through building with nature. Nat. Lotze H.K., Lenihan H.S., Bourque B.J., Bradbury R.H., Cooke R.G., Kay M.C., et al. Giosan L., Syvitski J., Constantinescu S., and Day J. Ma Z.J., Melville D.S., Liu J.G., Chen Y., Yang H.Y., Ren W.W., et al. J. Bot. Air pollution from automobiles and industries that results in the formation of acid rain which in turn brings about acidic lake is a good example of how the environment is degraded by pollution. Many wetlands were reclaimed for other use (e.g., agriculture) before their significance was recognized. 1999. Poffenbarger H.J., Needelman B.A., and Megonigal J.P. 2011. Studies reveal that by protecting 50 percent of the land and ocean around the world, plant and animal species could thrive. The world coastal wetland lost more than 50% of its area in the 20th century, largely before their great value, such as wave attenuation, erosion control, biodiversity support, and carbon sequestration, was fully recognized. Massel S.R., Furukawa K., and Brinkman R.M. 1998. Destruction of wetlands is also detrimental to our regions economy: recreation like fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching generate more than $22 billion annually. Despite the habitat loss that has occurred globally to date, there is still hope. 2nd ed. Coastal wetlands, which lie between the land and the ocean, are threatened from both human activity and natural hazards, such as climate change, sea level rise, local subsidence, decreased sediment supply, and acidification.