Get Readworks Wetlands And Habitat Loss

Wetlands serve as a source of drinking water and provide protection against floods and storms, yet they have been decimated to make space for housing, factories and farms or damaged by unsustainable water use and pollution.

Answer:Half of all wetlands destroyed since 1900, report says. ... Wetlands serve as a source of drinking water and provide protection against floods and storms, yet they have been decimated to make space for housing, factories and farms or damaged by unsustainable water use and pollution.

The destruction of the wetlands would have disastrous consequences for the economy of the area and the livelihoods of many of Louisiana's residents. ... Wetlands serve as a natural buffer zone against storms and hurricanes, slowing down the storms and reducing their force before they move inland.

Water links and maintains all ecosystems on the planet. ... As nature's most important nutrient, people need water to survive. Water helps to transport oxygen, minerals, nutrients and waste products to and from the cells.

Louisiana's coastal wetlands provide protection from storms for more than 400 million tons of water-borne commerce, the largest in the nation within the coastal channels each year (figure 7). Those wetlands contain ten major federal navigation channels that provide access to port facilities across the state.

Natural disasters like hurricanes or flooding can greatly erode a wetland area. While wetlands act as a buffer against these weather occurrences, they also pay the price with diminished vegetation and pollution from runoff. Pollution also degrades wetlands and water quality.

As the barrier islands disintegrate, the vast system of sheltered wetlands along Louisiana's delta plains are exposed to the full force and effects of open marine processes such as wave action, salinity intrusion, storm surge, tidal currents, and sediment transport that combine to accelerate wetlands deterioration.

Wetlands preserve water quality by removing nitrogen, phosphorus and pesticides from agricultural runoff. Chemicals and nutrients can enter a wetland through surface water and sediment, or through ground water. ... Nitrate-N is efficiently removed from wetland surface waters by aquatic plants.

Wetlands provide habitat for thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. Wetlands are valuable for flood protection, water quality improvement, shoreline erosion control, natural products, recreation, and aesthetics.