OutdoorNebraska

8 GUIDE TO NEBRASKA'S WETLANDS Benefi ts: Why Wetlands are Important T here are good reasons why we should care that Nebraska has lost some of its wetland resources and to understand why some agencies are now trying to protect wetlands when not long ago they were paying to drain them. Two main factors have contributed to this change in approach and attitude. The fi rst is that our knowledge of how wetlands function has increased dramatically in the past few decades. Wetlands now are known to serve numerous functions, many of which have benefi ts to society. These benefi ts have long been recognized by the Native Americans who relied on wetlands for many of their needs. Secondly, as wetland losses increased, the benefi ts they provided were reduced or eliminated. The loss of a small percentage of a region's wetlands probably had little effect, but as losses increased, a threshold was crossed, and negative affects began to occur. Examples include declining wildlife diversity and abundance, increased fl ooding in some watersheds, and deteriorating water quality in many regions. These are just some of the reasons why wetland conservation in Nebraska now is recognized as a need. The terms "functions" and "values" have often been used when talking about the importance of wetlands. Functions are the things a wetland does, and the worth of those functions to an individual or society is its value. Based on these defi nitions, functions can be measured and documented, while values may vary from person to person. For example, we can measure the function a wetland serves by holding water and reducing downstream fl ooding. This may have no value to a person living outside of the watershed where the downstream fl ooding is being reduced, but a great deal of value to a downstream landowner or society that pays indirectly for the costs of fl ooding. Ascribing and quantifying values is extremely complex (Hubbard 1989, Leitch and Hovde 1996, Smith et al. 2011) and is beyond the scope of this guide. It is important to note not all wetlands provide the benefi ts listed below. Nor will a given wetland necessarily provide these benefi ts equally within a year or over a series of years. Some of the recognized benefi ts of wetlands include: Improving Water Quality — When many people consider wetlands, the last thing they think about is clean water. Wetlands can produce gas with a rotten egg odor and contain numerous fl oating plants, algae, bacteria, bugs, and other animals that hardly make you want to drink the water. However, due to these plants and animals, as well as the chemical processes that produce the smelly gas, wetlands are a great Number of species that use Nebraska wetlands 1 Plants Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals 990 13 18 176 29 Number of species occurring in Nebraska Plants Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals 2,000 13 47 352 80 Percent of all Nebraska species that use wetlands Plants Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals 50% 100% 38% 50% 36% 1 Estimate based on use of wetlands as important habitat at some point in the species life cycle. By the Numbers We all need a good supply of clean water. One of the many benefi ts of wetlands is they help to recharge our groundwater and fi lter out pollutants. GETTY IMAGES Number of species that use Nebraska wetlands 1 Plants Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals 990 13 18 176 29 Percent of all Nebraska species that use wetlands Plants Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals 50% 100% 38% 50% 36%

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