Wetlands are threatened by society's growth and development in a number of ways. The most obvious is the outright conversion of wetlands to other land uses, such as commercial or residential use. However, climate change, and increasing population and economic activity create a number of stressors that undermine the abilities of wetlands to properly function and provide ecosystems services.
Below is a list and explanation of some of these human-induced stressors
Enrichment, Eutrophication, Organic Loading, Reduced Dissolved Oxygen
Contamination Toxicity
Acidification
Salinization
Sedimentation
Turbidity
Vegetation Removal
Thermal Alteration
Dehydration
Inundation
Other Stressors
Adamus, P., T.J. Danielson and A. Gonyaw. 2001. Indicators for monitoring biological integrity of inland, freshwater wetlands; a survey of North American technical literature (1990-2000). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wetlands Division, EPA843-R-01-Fall 2001. Washington, DC.