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Wetlands

Common Stressors to Wetland Habitats

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

  • Effects: Increased concentrations of nitrogen or phosphorus increase biological oxygen demand (reducing available dissolved oxygen) and increases in toxic gases (e.g., hydrogen sulfide, ammonia)
  • Sources: fertilizers, livestock waste disposal systems, wastewater treatment systems, fossil fuel combustion, unmanaged urban runoff

Contamination Toxicity

  • Effects: Increased concentrations of metals and synthetic organic substances
  • Sources: agricultural pesticides, mine waste, urban runoff, landfills, hazardous waste sites, fossil fuel combustion, wastewater treatment systems

Acidification

  • Effects: Increased acidity (decreasing pH)
  • Sources: mining, fossil fuel combustion, deposition of acid rain

Salinization

  • Effects: Increased concentrations of dissolved salts
  • Sources: de-icing salts, irrigation return water, stormwater, seawater intrusion and salt spray

Sedimentation

  • Effects: Increased sedimentation causing the burial of organisms and alteration of streambed substrate
  • Sources: agriculture, altered stream flows, urban runoff, dredged fill material, erosion from forestry, roads, mining, and construction sites

Turbidity

  • Effects:Reduced water clarity resulting from suspended sediments
  • Sources: agriculture, altered stream flows, urban runoff

Vegetation Removal

  • Effects:Reduced shading and cooling of water caused by removal of riparian vegetation
  • Sources: agriculture and forestry , channelization, bank stabilization, urban development, grazing, disease, fire

Thermal Alteration

  • Effects:Elevated temperatures of water or sediment
  • Sources: channelization of nearby streams, subsurface drainage, ground or surface water withdrawals for agricultural, industrial, or residential use, global climate change

Dehydration

  • Effects:Reduced water levels and/or increased frequency, duration, or extent of desiccation of wetland sediments
  • Sources: channelization of nearby streams, subsurface drainage, ground or surface water withdrawals for agricultural, industrial, or residential use, global climate change

Inundation

  • Effects:Increased wetland water levels and/or increased frequency, duration, or extent of saturation of wetland sediments
  • Sources: impoundments for agriculture, aquaculture, or waterfowl management, changes in land use that increase runoff to streams and wetlands

Other Stressors

  • Increased distance between, and reduced patch sizes of suitable habitat (fragmentation and connectivity), predation from pets, disturbance by visitors (e.g. trampling of vegetation), invasion by non-native species and the effects from climate change

Source

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.

Compiled by Treg Christopher, Institute for Natural Resources (2012)

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