We hear people saying that wetlands are valuable and need protection, but what makes them valuable? It is hard to say how many dollars a wetland area is worth, but that doesn't mean wetlands don't have any value. Since it is people who make the decision to protect or destroy a wetland, we must learn to see how people benefit from a healthy, functioning wetland. Then we can judge whether the benefit of preserving is more or less than the benefits we get by destroying the wetland.
(remember - red text is where you need to think and/or write before going further)
Start by making your own list of the benefits of wetlands. Think about both the products from a wetland and the services provided by a wetland. Think about the whole environment: air, water, plants, animals, and global warming. Think about what people might do when they visit a wetland.
After you have written out a list of wetland benefits, read some of these web pages. There is duplication; read the web pages that make sense to you. How did you do? Was your list pretty complete? Did you list benefits that are not on these web sites?
This site was written by 6th graders (not at Fort Hunt): click here.
This site is by conservation people in Canada: click here.
This site is by conservation people in Minnesota: click here.
This site is from Purdue University: click here.
These two sites talk about the benefits of wetlands AND have lots of other interesting reading about wetlands and the environment on them:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Wetland themes
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last update: December 17, 2007