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Wetlands
Wetlands—commonly referred to as marshes, swamps, bogs, wet meadows, sloughs, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and floodplains—are areas where the land surface is saturated with enough water to provide important ecosystem functions. For example, wetlands provide natural flood control and waste-water treatment and offer essential habitat for fish, wildlife, and plants. Wetlands also provide important economic and social benefits. Unfortunately, the number and function of wetlands is decreasing globally due to population growth. Pressures on these natural resources include agricultural production, residential development, road construction, industry, and waste (Pennington and Cech 2009).
In the United States, wetland scientists, land managers, and the general public are becoming increasingly concerned about the loss of wetlands, which has captured the attention of policy makers. Legislative efforts have been made to ...
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