WetlandProtection[公开课].doc

Wetland Protection Wetlands are special areas where water and land come together; where plants can have wet feet while still enjoying a breeze. Wetlands are a gathering place for both upland and aquatic wildlife, providing the most productive habitat possible. Benefits include: Healthy Wildlife --- Wetlands are essential habitat for many types of ducks, geese, swans, herons, shorebirds, frogs, turtles, snakes, mink, otter, beaver, muskrat and other animals. Wetlands also provide spawning and feeding areas for fish, and homes for rare plants and insects. Wetlands are the base of several major food webs. In the Great Lakes region, a large percentage of endangered species depend on wetland habitats for their survival. Wetlands include wet meadows and open marshes, as well as forested swamplands. Great Blue Heron Healthy Tourism --- In Wisconsin, the tourism industry is worth $13 billion a year. Many people recreate in Wisconsin primarily because of its natural beauty, waterfront scenery, clean water, abundant wildlife, and many opportunities for waterfowl hunting and fishing. Wetlands contribute significantly to these benefits. Commercial Fishing --- Wetlands are necessary to sustain the Great Lakes commercial fishing industry, as many valuable fish species depend on wetlands as spawning and feeding areas. Many of the food plants, insects, and small fish that they feed on also depend on wetlands. If not for the PCB contamination, the Green Bay fishery has been estimated to be worth $50 million per year. More than a century ago, the Bay of Green Bay was considered one of the top three commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes (along with the west end of Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay) because it was so productive. Hundreds of commercial fishing companies and fish processing houses operated on the Bay shores. Much of that productivity was due to the extensive marshlands of southern Green Bay. Scientists consider the Bay to be the largest freshwat