About Wetland Reclamation
Wetlands, areas drenched in water at least part of the year, are essential to the well being of the environment. They possess many abilities that even humans mimic in our daily lives. These abilities benefit the environment as well as humans. Wetlands can absorb the shock of currents and waves, reduce flooding, and naturally clean the water that flow through. However, wetlands are rapidly shrinking due to human activity. Business constantly build upon wetlands, draining them and damaging the land. Sometimes the damage is irreparable or extremely costly. To address this problem, plans should be made to reclaim the land before construction or drainage proceeds. This way the land will be able to recover and restore itself. Certain plants will also clean and absorb harmful substances that damage the wetlands. There are many things humans can do to reduce and sometimes reverse the damage caused.
Wetlands have the ability to reduce floods, and clean the water that flows within them. Floods are avoided due to the wetlands’ innate ability to absorb the extra runoff and precipitation. Vegetation that propagate in the wetland area also have the ability to slow the flood movement. Many water treatment facilities base their process upon wetlands, or “Earth’s Kidneys.” As the water flows through the wetlands, sediment and pollutants are removed. When the water flow decreases enough, the sediment sinks to the bottom. Pollutants, as well as additional minerals, are extricated by plants that proliferate in the wetlands. Shoreline stabilization, addition to groundwater stores, and streamflow maintenance are also benefits. Wetlands anchor shoreline soils, protecting the shores from erosion. Groundwater is often added to by water seeping through from the surface. Wetlands provide an essential areas for groundwater exchange. Humans utilize the groundwater as drinking water, irrigation, and a multitude of other uses. Wetlands release water directly to rivers, lakes, and streams when they are located close enough together. This stimulates the flow of the water. As much as wetlands help, humans are still draining and building real estate which dramatically reduces the amount and effectiveness of wetlands. According to the EPA, between 2004 and 2009 about 62,300 acres of wetlands were lost in the conterminous United States.
One of the multitude of reasons that wetlands are disappearing is because of human involvement. Humans often drain wetlands for industrial and agricultural uses. In fact, the speed and amount of which wetlands are drained is too fast for the land to be able to replenish itself. Agriculturally, harvesting food, ditch construction, road construction, as well as the application of pesticides damage the wetlands almost irreparably. This kills the vegetation that reside in the areas affected by the salt. 65% of the total decrease of water supply globally is due to agricultural reasons. Waste from industrial sites, such as metals or toxic/acidic compounds seep into the wetlands, harming the animals, plants, and water quality of the wetlands. Pipeline, oil, and gas companies create thousands of kilometers of canals, which allows salt water to seep into the wetlands. The damage can be repaired by reclaiming the land that was lost. Often times, wetland reclamation should be planned ahead by the business or individual consuming the wetlands and their resources.
Wetland reclamation is rehabilitating damaged wetlands. This can be done by planting certain plants with various functions. The plants would provide a way for the land to become nutritious and beneficial again. Some plants are also able to absorb toxic or harmful pollutants in the water. Hyperaccumulators are are plants that absorb pollutants at high levels without becoming damaged or poisoned themselves. They intake the toxins as the water flows around them. These toxins can include heavy metals, petroleum products, and even radioactive contaminates. This process is called phytoremediation. Tissues within the plants degrade the toxins and the metals can be reclaimed through incineration or composting.
Many plants that live in the water can clean more than one type of toxin or pollutant. Water hyssop is native to the United States, particularly Florida. It absorbs chromium, copper, mercury, lead, and cadmium. There is controversy on whether the water lettuce is native to the United States or not, but it has been in Florida since at least 1765. Water lettuce has the potential to clean chromium, copper, mercury, as well as cadmium. Cadmium is a metal resembling tin used to make certain alloys. Chromium is a hard and brittle metal used in steel alloys and to help prevent corrosion. Mercury is a highly toxic metallic element, commonly used in thermometers and other weather instruments. Lead is a toxic soft metal. Copper is a malleable metal used as an electrical conductor. Many of these are toxic metals that found their way into wetlands and polluted the water. By planting the phytoremediation plants, the pollutants can be extracted from the water safely, while reclaiming the land.
Wetlands are an important part of the ecosystem. They provide many services that benefit the lives of humans, preventing floods and cleaning the water naturally. Wetlands are so important that several of human made treatment facilities mimic Even so, countless agricultural and industrial projects slowly degrade and destroy the environment, especially the wetlands. There is a solution to the problem. Wetland reclamation through the use of hyperaccumulators that are able to perform phytoremediation. This allows the wetlands to spread again, and simultaneously clean the polluted water. Several plants have the ability to absorb countless toxins safely without poisoning the plant itself. Using hyperaccumulators to reclaim wetlands is an efficient method. Hopefully enough business corporations are able to plan for the restoration of the land they want to build upon. This way we can give back to our environment, the way it gives to us.