Drought In The Mississippi River Delta Wetlands

Baldwin swamp is an urban wetland, located in the heart of Bundaberg, providing a habitat to a range of organisms. The environment is rich in biodiversity; with more than 150 species of birds, variety of vegetation/plants as wells as creatures and mammals ranging from tiny aquatic wrigglers to bats, which have recently inhabited the area. Wetlands can be swamps, boys and or areas next to creeks. The Baldwin swamp can be best described as a network of ponds/swamps that channels into landscapes of grassland. This area has a significant ecological impact as the relationships among the organisms in relation to their food webs is vital to their survival. Abiotic factors such as humidity, soil, pollution, Ph levels, temperature, dissolved oxygen

Giving full credit to restricting the Mississippi River as the culprit for loss of wetlands is not accurate. The booming oil and gas exploration of the 1970’s and 1980’s merits a name on the marquee as well. The pipelines and canals used to transport the resources to the outside world placed a great deal of stress on the fragile wetlands. Erosion from the barges in and out of the marshes as well as the salt water allowed into the fresh water, providing a precarious habitat for fresh water species – flora and fauna alike. Plants provide root systems to hold soil in place. Fish and fowl provide an economy for the area. Enter

Wetlands provide fish and wildlife habitat. It supplies food water, along with areas that can be used for nesting or resting. Wetlands also act as a aquifer recharge and discharge area. They are able to recharge groundwater or excess groundwater is able to discharge into the wetland. Wetlands act as flood storage when rainfall and snowmelt leave an excess of water around and no place to go.

The characteristic warming climate of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene resulted in rising sea levels which contributed to the formation of the various deltas in the New Orleans area (Dunbar, Britsch, 2008). The natural formation of these deltas produced coastal wetlands that represent 30% of coastal wetlands currently in the United States (Cigler, 2007). In addition to these wetlands, the Mississippi River was surrounded by substantial forest growth (Pabis, 1998).

By the end of this report you should have a better perception on the geological landscape of Silver Creek Wetland Complex, and further in-depth knowledge on what stewardship responsibilities fall on you and your relationship with the land you use.

Louisiana should be concerned about the wetlands because of the wildlife and fisheries. Without it, Louisiana would not be able to supply seafood and wildlife. Another concern, is the land going under and people could lose their homes. According to Allured and Martin, “the destruction of the wetlands came from the coastal and offshore oil and gas development” (p.332). Also, there is some thought that humans play a role in the destruction. According to Allured and Martin, “swamps symbolize as dark and chaotic places of the earth” and “marsh as a type of wet area that harbored disease” (p. 333). The importance of ascertaining the cause of the vanishing wetlands is to help restore the wetlands and protect from a hurricane

Many wetlands are beginning to die out. Look at the everglades for example they’ve been here for 5000 years! Back then they were pretty and all new, but now it is starting to look like the famous scene from the Indiana Jones movie "Raiders of the Ark" says the article "Are the Everglades Forever? My first reason is that Its majestic waters will turn into swampy waters filled with snakes and who knows what. Also if wetlands die out there will be habitat loss until they cannot find home and eventually dies out plus people are releasing animals out into the wild which is not a good thing because then animals start to compete for food The final reason we should care about wetland is that they provide thing for us to such as the everglades provides

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is the primary agency that works to conserve, protect, and enhance the nation's fish and wildlife by providing sustainable healthy environments for future generations. It is through these three basic principles of ‘conserve, protect and enhance’ the USFWS is able to bring programs that both directly affect the health and well-being of migratory birds, fish and endangered species. In most cases it is through habitat protection that enables the USFWS to carry out these three principles. The Small Wetlands Program (SWP) is one such program that the USFWS utilizes to maintain the health of migratory birds in the United States.

Wetlands improve water quality by helping with nearby flood control. The bottomland hardwoods areas contain large amount of nutrient rich soil which is capable of soaking up excess water from floods or runoff. These types of wetlands also contain marshes or swamps where the water is gathered to create a new environment for other

Louisiana is gradually declining in size due to the loss of coastal marshes and wetlands. After several years, Louisiana has a big probability of having no land whatsoever. The problem is slowly getting larger, and if something isn’t performed, soon enough Louisiana will be a place that only contains water. Regarding coastal erosions, it alters places economically, environmentally, and socially. Natural events happen that leads to the destruction of Louisiana’s wetlands; however, human activities causes it too.

The loss of Louisiana coastal land is one of the most major factors in our environment today. Louisiana has already loss 1,880 square miles of land in the past eight decades. This problem is effecting the state funding to help solve the problem before the state lose more coastal land. Human disturbance has had a massive impact on the balance of wetland growth and decline. (Wilson, 2013). In order to stop this situation the state needs to have a stronger structural protection for the coast line. (Wilson, 2013).

In his presentation, Cal Dueck of the Parker Wetlands conservation committee, argued that the wetlands should not be destroyed, because the ecosystem contributes to the overall health of the city and its inhabitants. His first point, to support his view, is the fact that the land serves as a natural water management system. The wetlands help regulate floods by absorbing excess water. If the land is developed, and covered in concrete, flooding may become a bigger problem in the city, and thus decrease the overall health of the city. In addition to flood control, the wetlands also help purify the ground water. The vegetation in the wetlands, per Ducks Unlimited Canada, “traps sediment and pollutants, and wetlands microorganisms break down the contaminants.” This means, that the people of Winnipeg, would have their rights to better ground water taken from them, if the land gets developed. Cal therefore argues, that when wetlands are destroyed, the well being of the cities inhabitants is also destroyed. This argument is in line with the arguments of William Blackstone, as presented by Joseph Desjardins in his book “Environmental Ethics: An introduction to environmental philosophy”. Blackstone argues that there is a need to recognize a new human right, which is the “right to a livable environment” . Furthermore, Blackstone also argues the right to a livable

Wetlands are a critical part of our natural environment. Since the Northern Harriers live by wetlands, wetlands are special because “They protect our shores from wave action, reduce the impacts of floods, absorb pollutants and improve water quality”-enviorment.gov. They provide habitat for animals and plants and many contain a wide diversity of life, supporting plants and animals that are found nowhere else. In this region you can find animals such as turtles, opossums, muskrats, beavers, raccoons, foxes, prairie dogs, lizards, small birds, foxes, and insects. In marshlands they can be found by lakes, streams, and swamps.

These wetlands support a wide variety of life; it has the ability to control flood waters and protect them from those dangers. The loss of wetlands would put humans at risk, because wetlands serve as a natural buffer-zone against storms and hurricanes, slowing down storms and reducing their force before they move inward. They act as a filter by cleaning and restoring the quality of the water that is used daily in Florida. “One out of every three Floridians (7 million people) rely on the Everglades for their water supply” (The Everglades: Quick facts). Florida’s Everglades also provide a source of livelihood, as there are specific centers for hunting, fishing, and recreation.

An ecosystem is the inclusion of all living and nonliving things, in a given area, interacting with one another. Each organism in the ecosystem has a specific role to play. Anytime, an external factor is introduced to an ecosystem there is a chance of a disaster or possible threat of a disaster. Unfortunately ecosystems have been destroyed or disrupted by volcano eruptions, floods, storms, and fires. Sadly, activity of humans has contributed negative affects to the disturbance of countless ecosystems. Nevertheless, Louisiana is known for their abundance of wetlands, and swamps, Louisiana’s fragile wetlands cover 10,000 square miles. Marshes, swamps, and bayous extend 30 miles inland from the mouth of the Mississippi river, and represent 10