Why Is Wetland Habitat Threatened?
Wetland habitat degradation can result from either increased or decreased flow of water into or out of an area; decreased water quality, resulting from excess nutrients and toxic chemicals originating from faulty septic tanks; overflowing sewers; or runoff from agricultural lands or urban areas. Wetland habitat destruction results from the transformation from natural areas to agricultural fields, urban development, or plant monocultures. Another danger facing wetland-dependent species is the fragmenting of wetlands into smaller and smaller unconnected areas. When this happens, species requiring large areas of land to survive will begin to disappear. This has been observed with the black bear in Louisiana and the Florida panther in Florida. Other animals, which might not need large ranges, may still face the problem of inbreeding or isolation from suitable reproductive partners simply because they can no longer move from one nearby wetland site to another. Wetlands have been particularl
