The Challenges of Protection of Wetlands

Protecting a wetland’s existing functions proves to be incredibly complex as it involves minimizing the human-induced changes affecting the natural forces that shape and sustain a wetland, such as its hydrology, climate, biogeochemical fluxes, and species movement [Zentner, J. 1994]. In urban environments pressures created by human activities include fragmenting wetlands with roads,  on-road vehicles, impacts from adjacent property, soil compaction, intense farming, waste loading from domesticated animals, pest control treatments, landscaping, and solid waste dumping, are some of the activities affecting the functioning of wetlands. These can be broadly summarized as  [Zentner, J. 1994].

• Hydrologic alterations: includes direct surface drainage by ditch-digging, de- watering by consumptive use of surface water inflows, through draw down of unconfined aquifer from either groundwater withdrawal or stream channelisation.
• Increased sediment, nutrient, organic matter metals, pathogen and other water pollutant loadings from storm water runoff and wastewater discharges.
• Changes to the physical characteristics of inflows, affecting the chemical parameters such as dissolved oxygen, clarity, and pH resulting from a variety of activities.
• Atmospheric deposition of pollutants.
• Introduction of exotic plant and animal species.
• Loss of sensitive wetland plant and animal species due to changes in adjacent land uses.
• Loss of surrounding habitat for wetland-dependent species that also requires upland habitat.
• "Edge effect” changes in plant and animal species due to changes in light, temperature, and moisture regimes, and from noise, pesticide drift.