Wetlands

Danielle Eagle

Forested Wetlands

Photo Credit: Climate Adaptation Explorer

Grassy Wetlands

Photo Credit: Deposit Photos

Coastal Wetlands

Photo Credit: Yale Environmental Review

What is a Wetland and Why is it Important?

Wetlands are areas that have water-loving, or hydrophytic, plants, an abundance of water, and hydric soils that allow water to move through them (Flynn, 1996). These areas temporarily flood or are always flooded with water (EPA). There are two main types of forested wetlands which include forested wetlands and grassy wetlands.

Wetlands are often overlooked as important ecosystems but they are actually as productive as coral reefs and rainforests (EPA). Wetlands provide habitats for a range of species including fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, plants, and mammals (EPA). Wetlands also support microbiomes that clean the water and are necessary in the water cycles and the cycling of nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur (EPA). Lastly, wetlands are an integral part of the watershed cycle and allow for freshwater to enter aquifers in order for water recharge and storing (EPA).

History of Wetland Habitat Destruction

Destruction to the wetlands in the United States has occurred for many years and continues to this day. The United States originally had over 390 million acres of wetland area, however, changes to wetland coverage began in the 1780's (U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, 1990). By the 1980's, it was discovered that only 12% of the United States original wetlands remained, 7% of that was in Hawaii and Alaska (U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, 1990).

Along with the destruction of these wetlands, the endangerment of many species began. Wetlands in the United States support over 150 bird species and 200 fish species in various stages of their life and mating cycles (Flynn, 1996). By 1991, approximately 256 species were considered endangered or threatened by the loss of wetland habitats in the United States (Flynn, 1996).

A map of all of the states that lost over 50% of their wetland acreage between the 1970's and the 1980's (Dahl, 1990).

A diagram of how much of the United States' wetland acreage was converted for different uses between 1982 and 1992 (USDA, 1992).

Why are Wetland Habitats Destroyed?

Destruction of wetlands occurs mainly for the development of buildings to support human populations. In fact, approximately 57% of wetland acreage in the United States was destroyed for development between 1982 and 1992 (USDA, 1992).

Why Is The Destruction of Wetlands Supported?

Wetlands can be very self-sustaining ecosystems that provide for several species. However, some wetlands require monitoring services and restoration projects in order to keep them functioning correctly, which can cost significant sums of money. Wetlands near urban areas can also need regular clean up of pollution, which is carried out by volunteers or those who manage or own the land that the wetland resides on. Thus some would argue that wetlands are a waste of time and money and should rather be used for development whether that be for housing, businesses, or parks. This development beings in revenue for humans and spaces for living comfortably.

Photo Credit: Fine Art America

However, even though these arguments are valid, they only consider the interests of humans. In fact, this argument is the practice of speciesism. Speciesism is when "the speciesist allows the interests of his own species to override the greater interests of members of other species" (Singer, 1974). When Singer mentions the word "interests" he is referring to Bentham's idea that sentient species are capable of suffering and living happily, thus granting them the ability to have interests in not being harmed (Singer, 1974). Therefore, humans destroying wetland habitats for the sake of their own species' development disregards the interests of those species that live in the wetlands and directly or indirectly harms them.

As Peter Singer explained in "All Animals Are Equal," we must give all living things equal consideration (Singer, 1974). The species that live in the wetlands have interests in having a habitat that supports their needs and allows them to live comfortably as well, just as human beings do. Human beings and other species are equal and should be treated the same way, meaning that the habitat of those species should be protected in the same way that humans protect their homes.

Lastly, wetlands support species that encourage tourism in the forms of photography, bird-watching, and hiking which overall brought in an estimated 59.5 billion dollars for the economy (USDA). Therefore, in the view of a speciesist, without wetlands, we would lose a major source of revenue from tourism which supports local communities as well as future restoration projects. If wetlands are protected and used for tourism and revenue, their restoration projects will pay for themselves, therefore eliminating the idea that wetlands are costly and showing that they are instead, a good investment.

Do Wetlands Have Moral Standing?

Wetlands are composed of many species that work together to support each other. This means that all species contribute something to the habitat, whether it be large mammals or microbes. Due to the nature of wetlands being made up of sentient and non-sentient beings, some would argue that wetlands do not have moral standing and rather only the sentient beings do. However, the habitat as a whole works as one large organism to carry out natural processes such as nutrient cycling to support all of the species that inhabit it. Therefore, wetland habitats would not hold sentient beings without the non-sentient ones. This being said, is it morally sound to remove the grasses and shrubs within a wetland and rob a species of its food source because it is not sentient?

It is not morally sound to do this because unlike the urban areas where human beings live, there is a very connected food web within wetlands and if one species is removed it could throw off the balance of the habitat, making it unfit for certain species and putting them at risk of death or migration to new areas. Wetland species also, as Alasdair Cochrane says in the book "Animal Rights Without Liberation: Applied Ethics and Human Obligations," are individuals whose value cannot be reduced to their usefulness to others" (Cochrane, 1978). For this reason, the species cannot be thought of as mere objects in the eyes of humans and rather are living beings that have interests in surviving.

Wetland habitats also support species that not only provide services that are key for human survival, such as water and oxygen cycling, but they also have value themselves (EPA). The species that live in wetland ecosystems are alive and have interests in staying alive and comfortable in their habitats. Why is the increase in human comfortability prioritized over those that live in wetland habitats?

We can reflect on the ideals of Henry Sidgwick who claimed that "the good of any one individual is of no more importance, from the view of the universe, than the good of any other (Sidgwick, 1874). So, although human beings put value on certain things, sentient organism or not, they all have their own intrinsic value and should be treated as such. Intrinsic value means that an organism has value within itself or for its own sake, not for the sake or connection to others (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2019). Those species deserve to live comfortably without worry just as humans do because as Sidgwick claimed, we are all the same in the eyes of the universe (Sidgwick, 1874).

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Should We Preserve Wetlands?

As mentioned above, some would believe that preserving the wetland habitats would be costly or a waste, however, it would be beneficial to the lives of the species that live in wetlands. In the book "The Ethics of Environmental Concern" by Robin Attfield, it is said that if "animals' interests are taken into account, there is an extra ground for preserving their habitats." Therefore, this means that it would be in the wetland species' best interest if their habitats were preserved and therefore humans should preserve them. Human beings also contribute the most to the destruction of wetland habitat, so they should be responsible in restoring the habitats. Without human intervention in restoring wetland habitats, the species there will suffer against their will. As Cochrane quotes, "nature takes away life when it has become unfit in habitat, or when the habitat alters, and supplies other life in its place" (Cochrane, 1978). If we refuse to protect wetlands we will be disregarding the interests of wetlands as a whole.

Wetland Protection: Issues, Impacts, and Solutions

Sources:

“What Is a Wetland?” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 12 June 2018, www.epa.gov/wetlands/what-wetland.

Dahl, Thomas E. “Wetlands Loss Since the Revolution.” U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, 1990. Https://Www.fws.gov/Wetlands/Documents%5CWetlands-Loss-Since-the-Revolution.pdf.

“Wetland Water Quality Standards.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 12 June 2018, www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetland-water-quality-standards.

“Wetlands Values and Trends.” USDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service, 2021, www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/technical/nra/rca/?cid=stelprdb1042133#losses.

“World Wetlands Day 2018: Focus on Urban Wetlands.” IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2 Feb. 2018, www.iucn.org/news/water/201802/world-wetlands-day-2018-focus-urban-wetlands.

Flynn, Kathryn. “Understanding Wetlands and Endangered Species: Definitions and Relationships.” NRC, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, May 1996, chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0427/ML042790486.pdf.

“Functions and Values of Wetlands.” EPA, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Sept. 2001, chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/functionsvaluesofwetlands.pdf .

Cochrane, Alasdair. “Animal Rights Without Liberation.” Google Books, Columbia University Press, 2012, books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kqpLZVjMLngC&oi=fnd&pg=PP8&dq=ethical%2Bdebates%2Banimal%2Brights&ots=Oq_JQR3PeQ&sig=Ynh5PtmR1mjuPaGyPQVhDw8IGmE#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Sidgwick, Henry. “The Methods of Ethics.” Sidgwick and the Many-Sidedness of Ethics, HenrySidgwick.com, 2021, www.henrysidgwick.com/8th-paper.1st.congress.cat.eng.html#:~:text=Here%20is%20the%20famous%20passage,the%20good%20of%20any%20other%20%E2%80%A6&text=his%20own...-,(Henry%20Sidgwick%2C%20The%20Methods%20of%20Ethics%2C%20p.,382).

Attfield, Robin. “The Ethics of Environmental Concern.” Google Books, University of Georgia Press, Mar. 2011, books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=02hbIjACYnoC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&ots=vLZGQav0ip&sig=fX-TjSARVbvhQ9JAhG8APZol990#v=onepage&q=habitat&f=false.

Singer, Peter. “All Animals Are Equal.” Philosophical Exchange, Digital Commons, 1974, digitalcommons.brockport.edu/phil_ex/vol5/iss1/6.

Zimmerman, Michael J., and Ben Bradley. “Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Value.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 9 Jan. 2019, plato.stanford.edu/entries/value-intrinsic-extrinsic/.

Photo and Video Sources:

https://environment-review.yale.edu/making-way-coastal-wetlands-look-sea-level-rise-and-urban-development (coastal wetlands photo).

https://climateadaptationexplorer.org/habitats/freshwater/2200 (forested wetland photo).

https://depositphotos.com/412102604/stock-photo-sunset-bay-wetlands-relaxing-background.html (Grassy wetlands photo).

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/wetland-buddies-great-blue-heron-white-tailed-deer-spencer-bush.html (Blue heron photo).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Palm_Lake_at_Hassayampa_River_Preserve.jpg (Wetland Photo).

https://virginiatraveltips.com/first-landing-state-park/ (Wetland cover photo).

NowThis Earth. Why We Must Protect Wetlands. YouTube, YouTube, 2 Feb. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZtAy3m2WE&ab_channel=NowThisEarth. (Wetlands Video).

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