Where the Wetlands Are

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By Rebecca Owen, Eos/AGU. 

Excerpt: In classic literature, wetlands—ecosystems characterized by permanently or periodically water-saturated land—have too often been depicted as dangerous, gloomy, desolate places. “Look at Tolkien...Dickens or Austen,” said Christian Dunn, an environmental scientist at Bangor University in Wales. “The wetlands are where the ne’er-do-wells and villains hang out.” In reality, though, wetlands are ...vibrant ecosystems, especially important in a changing climate. Wetlands are biodiversity hot spots and provide carbon sequestration. They also manage water—storing it quickly during heavy rain events and releasing it slowly during dry spells. “Wetlands are the superheroes of natural ecosystems when it comes to the power they have to help us combat the two biggest crises that we’re facing: climate breakdown and biodiversity loss,” said Dunn. In the past 100 years, Europe has lost 80% of its wetlands, a diverse array of inland and coastal ecosystems that include peatlands, riparian zones, marshes, bogs, swamps, and floodplains. ...knowing the locations of wetlands across the continent is important for preserving and protecting what exists today. A new tool to help identify areas for conservation and restoration is the recently released European Wetland Map, which merges different types of geographic information system (GIS) data to create a comprehensive guide that can be used by researchers, developers, landowners, and residents to help protect Europe’s wetlands for the next 100 or more years.... 

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