Ecosystems Affected By Land Loss

Wetland loss affects not only the people of Louisiana and other states, but also the organisms living in its ecosystems. Ecosystems are communities of both living and non-living organisms that are interdependent of one another in an environment. The ecosystem has many uses for both animal and human usages, and the loss of such a valuable environment can be critical.

The wetlands are an open ecosystem, as in that it takes input from its surroundings as defined by Cunningham in Environmental Science A Global Concern. In Louisiana alone, migrating birds, such as the snow goose, the osprey, and herons utilize the environment. Fish and shellfish also use the wetlands as a place for nursing eggs. Other species that are a part of the wetland ecosystem include a plentiful number of endangered species. These species include the American bald eagle and according to the National Wildlife Federation, the Louisiana Black Bear and the green sea turtle are also endangered.

Animals are not the only part of the wetlands, plant life also comes in large quantities. Cattails, swamp roses, cypress trees, and some that are exclusive to Louisiana such as ruppia and cottonwood. These plants become important in protecting the people of Louisiana from severe weather situations. Wetlands absorb both water and the energy created by winds and waves. This prevents flooding by storing water and then releasing it slowly as well. These make wetlands highly resistant as an ecosystem is concerned.

Environmentalists want and need the coastal wetlands protected for many reasons. Louisiana currently loses approximately 24 square miles a year. The National Wildlife Foundation states that this is approximately the rate of a football field every 30 minutes, and Louisiana has lost already a land mass the size of Delaware. The wetlands provide a large part of Louisiana’s economy, from fishing to oil pipelines, losing these lands would provide disastrous for the people from the area that have already struggled post-Hurricane Katrina.