Wetlands are ecosystems that are permanently water pans or seasonally hold a considerable amount of water. Significantly, wetlands occur naturally in most areas of the world and are considered to harbor various organisms. These masses of water also have oxygen-free processes ( Palta et al., 2017 ). Most times these wetlands may occur as swamps or marshes where floodwater is absorbed and may hold up to 20 feet of water ( Megonigal et al., 2019 ). Arguably, apart from these central wetlands, there are subtypes which include flood plains and mangrove forests. Arguably, wetlands have been used in various ways in the creation of financial sustainability. Being places that are frequently flooded, the swamps may be uninhabitable as there are multiple risks that they may cause. For instance, wetland absorbs floodwater from floods which are then held in these areas making it difficult to live in such places ( Palta et al., 2017 ). However, despite this, wetlands are being used for the filtration of water. In the real sense, these mashes clean more water than the treatment plant may be able to filter. These swamps store water which is allowed to settle. The settling of this water which is runoff water allows the particles to settle at the bottom. Additionally, the wetlands have vegetation that filters the unwater dirt that may be in such water. The Congaree bottomland hardwood swamp is one such wetland. Arguably, this swamp filters the water that is used in South Carolina ( Land et al., 2016 ). Without this swamp, there would need to construct a treatment plant that would cost $ 5 million. This kind of expense is cut down by this naturally occurring swamp. Additionally, swamps and flood plains mostly provide suitable environments for the development of various types of aquatic life. Fishes are found in such bodies, therefore, creating natural grounds for the existence of water creatures as well as breeding. Consequently, wetlands provide sources of income for those living in such areas. The farmers around such regions may use the swamps as breeding areas for their ponds. Additionally, the wetlands support a total of 75% of fish in the United States of America, which are used for commercial purposes ( Boix, 2018 ). Also, recreational fishing is an economic booster as people pay to participate in these activities. The areas account for a total of 90% caught with is used for recreational purposes. For instance; recreational fishing activities have been ensuring the generation of $ 116 billion every year ( Palta et al., 2017 ), which shows how important to the economy these bodies are. Significantly, the floodplains and swamps drain away water that collects during storms and flooding. This fact shows that without such wetlands, the floods would cause more harm by the creation of more wastelands. This process of flood absorption is essential as it forms a solution to the problem of destruction of property which mostly occurs due to the occurrence of floods. Additionally, this process is beneficial to agricultural activities. The reason is that by draining water, the wetlands prevent the destruction of crops and the death of animals due to the presence of too much water. The process is faster than evaporation and allows the storage of water that could otherwise be wasted ( Land et al., 2016 ). Importantly, most of the swamps and sinks are used for agricultural activities. These activities include the irrigation of crops and the watering of animals. Therefore, in this sense, the areas become responsible for the economic development of areas around them through agriculture which is in the long run economically beneficial to the economic growth of the country. Apart from the existence of aquatic creatures, these wetlands create an ecosystem that includes other animals such as birds and insects. The presence of birds and insects such as butterflies establishes a source of income and revenue through recreational activities ( Calhoun et al., 2017 ). The hunting of birds is becoming a popular activity in recent years. Such places support these activities and in the process, enhance economic growth. With the continued use of wetlands for the filtering of water, the areas are continually becoming places for the collection and neutralizing of wastewater ( Land et al., 2016 ). This fact is the future of municipal water treatment. However, this action is a leading cause of environmental degradation as the marshes become saturated with toxic wastewater. To solve this problem water filtration in swamps and river basins must be restricted to water that is not polluted with toxins from industries. The release of effluents may kill water creatures ( Herbert et al., 2015 ). In this sense, the pools could provide suitable ground for the cleaning of wastewater from homes and stormwater which could be used by people around. This action may save funds that could be used in the construction of plants and instead be used for the conservation of the wetlands. Additionally, the conservation of these ecosystems could ensure the development of ecotourism. The maintenance will include the condoning of these ecosystems to protect them from invasion by human activities and avoid the reclamation of these lands, which could lead to the destruction of the life existing in such areas ( Calhoun et al., 2017 ). Tourism could help in boosting the economy as well as create healthy environments for the existence of organisms living in such areas that benefit from such basins as butterflies and bees.
Conclusion
The wetlands have various benefits, especially economically. Despite the areas around them being inhabitable, the basins act as places for holding water surges and preventing destruction, especially in plains. Therefore, the swamps and pans provide environments suitable for both recreational and economic activities.
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References
Boix, D. (2018). Invertebrates in freshwater wetlands . D. P. Batzer (Ed.). Springer.
Calhoun, A. J., Mushet, D. M., Bell, K. P., Boix, D., Fitzsimons, J. A., & Isselin-Nondedeu, F. (2017). Temporary wetlands: challenges and solutions to conserving a ‘disappearing’ecosystem. Biological conservation , 211 , 3-11.
Herbert, E. R., Boon, P., Burgin, A. J., Neubauer, S. C., Franklin, R. B., Ardón, M., ... & Gell, P. (2015). A global perspective on wetland salinization: ecological consequences of a growing threat to freshwater wetlands. Ecosphere , 6 (10), 1-43.
Land, M., Granéli, W., Grimvall, A., Hoffmann, C. C., Mitsch, W. J., Tonderski, K. S., & Verhoeven, J. T. (2016). How effective are created or restored freshwater wetlands for nitrogen and phosphorus removal? A systematic review. Environmental Evidence , 5 (1), 9.
Megonigal, J. P., & Neubauer, S. C. (2019). Biogeochemistry of tidal freshwater wetlands. In Coastal Wetlands (pp. 641-683). Elsevier.
Palta, M. M., Grimm, N. B., & Groffman, P. M. (2017). “Accidental” urban wetlands: ecosystem functions in unexpected places. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment , 15 (5), 248-256.
