Ch. 3— Wetland Values and the Importance of Wetlands to Man • 61 



Maintain Global Atmospheric Stability 



There is increasing concern now that increases 

 in atmospheric nitrous oxide from man's activities 

 may adversely affect the stratosphere and may 

 influence the radiative budget of the troposphere. 

 Studies on tidal salt marshes have shown that 

 microbial decomposition in wetland soils under 

 anaerobic conditions can convert nitrous oxide to 

 other chemical forms. The importance of this proc- 

 ess on a global scale remains unclear (36). 



Terrestrial detritus may form one of the largest 

 but least accurately known pools of carbon in the 

 biosphere. It generally is agreed that the world pool 

 of detrital carbon is several times larger than the 

 total carbon content of the atmosphere or of the 

 world biota. A significant fraction of detritus is 



found as peat or in the highly organic soils of wet- 

 lands (34). If left undisturbed, the carbon in these 

 organic soils remains as reduced organic carbon. 

 Since the mid-19th century, the conversion of wet- 

 lands has resulted in the oxidation of organic mat- 

 ter in the soil and the release of carbon dioxide to 

 the atmosphere (65). Many scientists feel that in- 

 creasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 

 will lead to global warming. 



Methane, a byproduct of microbial decomposi- 

 tion of organic material in wetlands, also is thought 

 to function as a sort of homeostatic regulator for 

 the ozone layer that protects modern aerobic life 

 from the deleterious effects of ultraviolet radia- 

 tion (65). 



CHAPTER 3 REFERENCES 



1. Anderson-Nichols & Co., Inc., "Neponset River 

 Basin Flood Plain and Wetland Encroachment 

 Study," Massachusetts Water Resources Commis- 

 sion, 1971, p. 61. 



2. Arnoldi, D. C, Herke, W. H., and Clairain, E. 

 J . , Jr. , " Estimates of Growth Rate and Length of 

 Stay in a Marsh Nursery of Juvenile Atlantic 

 Croaker, Micropogon udulatus (1.), 'Sandblasted' 

 With Fluorescent Pigments," GulfCaribb. Fish. 

 Inst: Proc, vol. 26, 1979, pp. 158-172. 



3. Association of Bay Area Governments, "The Use 

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 search Labotatory, Environmental Protection 

 Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1981. 



4. Athearn, W. D., Anderson, G. L., Byrne, R. J., 

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 Situation Report: Northampton County, Virgin- 

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 No. 9, 1974. 



5. Bay, R. R., "Runoff From Small Peatland Water- 

 sheds," Journa7 of Hydrology, vol. 9, 1969, pp. 

 90-102. 



6. Bellrose, F. C, "Ducks, Geese, and Swans of 

 North America," Wildlife Management Institute, 

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7. Benner, C. S., Knutson, P. L., Brochu, R. A., 

 and Hurme, A. K., "Vegetative Erosion Con- 

 trol in an Oligohaline Environment, Currituck 

 Sound, North Carolina," Third Annual Meeting 



of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Wrightsville 

 Beach, N.C., May 16-19, 1982. 



8. Bernot, C, "Water Bank: Keeping Wetlands 

 Wet," The Minnesota Volunteer, vol. 42, No. 

 246, September/October 1979, p. 4. 



9. Boelter, D. H., and Verry, E. S., "Peatland and 

 Water in the Northern Lake States," USDA For- 

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 North-Central Forest Experiment Station, St. 

 Paul, Minn., 1977. 



10. Boto, K. G., and Patrick, W. H., Jr., "Role of 

 Wetlands in the Removal of Suspended Sedi- 

 ments," Wedand Functions and Values: The State 

 of Our Understanding, P. E. Greeson, J. R. 

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11. Boyd, C. E., "Losses of Mineral Nutrients Dur- 

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12. Boyt, F. L., Bayley, S. E., and Zoltek, J., "Re- 

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 Wastewater by Wetland Vegetation," Journa/ of 

 the Water Pollution Control Federation, vol. 49, 

 1977, pp. 789-799. 



13. Brackhage, G., Office of Migratory Bird Manage- 

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14. Brinson, M. M., Lugo, A. E., and Brown, S., 

 "Primary Productivity, Decomposition and Con- 



