ecosystem services of wetlands in an energy-limited future william j. mitsch, ph.d. distinguished...

Ecosystem Services of Wetlands in an Energy-Limited Future

William J. Mitsch, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor of Environment and Natural ResourcesDirector, Olentangy River Wetland Research Park

Editor-in-Chief, Ecological EngineeringThe Ohio State University

Outline

• The big global issues

• Ecological engineering

• Wetland ecosystem services and human history

• Optimizing ecosystem services of wetlands—6 case studies

• Conclusions

21002000190018000

2

4

6

8

10H

um

an

po

pul

atio

n (b

illio

ns)

Worldwide human population projection

Source: Mitsch and Jørgensen 2004

Source: Mitsch and Jørgensen 2004

100

80

60

40

20

01900 1920 1940

Atmospheric CO2

Available Nitrogen

1960 1980 2000

Per

cent

Cha

nge

Worldwide carbon and nitrogen

Worldwide oil discovery and production

Source: Day et al., 2009

Worldwide energy use projection

Source: Clugston, 2007

2025-20301800 1900 2000 2100 2200

Quad =1015 BTU or 1.055 × 1018 joules

Qu

ads

/ye

ar

710 Quads

Optimistic

Conservative


200

400

600

800

Ecosystems and Complexity

Natural ecosystems are complex entropy-fighting systems, and in that complexity comes an infinite amount of feedbacks and adaptations that contribute to resiliency.

Human society, as a “part of” nature and not “apart from” nature would do well to recognize and use the important functions of nature (rather than destroy them) to provide a resilient and sustainable society.

Conventional Engineering

Mitsch (1998)

ConventionalEngineer

FossilFuels

NaturalEnergies

Servicesto Society

NaturalEnergies

selfdesign

FossilFuels

Servicesto Society

EcologicalEngineer

Mitsch (1998)

Ecological Engineering

ECOSYSTEM

Ecological Engineering

the design of sustainable ecosystems that integrate human

society with its natural environment for the benefit of both

Source: Mitsch and Jørgensen, 2004.Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem Restoration, J. Wiley.

Biosphere 2 Biomanipulation Prairie Restoration

Soil Bioremediation Wetland Restoration

Solar Aquatics Mineland Restoration

Agroecological Engineering

Wastewater Wetlands

Wetland Creation

more lesshuman engineering

highlowreliance on self-design

sustainability potentiallow high

The Spectrum of Ecological Engineering

Wetlands and riparian ecosystems have major roles in restoring the viability of cities and rural areas

• Water quality improvement• Floodwater retention• Biodiversity islands and corridors• Carbon sequestration• Locations for human relaxation and nature observation/education

Wetlands provide valuable ecosystem services:

Babylonian Cultures in their Watery Environment

Human History and Wetlands

“Marsh Arabs,” southern Iraq


Camarguais, southern France


Cajuns, Louisiana (early 1900s)


Native Americans (Sokaogon Chippewa), Wisconsin


We have lost an estimated 50% of our original wetlands

in the world.

In Ohio, USA, we have lost 90% of our original

wetlands.


OPTIMIZING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF WETLANDS

Restoring an ancient culture

Mitsch and Gosselink. 2007Wetlands, 4th ed., J. Wiley

Restoring the Mesopotamian Marshlands


Photo by Azzam Alwash, reprinted with permission in Mitsch and Gosselink. 2007Wetlands, 4th ed., J. Wiley

Protecting coastlines and coastal cities

Indian Ocean Tsunami

• 230,000 people killed or missing in late December 2004 as a result of a massive tsunami around the Indian Ocean caused by earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia

• Destruction of mangrove swamps for shrimp farms and tourist meccas bears some of the responsibility.

• In the area hardest hit, 26% of mangrove wetlands, or 1.5 million ha, had been destroyed from 1980 to 2000

Mangrove Tidal Creek, Koh Phra Tong, Phang Nga, Thailand

Before the Indian Ocean Tsunami


Mangrove Tidal Creek, Koh Phra Tong, Phang Nga, Thailand

After the Boxing Day Tsunami (February 2005)


Coastal surges and mangrove forests

Pre-tsunami—Simulation models illustrated that a wide (100 m) belt of dense mangrove trees (referred to as a “greenbelt”) could reduce a tsunami pressure flow by more than 90% (Hiraishi and Harada, 2003).

Post tsunami—In an area of S.E. India there was significantly less damage where mangroves had been conserved (Danielsen et al., 2005; Science)


1839187019932020

Past and Projected Wetland Loss in the Mississippi Delta (1839 to 2020)

NEW ORLEANS

Coastal Louisiana

Hurricane Katrina,Aug 23-29, 2005

1: August 23, 20052: August 26, 20053: August 28, 20054: August 29, 2005

TROPICAL DEPRESSIONTROPICAL STORMCATEGORY 1CATEGORY 2CATEGORY 3CATEGORY 4CATEGORY 5

Coastal Louisiana

Hurricane Katrina storm surge near New Orleans, estimated to be 5.5 - 6 m high

Coastal Louisiana

Coastal Louisiana

March 5, 2001pre-diversion

March 21, 2001during diversion

Coastal Louisiana

River diversions may be one of the answers to wetland loss in Louisiana

Gulf of Mexico BP oil spill

of 20 April 2010

Coastal Louisiana

Restoring water quality in watersheds to prevent downstream impacts

Gulf of MexicoHypoxia

Major nitrate sources in MOM

Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri River Basin

General extent of hypoxia in Gulf of MexicoMississippi River Basin boundary

Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) Basin Restoration

The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia in 2008= 20,700 km2

(8,000 mi2)


Better Fertilizer Management

Created/Restored Wetlands Restored RiparianBottomlands

Mitsch et al. 2001


2 million hectares of these ecosystems are needed

Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park

Columbus

OHIO

Goal is to create 28,000 ha of riparian systems and wetlands in one watershed in Ohio


Restoring the Florida Everglades

Restoring the Florida Everglades

Florida has installed thousands of hectares of wetlands to reduce the phosphorus inflow to the Everglades

Sequestering carbon

Wetland type g-C m-2 yr-1 Reference

General range for wetlands 20–140 Mitra et al. (2005)

Tropical wetland (9.5 m core from Indonesia)

56 (for 24,000 yrs)

94 (for last 500 yrs)

Page et al. (2004)

Boreal peatlands 15–26 Turunen et al. (2002)

Temperate peatlands 10–46 Turunen et al. (2002)

Created temperate marshes, OH (10-year average)

180–190 Anderson and Mitsch (2006)

Restored prairie pothole wetlands, North America

305 Euliss et al. (2006)

Reference prairie pothole wetlands 83 Euliss et al. (2006)

EARTH University tropical wetland 255 Bernal and Mitsch

Old Woman Creek Ohio, temperate wetland

143 Bernal and Mitsch

Carbon Sequestration in Wetlands

Source: Mitsch and Gosselink, 2007

Fluxes: Pg/yrPools: Pg (=1015 g)

Conclusions

• If ever there were a transdiscipline whose time has come, it is ecological engineering.


2025-20301800 1900 2000 2100 2200

Global energy use/year

EcologicalEngineeringdeveloped

EcologicalEngineering

needed

Conclusions

Conclusions

• Wetlands provide many ecosystem services

such as human protection in coastal areas,

water quality improvement in watersheds, and

carbon retention almost everywhere. Their

conservation, creation, and restoration should

be international priorities.

Conclusions

• City landscapes especially should include

wetland ecosystems for the many ecosystem

services that they provide including human

relaxation and ecological education.

Conclusions

• Wetland parks as part of urban developments,

can not only be maintained with a small carbon

cost but also as large carbon sinks.

Conclusions

• Engineers, scientists, and policy makers need to

recognize that Mother Nature (self-design) and

Father Time (it takes time) are the parents and

guardians of functional ecosystems.

Acknowledgements

O H I O

Thank you very much!

http://swamp.osu.edu

[email protected]

ecosystem services of wetlands in an energy-limited future william j. mitsch, ph.d. distinguished...

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