In Wetland Ecosystems

The world’s wetlands are important habitats, not only because they contain 14 percent of the total carbon content of soils (Post et al, 1982) but also because of their numerous other ecological and economic functions. The wetland area of the world has been declining due to conversion for agricultural use and urbanisation, and to a lesser extent due to extraction of organic matter for fuel and horticultural use. The present threats to wetland areas are likely to be exacerbated in the future due to the impacts of climate change and other factors. However, in the context of this paper, the loss of inland and coastal wetlands are important for their impacts on the ability of these habitats to act as a carbon sink.