Who comes first, the plants or the people? :: Essays Papers

Who comes first, the plants or the people?What does come first? Should people be asked to give up something or be denied something? Or should people be allowed to develop where they please? Often when people take on an drive their first thoughts are about how they can benefit right now, in particular in terms of money, and they are not focused on the long effects of what they are doing. Although this is not the case in every situation, the incidences in which it is can have a negative impact on the environment, in particular, damage the wetlands.According the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) there was estimated to be over 220 million acres of wetlands in the lower 48 states during the 1600s and in 1997 there were only 105.5 million acres of wetlands remaining (2003). From 1986 to 1997 58,500 acres of wetland were bemused each year (EPA 2003). The study during 1986 to 1997 also showed the causes of wetland losses in the fall in States were due to urban development (30%), agriculture (26%), silviculture (23%), and rural development (21%) (US weight & Wildlife 2003). Wetlands are implant throughout the United States and there are many an(prenominal) different types of wetlands and these environmental structures provide a number of valuable functions in the communities in which they reside. There are some protection measures present for these wonderments and measures to benefactor the communities protect them. However, there are still those that question the value of them. The numerous valuable functions of the varying types of wetlands throughout the United States is one group of plants that should be preserved and come before people.What are wetlands?In the United States there is a wide variety of wetlands due to the varying climates, land structure, species occupying the terrain, and different factors, such as human disturbance. The EPA defines wetlands as an area of land that is perfect(a) with water, on or near the surface, and the water amount determines the plants and animals that are found in that community (2003). The Clean Water Act also provides a definition of wetlands as those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a absolute frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions (EPA 2003). From these definitions wetlands can be grouped into four basic types marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens.