EarthDayOnlineExhibitPage3

San Diego Earth Fair Sunday, April 27, 2003

Similar Wetlands...
Abdim storks in wetland habitat	Caprivi Strip
San Elijo Lagoon, courtesy San Elijo Lagoon	Bangwelu Swamp
Wetlands produce great quantities of plants, provide food, shelter and nesting to many species of animals, and are the major breeding grounds and migrating stopover for waterfowl. They are natural reservoirs, storing precipitation waters that would otherwise flow immediately through the river systems and out into the sea. They help control flooding, are useful as natural sewage systems and provide us humans with endless recreation opportunities. In the US, we loose about ½ million acres of wetland every year. Most wetland losses are due to farming, housing development, and industrial complexes. In Africa, wetlands are not under the same development threats, but their wildlife is threatened by poaching and ever-increasing human encroachment.
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