ARS | Publication request: The Mid-Atlantic Wetland Conservation Effects Assessment Project: Ecosystem Services, Conservation Practices, and Synergistic Monitoring

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: July 21, 2007
Publication Date: July 21, 2007
Citation: Eckles, D., Walbridge, M.R., Lang, M.W. 2007. The Mid-Atlantic Wetland Conservation Effects Assessment Project: Ecosystem services, conservation practices, and synergistic monitoring [abstract]. Soil and Water Conservation Society. p. 18.

Technical Abstract: The Mid-Atlantic Region of the eastern U.S. is characterized by a diversity of coastal and freshwater wetland ecosystems that humans and other species depend upon. Ecosystem services provided by wetlands include the regulation of runoff and floodwaters, habitat for many unique organisms, pollutant reduction via nutrient cycling, and numerous cultural services, such as recreation and production of food and fiber. While humans have inhabited these ecosystems for thousands of years, relatively recent anthropogenic impacts, primarily associated with agriculture and development brought on by an expanding human population, have resulted in significant wetland loss and degradation. These substantial effects greatly reduce the amount and quality of services provided by these unique ecosystems. Large-scale efforts to reverse wetland degradation have been initiated by Federal-state-local government, community, and stakeholder collaborations, epitomized by the efforts of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Due to the large, often foremost, impacts of agriculture on the ability of wetlands to provide beneficial services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture serves a vital role in wetland conservation and restoration, working with private landowners and other partners to sustain wetland services. This presentation will provide an overview of the CEAP-Wetlands regional investigation under development for the Mid-Atlantic area, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities that define this regional investigation. The inter-agency partnership between CEAP-Wetlands (NRCS) and the Choptank Watershed CEAP (ARS) will be highlighted, as well as the synergy between field-scale measurements and broadscale assessment using remote sensing and landscape modeling.