[00:08] Wetlands are among the most productive and useful ecosystems on Earth.
[00:11] Wetlands filter and cleanse water of harmful chemicals, act as storage basins to control flooding and recharge groundwater, and support thousands of species of animals and plants.
[00:22] In the Northern Great Plains, wetland basins called 'Prairie Potholes' are important breeding areas for waterfowl in North America, producing as much as 80-percent of the continent's total duck population alone.
[00:34] But much of this valuable wildlife habitat has been drained and converted for farms, homes and roads. Today, less than half of the original wetlands in the United States remain.
[00:44] Carter Johnson, Ecologist, SDSU
'When we convert these rich natural systems to agriculture we lose a lot of biodiversity. We may be down to hundreds instead of many thousands of species.'
[00:54] After centuries of wetland destruction, efforts are underway to preserve and restore these vital ecosystems.
[01:00] Carter Johnson, Ecologist, SDSU
'Definitely, attitudes about wetlands are changing. And a lot of studies have been done that have shown very clearly that the 1993-1995 floods on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers would have been greatly lessened had fewer wetlands been drained...'
[01:15] '...And I think retaining those basins in their natural form is definitely a value that we should recognize.'
[01:22] Once considered wastelands to remove; people are beginning to realize the value of wetlands to the overall health of our environment.
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