Ecosystem Services of Wetlands in an
Energy-Limited Future
William J. Mitsch, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Environment and Natural Resources
Director, Olentangy River Wetland Research Park
Editor-in-Chief, Ecological Engineering
The Ohio State University
Outline
• The big global issues
• Ecological engineering
• Wetland ecosystem services and
human history
• Optimizing ecosystem services of
wetlands—6 case studies
• Conclusions
Worldwide human population projection
Human population (billions)
10
8
6
4
2
0
1800
1900
2000
2100
Source: Mitsch and Jørgensen 2004
Worldwide carbon and nitrogen
100
Percent Change
80
Available Nitrogen
60
40
20
Atmospheric CO
0
1900 1920 1940
2
1960 1980 2000
Source: Mitsch and Jørgensen 2004
Worldwide oil discovery and production
Source: Day et al., 2009
Worldwide energy use projection
Source: Clugston, 2007
710 Quads
Quads/year
800
600
400
Optimistic
200
Conservative
1800
1900
2000
2100
2025-2030
Quad =1015 BTU or 1.055 × 1018 joules
2200
Ecosystems and Complexity
Natural ecosystems are complex entropyfighting systems, and in that complexity
comes an infinite amount of feedbacks and
adaptations that contribute to resiliency.
Human society, as a “part of” nature and
not “apart from” nature would do well to
recognize and use the important functions
of nature (rather than destroy them) to
provide a resilient and sustainable society.
Conventional Engineering
Mitsch (1998)
Ecological Engineering
ECOSYSTEM
Mitsch (1998)
Ecological Engineering
the design of sustainable
ecosystems that integrate human
society with its natural
environment for the benefit of both
Source: Mitsch and Jørgensen, 2004.
Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem
Restoration, J. Wiley.
The Spectrum of Ecological Engineering
su stai nabi lity p oten tial
lo w
hi gh
rel iance o n se lf-de sign
lo w
hi gh
hu man engi neeri ng
mo re
Bio sphe re 2
Bio mani pula tion
Soi l Bio remed iati on We tlan d Creation
Sol ar Aq uati cs Wa stewater We tlan ds
le ss
Prai rie Res toration
We tlan d Restorati on
Mine land Resto ratio n
Ag roecolog ica l Eng inee ring
Wetlands and
riparian
ecosystems have
major roles in
restoring the
viability of cities
and rural areas
Wetlands provide
valuable ecosystem
services:
• Water quality
improvement
• Floodwater retention
• Biodiversity islands and
corridors
• Carbon sequestration
• Locations for human
relaxation and nature
observation/education
Human History and Wetlands
Babylonian Cultures in their Watery Environment
Human History and Wetlands
“Marsh Arabs,” southern Iraq
Human History and Wetlands
Camarguais, southern France
Human History and Wetlands
Cajuns, Louisiana (early 1900s)
Human History and Wetlands
Native Americans (Sokaogon Chippewa),
Wisconsin
Human History and Wetlands
We have lost an estimated
50% of our original wetlands
in the world.
In Ohio, USA, we have lost
90% of our original
wetlands.
OPTIMIZING ECOSYSTEM
SERVICES OF WETLANDS
Restoring an ancient culture
Mitsch and
Gosselink. 2007
Wetlands, 4th
ed., J. Wiley
Restoring the Mesopotamian Marshlands
Mitsch and
Gosselink. 2007
Wetlands, 4th
ed., J. Wiley
Restoring the Mesopotamian Marshlands
Mitsch and
Gosselink. 2007
Wetlands, 4th
ed., J. Wiley
Restoring the Mesopotamian Marshlands
Photo by Azzam
Alwash, reprinted
with permission in
Mitsch and
Gosselink. 2007
Wetlands, 4th ed.,
J. Wiley
Protecting coastlines and
coastal cities
Indian Ocean Tsunami
• 230,000 people killed or missing in late December
2004 as a result of a massive tsunami around the
Indian Ocean caused by earthquake off the coast of
Sumatra, Indonesia
• Destruction of mangrove swamps for shrimp farms
and tourist meccas bears some of the responsibility.
• In the area hardest hit, 26% of mangrove wetlands,
or 1.5 million ha, had been destroyed from 1980 to
2000
Indian Ocean Tsunami
Mangrove Tidal Creek, Koh Phra Tong, Phang Nga, Thailand
Before the Indian Ocean Tsunami
Indian Ocean Tsunami
Mangrove Tidal Creek, Koh Phra Tong, Phang Nga, Thailand
After the Boxing Day Tsunami (February 2005)
Indian Ocean Tsunami
Coastal surges and mangrove forests
Pre-tsunami—Simulation models illustrated
that a wide (100 m) belt of dense mangrove
trees (referred to as a “greenbelt”) could
reduce a tsunami pressure flow by more than
90% (Hiraishi and Harada, 2003).
Post tsunami—In an area of S.E. India
there was significantly less damage where
mangroves had been conserved (Danielsen
et al., 2005; Science)
Coastal Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS
1870
1993
2020
1839
Past and Projected Wetland Loss in the Mississippi Delta (1839 to 2020)
Coastal Louisiana
1: August 23, 2005
2: August 26, 2005
3: August 28, 2005
4: August 29, 2005
Hurricane Katrina,
Aug 23-29, 2005
TROPICAL DEPRESSION
TROPICAL STORM
CATEGORY 1
CATEGORY 2
CATEGORY 3
CATEGORY 4
CATEGORY 5
Coastal Louisiana
Hurricane Katrina storm surge near New Orleans, estimated to be 5.5 - 6 m high
Coastal Louisiana
Coastal Louisiana
March 5, 2001
pre-diversion
March 21, 2001
during diversion
River diversions may be one of the answers to wetland loss in Louisiana
Coastal Louisiana
Gulf of Mexico
BP oil spill
of 20 April 2010
Restoring water quality in
watersheds to prevent
downstream impacts
Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) Basin Restoration
Gulf of Mexico
Hypoxia
Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri River Basin
Major nitrate sources in MOM
General extent of hypoxia in Gulf of Mexico
Mississippi River Basin boundary
Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) Basin Restoration
The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia in 2008
= 20,700 km2 (8,000 mi2)
Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) Basin Restoration
Mitsch et al. 2001
Better Fertilizer Management
Created/Restored Wetlands
Restored Riparian
Bottomlands
2 million hectares of these ecosystems are needed
Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park
Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) Basin Restoration
Goal is to create 28,000 ha of riparian
systems and wetlands in one watershed in
Ohio
Columbus
OHIO
Restoring the Florida Everglades
Restoring the Florida Everglades
Restoring the Florida Everglades
Florida has installed
thousands of hectares
of wetlands to reduce
the phosphorus inflow
to the Everglades
Sequestering carbon
Carbon Sequestration in Wetlands
g-C m-2 yr-1
Wetland type
General range for wetlands
Tropical wetland (9.5 m core from
Indonesia)
Reference
20–140
Mitra et al. (2005)
56 (for 24,000 yrs)
Page et al. (2004)
94 (for last 500 yrs)
Boreal peatlands
15–26
Turunen et al. (2002)
Temperate peatlands
10–46
Turunen et al. (2002)
Created temperate marshes, OH (10year average)
180–190
Anderson and Mitsch (2006)
Restored prairie pothole wetlands,
North America
305
Euliss et al. (2006)
Reference prairie pothole wetlands
83
Euliss et al. (2006)
EARTH University tropical wetland
255
Bernal and Mitsch
Old Woman Creek Ohio, temperate
wetland
143
Bernal and Mitsch
Source: Mitsch and Gosselink, 2007
Pools: Pg (=1015 g) Fluxes: Pg/yr
Conclusions
• If ever there were a transdiscipline whose time
has come, it is ecological engineering.
Conclusions
Global energy use/year
Ecological
Engineering
needed
Ecological
Engineering
developed
1800
1900
2000
2100
2025-2030
2200
Conclusions
• Wetlands provide many ecosystem services
such as human protection in coastal areas,
water quality improvement in watersheds, and
carbon retention almost everywhere. Their
conservation, creation, and restoration should
be international priorities.
Conclusions
• City landscapes especially should include
wetland ecosystems for the many ecosystem
services that they provide including human
relaxation and ecological education.
Conclusions
• Wetland parks as part of urban developments,
can not only be maintained with a small carbon
cost but also as large carbon sinks.
Conclusions
• Engineers, scientists, and policy makers need to
recognize that Mother Nature (self-design) and
Father Time (it takes time) are the parents and
guardians of functional ecosystems.
Acknowledgements
O
H
I
O
Thank you very much!
http://swamp.osu.edu
mitsch.1@osu.edu