Wetlands In Agricultural Landscapes - Using Natural Ecosystem Processes to Provide Environmental Benefits.

Wetlands are common features in agricultural landscapes.  Natural wetlands (e.g., riparian forests) can contribute significantly to improving water quality, while providing other important ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat, biodiversity support, and aesthetic/recreational opportunities for humans.  Wetland restoration efforts include USDA-supported conservation practices that promote the restoration wetland ecosystem processes and services in agricultural landscapes.  Wetlands constructed to specifically to treat agricultural runoff may provide some habitat and biodiversity benefits as well.  In some regions (e.g., arid environments in the west), constructed wetlands used to treat municipal or other wastewaters, have the added benefit of providing sources of ‘reused’ water that support irrigated agriculture.  This talk will be present specific examples of how natural, restored, and constructed wetlands are currently being used in agricultural systems to provide a variety of environmental benefits, and examine how wetlands and wetland processes might be used in the future to enhance the provision of ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes.