Biodiversity in wetlands

Abstract

Ecosystem services, spanning a diversity of benefits accruing to humanity, result from the functions of wetland ecosystems. These functions in turn are generated by the interactions of both living and nonliving components of ecosystems, including interactions with adjacent terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric ecosystems. The role of wetland biodiversity is crucial for the production of a wide range of ecosystem services and associated socio-economic benefits. In turn, wetland biodiversity is dependent on maintenance of wetlands in good biophysical condition.