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6 Conclusions

Forested wetlands provide a variety of hydrologic, biogeochemical and habitat functions unique to these ecosystems. Landscape position, water, soils and plants all contribute to the structure and function of forested wetlands in the South. All these contributions can be degraded by human impacts. Status and trends indicate that the rates of wetland losses in general are down to 356,000 acres (2.3 percent) for the period of 1986-1997.
According to NWI approximately, 119,000 acres of forested wetland have been lost to urban/rural development, 112,000 acres to agriculture and 102,000 acres to silviculture. Approximately 3 million acres of forested wetland were converted by silvicultural operations to different (forest) wetland types. Timber harvests in the South are expected to increase over the next 20 years. Since almost one quarter of the timberland in the South is forested wetland, it is likely that impacts to forested wetlands as a result of intensified silviculture will continue and perhaps additional acreage will be affected in the future. Silvicultural operations affect the hydrologic and structural characteristics of wetlands. However, when hydrology is not permanently altered and sites are allowed to regenerate naturally, indications are that, in time, they function similarly to unaltered wetlands. Sites converted to intensive pine plantation culture experience longer term changes to their structural and biotic diversity.

There is a great deal of potential for restoration of forested wetlands on former agricultural land in the South. The Wetland Reserve Program and the Section 404 program provide opportunities to restore these former wetlands. However, forested wetland restoration is a complex undertaking, and must be done carefully to recreate the lost functions and values of forested wetlands in the south.