Judging by the fact that tourism is a leading world business, the economic value of these can be considerable. Maintaining the wetlands and capitalising on these uses can be a valuable alternative to more disruptive uses and degradation of these ecosystems. Ecosystems as providers of water regulation Ecosystems are important regulators of water quantity and water quality. Several types of ecosystems are known to act as hydrological buffers. For example, forested headwater catchments encourage water to infiltrate the soil, reducing rapid runoff which causes floods and soil erosion.
Floodplain wetlands store water when rivers over-top their banks, reducing flood risk downstream.
The value of these services may be considerable and often technical means of regulating the quantity of flow are much more expensive. Ecosystems also regulate the hydrological cycle through taking up water and releasing it into the atmosphere. If the forest cover is removed, the area can become hotter and drier because water is no longer cycled between the plants and the atmosphere. This can lead to a positive feedback cycle of desertification, with an increasing amount of local water resources being lost. The cycling of water through the forest is an important service for regulating both local and global climate and maintaining local water resources.