The contiguous 48 States have lost about half of all wetlands since 1780. In 1780, wetlands totaled slightly over 220 million acres, compared with about 124 million acres in 1992 . Most of the original and remaining wetlands are in the Southeast, Delta, and Lake States. The Corn Belt has lost nearly 90 percent of its original wetlands, the Pacific States 75 percent, and the Plains States 50 percent. Available data suggest that the rates of wetland loss in the 1980's were dramatically lower than in earlier decades.
Technology plays an important role in agricultural sustainability.
However, simply making a technology available does not guarantee its adoption. Because the market prices of many environmental services and natural resources are less than their true value to society, there is less of an economic incentive to develop or adopt technologies that conserve those resources. A diverse natural resource base, including varied soil, water, and climatic resources, make it worthwhile to adopt these technologies only in some instances. The economic risk of adopting new technologies may inhibit adoption. Because the economic and environmental implications of green technologies vary by crop and region, no one technology will be sustainable for every farmer in every part of the country.