We want to see if the wetlands converge again or whether the difference in productivity is enough to cause them to diverge in their ability to clean water. And it's the developer's responsibility to maintain and monitor the wetland for five years, according to Mitsch. We just can't draw that conclusion yet. Each spring, nearly 7,000 square miles of water in the Gulf of Mexico become a dead zone. They act as buffer zones, reducing the amount of nitrates and other chemicals in water.
Wetlands also serve as a zoo of sorts.
One of the biggest problems with creating wetlands, however, is a lack of education. He suggests making it mandatory that all wetland scientists receive certification in wetland science before undertaking wetland creation and restoration. Mitsch conducts much of the wetlands project research at the Olentangy River Wetlands Research Park with Virginie Bouchard, a postdoctoral researcher in natural resources at Ohio State. Mitsch, his colleagues and students also conduct regular tours of the wetlands. Wetlands topped the list of alternatives that would allow farming in the Midwest to continue close to how it is practiced today.