But for scientists, who understand these marshy regions as first to reflect stress in the environment, they are known as the barometers of the natural world. As a result, few wetlands in the region have survived without some significant change brought on by humans. You can hardly find a wetland in urban America that has not been stressed by human activity,'' said Gary Kleppel, a biology professor at UAlbany.
Wetlands play a unique role in their environments.
Seven percent of the land in the state is wetland, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. Legislation at both the state and federal level works to preserve this rare land type. Kleppel and a master's student, Anna Hartwell, have been researching wetlands around Albany County to develop criteria for scientists to evaluate the quality of wetlands. The criteria include measuring the diversity of vegetation, the oxygen level of the water, the number of insect species and the kinds of algae living the water. On all levels, the Knox wetland has top marks.