Delaware S Wetlands

As much as 25 percent of Delaware is covered by a variety of wetland types, from coastal salt marshes to rare Delmarva Bays. Wetlands provide important benefi ts to people and the environment by improving water quality, reducing fl ooding and erosion, providing habitat for plants and animals, decreasing the impact of severe storms, and providing recreational opportunities. Changes in wetlands result from both human activities and natural processes such as droughts, rising sea level, hurricanes, episodic fl oods, fi re and animal activity. The most common human impacts that eliminate or degrade wetlands include fi lling, draining, dredging, conversion to other uses, pond construction, channelization, discharging pollutants and the spread of invasive plants.

This timely set invites readers to celebrate the most beautiful and environmentally important places in the United States. Each of the United States boasts numerous special places that are significant for their biodiversity, ecology, habitats for rare and endangered species, or other qualities that make them unique and worthy of preservation. These sites range from nature preserves to state and national parks, wildlife areas, ecosystems that provide a home to diverse flora and fauna, and even scenic vistas. The five volumes of America's Natural Places examine over 200 of the most spectacular and important of these places, with each entry describing the importance of the area, the flora and fauna that it supports, threats to the survival of the region, and what is being done to protect it. Organized by state within regional volumes, this encyclopedia both informs the reader about the wide variety of natural areas across the country and identifies places nearby that demonstrate that preserving such treasurers is of immediate importance to every U.S. citizen.