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Wetlands Function and Response to Extreme Events

On Tuesday, October 5, 2010, the Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (C-FARE), Society of Wetland Scienctists (SWS), and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) sponsored a webinar on wetland function and response to extreme events. Our nation’s wetlands serve as a filter for much of our water system, provide wildlife habitat, and flood regulation. When disasters strike, the impacts to these wetlands can be significant, jeopardizing the ecosystem services that they provide. As a result, foresight about how to manage these areas in the face of disaster is critical. This ‘wetlands webinar’ discussed the value of wetlands in serving as a buffering system to the impacts of extreme events such as hurricanes, floods, fire, and oil spills.

The webinar began with an introduction by Dr. Steven Kraft, Professor and Director of Advanced Energy and Fuels Management, who also acted as moderator of the event. Dr. John Day, Distinguished Professor of Environmental Sciences, provided an introduction to wetlands in the Mississippi River Delta. Dr. K. Ramesh Reddy, Graduate Research Professor of Biogeochemistry, described the influences that extreme events have on biogeochemical functions in wetlands. Dr. Daniel Petrolia, assistant professor with a research and teaching appointment focusing on environmental and natural-resource economics, also presented during the webinar, explaining ecosystem resource valuation research. A Question & Answer session followed the presentations and was moderated by Dr. Patrick Megonigal, senior scientist and Deputy Director at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

• Dr. Steven Kraft's webinar introduction: Introduction to Wetlands Function and Response to Extreme Events
• Dr. John Day's presentation: An Introduction to Wetlands in the Mississippi River Delta
• Dr. K. Ramesh Reddy's presentation: Influence of Extreme Events on Biogeochemical Functions in Wetlands
• Dr. Daniel Petrolia's presentation: NRDA and Ecosystem Service Valuation Research
• Question & Answer session moderated by Dr. Patrick Megonigal: Question & Answer Session
• Speaker Biographies