Climate Change Impact on Freshwater Wetlands, Lakes & Rivers

Freshwater ecosystems provide a wide range of goods and services.  Wetlands exhibit extensive biodiversity, function as filters for pollutants, and are important for carbon sequestration and emissions. Rivers transport water and nutrients from the land to the oceans and provide crucial buffering capacity during droughts especially if fed by mountain springs and glaciers.  Lakes serve as sediment and carbon sinks and provide crucial repositories of information on past climate changes (USGRP, 2009).