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Notes -
Also wetlands dampen the blow of hurricanes, flash floods and general storm surge; protecting human lives and reducing soil erosion. In addition to the obvious direct destruction of dry land, the soil erosion can allow salt water to enter fresh water ecosystems, killing most life within them, then the decaying dead plants stop anchoring the soil and cause even more aggressive erosion. Salt water flooding in previously protected fields also badly damages soil fertility.
Hurricanes start slowing down and losing strength as soon as they leave open ocean, and waves weaken and break by hitting all the foliage, sandbars and shallow waters. The more wetland you have as a buffer between the ocean and human settlements the better.
Getting rid of those is about as bright as taking all the padding out of a helmet.
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