ABSTRACT
Wetlands have both value and function and, though often used interchangeably, these tenns are not synonymous. Function describes what a wetland does, irrespective of any beneficial worth assigned by man. For example, a wetland may function by producing I 00 mosquitos/m2 or I 0 muskrats/ha, purifying 5000 m3/day of contaminated water, or by temporarily storing I 00,000 m3 of flood waters. A function is an objective process or product. A value is a subjective interpretation of the relative worth of some wetland process or product, that is, the market or recreational value of I 0 muskrats or the cost for eradicating I 00 mosquitos. Values can be positive or negative and they can be high or low. For example, flood storage capacity upstream from a city has high value to the residents, yet the same wetland downstream might have low value to the city because it provides them limited flood protection. Of course, the downstream wetlands could provide water purification, wildlife, recreational, or other functional values and be of high value to city residents.
