System-Wide Ecosystem Benefits
The proposed ecosystems in Floyds Fork include forest, grassland, sustainable agriculture, wetlands, buffer, stream restoration and filtration, and habitat patches and corridors. Benefits associated with these ecosystems include improved water quality, habitat area, and air quality.
Maintaining and improving water quality is vitally important to enhance The Fork as both a natural and recreational resource. Actions such as establishing a continuous riparian buffer along the Floyds Fork will create a filtration system removing pollutants and sediments before they enter the stream. Wetlands are also key to maintaining water quality as they act as a sponge, filtering and detaining water on site. Natural systems such as wetlands and buffers provide an effective alternative to traditional stormwater infrastructure and often replace or lessen the demand for costly water treatment facilities. Wetlands, forests, grasslands, and sustainable agriculture will improve water quality of the Floyds Fork while also enhancing downstream conditions.
Increasing forest cover and establishing diverse ecosystems such as grasslands and wetlands cultivates habitats and creates corridors allowing wildlife to travel through the site. These ecosystems provide food, breeding grounds, and resting areas for a broad range of species. Wetlands are an example of a biologically productive landscape supporting numerous threatened species. In the United States, 43% of all threatened or endangered plant and animal species are dependent on wetlands. These ecosystems present the surrounding community with landscapes that are both recreation and education amenities.
These natural systems are also able to address concerns related to global warming, greenhouse gases, and carbon sequestration. Through photosynthesis, air quality is improved as plants filter harmful pollutants and release oxygen. Forest and grassland communities increase carbon sequestration as these ecosystems absorb and store large amounts of carbon, reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.