The loss of wetland agricultural value in north-eastern North America, 1800 to 1840

Many of the surviving wetlands in north-eastern North America should be considered to be relict agro-ecosystems as a result of their widespread use for hay production and pasture during the colonial era. Open land in the heavily forested North East was frequently confined to areas with high water tables and colonists relied on graminoid-dominated wetlands to provide livestock fodder. To ensure a more consistent and palatable crop of this native hay, as well as allow mowers, wagons, and animals safe passage on wetlands, farmers manipulated water tables and tidal influences. This manipulation intensified in the early nineteenth century, to the extent that many wetlands ceased to be wet, which allowed the introduction of new crops such as upland forage species. The motivation for these changes were fears of a hay shortage as human and livestock populations increased in response to the emerging market economy that moved farmers away from mixed husbandry to livestock and forage specialization. From this perspective, the low value placed on wetlands in the United States is partially due to their inability to provide the quality and quantity of hay and pasture required by a new agricultural system.