Recreated Wetlands No Match for Original

The assumption that an artificial wetland can replace a natural one has shaped U.S. policy for the past decade. Now, in unusually blunt language, a new report by the National Research Council says that the current approach, designed to ensure no net loss of wetlands, is a failure and that humanmade ecosystems are often a poor substitute for the real thing. What9s needed, the report says, are major changes to the system for designing and regulating replacement wetlands.