Increased Biodiversity

Wetlands have been called “biological super systems” because they produce great volumes of food that support a remarkable level of biodiversity. The combination of shallow water, high levels of nutrients, and high primary productivity (the amount of biomass produced) is ideal for the development of organisms that form the essential base of our planet’s food web.

The food web supports myriad species of birds, fish, amphibians, shellfish, and insects. In Illinois, countless species depend on wetlands, including:

• 105 bird species depend upon, or are strongly associated with, wetlands in Illinois; an additional 169 bird species use wetlands in Illinois opportunistically for nesting, foraging, and resting.

• 46 of the 59 mammal species in Illinois use wetlands to some extent.

• 37 of the 41 amphibian species in Illinois depend upon wetlands at least part of the year.

• 47 of the 60 reptile species found in Illinois use wetlands to some extent.

Learn more: Illinois Department of Natural Resources and U.S. EPA

Biodiversity at the Wetlands Initiative's restoration sites

Click here for species lists at the Wetlands Initiative's Dixon Waterfowl Refuge in north-central Illinois, where more than 260 bird species have been sighted and many rare dragonflies and butterflies can also be found. The refuge is an Important Bird Area and was recently designated a Wetland of International Importance.

Also browse species lists for Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie near Joliet, where the restored wetland-prairie landscape supports unique wildlife and plants. Midewin, the former site of the nation's largest ammunition plant, is now Chicago's largest protected open space and an opportunity to discover the Prairie State's natural heritage.

Learn how you can experience this diversity first-hand on our visiting pages:

Visit the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge

Visit Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie