California Sea Grant College Program

This dissertation is about the public benefits that wetlands can provide and how those benefits depend on where wetlands are located in the landscape. The two broad objectives of the research were (1) to further our understanding of the role that landscape configuration plays in the provision of ecosystem services from wetlands, and (2) to enhance our practical ability to account for spatial effects and tradeoffs between competing environmental goals when evaluating, designing, and implementing wetlands policies. I have addressed only a few key aspects of these broad objectives, but the methods, and—with some qualifications—many of the conclusions, could be applied to other aspects of wetlands policy as well.