1. Wetlands have been drained for centuries to create more fertile agricultural land, extract peat for fuel and soil amendments, and control vector-borne diseases.
2. Conservation policies have been put in place to protect wetlands, but they are still among the most threatened ecosystems in the world due to climate change, rising sea levels, fires and groundwater extraction.
3. This article estimates that global wetland area has declined by 3.4 million km2 since 1700, corresponding to a loss of 21%.
The article is generally reliable and trustworthy as it provides a comprehensive overview of the history of wetland drainage and its effects on Earth system processes. The authors provide evidence from multiple sources such as national drainage records, geospatial overlay approaches, and regional extrapolations to support their claims. Furthermore, they cite relevant literature throughout the article which adds credibility to their arguments.
However, there are some potential biases in the article that should be noted. For example, the authors focus mainly on the negative impacts of wetland drainage without exploring any potential benefits or counterarguments. Additionally, while they mention conservation policies that have been put in place to protect wetlands, they do not discuss how effective these policies have been or if there are any risks associated with them. Finally, while the authors provide an estimate of global wetland loss since 1700 (21%), they do not provide any evidence or data to support this claim which could weaken its reliability.
In conclusion, this article is generally reliable and trustworthy but there are some potential biases that should be taken into consideration when evaluating its content.