Water purification by the ecosystem

Preserving forests can be "a cost-effective way to provide clean drinking water because forests reduce landslides, erosion and sediment, improve water purity by filtering pollutants, and in some cases capture and store water."^[1]

Note that "artificial" ecosystems work in a similar way, including reed beds,^W constructed wetlands, and any device making use of a biofilm, such as a roughing filter or slow sand filter.

Template:Reflist

Template:Stub