The communities of life that inhabit a shoreline form an interrelated web of life. The health of all elements in this web depends on the quality of the habitat and of the water.
Negative impacts on one element in the community can affect many other elements, directly or indirectly.
Shoreland plants are the foundation of the entire community, supporting the various species of microorganisms, insects, fish, birds, and all the other animals, including humans, that form the web of life.