Wetlands
Wetlands are Wonderful
Wetlands
A wetland is basically any place were land is wet. The three examples of wetlands are marshes, swamps, fens, and bogs. Wetlands are very diverse.
Bog
A bog is one of the four types of wetlands. Peat is formed in a bog when organic matter decays. Peat is very nutritious soil. A bog is very waterlogged so, the plants in a bog have to be able to withstand a lot of water. Animals that live in a bog include beavers, moose, and nesting birds.
Marshes
Marshes are usually covered by water all year round. Since the environment in so wet, reeds and cattails usually grow in marshes. Since so much reeds grow in marshes, fish and amphibians thrive in marshes. Birds also live in marshes, such as herons. Marshes are very diverse.
Swamps
Swamps are the only type of wetland that contains trees. The most common type of trees are willows. Swamps are formed when rivers overflow and are generally located next to rivers. Swamps have a very diverse wildlife and some tropical swamps contain alligators.
Fens
Fens are very different from the other kinds of wetlands. One of the major differences is that the water is below the soil. Plants that grow in fens are sedge's. Birds are not as common in fens because plants are less common. Amphibians are able to thrive in fens.
Wetlands are Beneficial
Wetlands are important to the environment. There are three main things wetlands do. Wetlands control floods after storms. Wetlands also filter water for drinking and to remove contaminants. The last thing wetlands do are provide a habitat for different types of wildlife.
Development Destroys Wetlands
Roads
Roads destroy wetlands because roads may cut off parts of a wetland. Also construction may interfere with the environment.
Houses
Housing development can disrupt an entire wetland habitat. The interfering of people may destroy a wetland.
Commercial Buildings
Commercial building would have about the same effect as houses. On top of that though, litter and traffic may also become a problem.
WIldlife
There are many types of wildlife in wetlands. Many types of plants grow in wetlands. These include reeds, sedge's, cattails, and trees. There are also many types of animals. These include salamanders, frogs, birds, fish, alligators, moose, and beavers.
Reeds
Reeds are common in most wetlands.
Alligators
Swamps are very special because alligators live there.
Herons
Herons are a common type of bird in wetlands. They are commonly found in marshes.
Wetland cover about 110.1 million acres of the lower 48 states. Wetlands cover over half of Alaska. A long time ago, around the 1600's, over half the United States was covered in Wetlands. Since this development and climate change have destroyed wetlands. Wetlands are still in danger.
Wetlands are being primarily conserved by government regulations and laws. The government has also restricted access for visitors and companies that plan to build on wetlands. This may help wetlands to stay natural.