Wetlands
By:Meagan Tassone
What is a wetland?
- Wetlands are generally an area where water saturating the land is the dominating factor determining the nature of the development of the soil and the types of plant and animal communities living in that soil.
How can YOU save the wetlands?
- Let your friends know of small things they can do in normal conversation.
- Support wetland conservation initiatives.
- Help maintain your local wetlands.
- Purchase federal duck stamps at your local post office to support wetland acquisition.
Why save the wetlands?
- Wetlands serve as habitats for birds, fish, mammals, and invertebrates(animals without backbones).
- One third of our country's endangered species live in different species of wetlands.
- They work as the worlds 'Kidney's' they filter out impurities in the water.
- Wetland plants protect shorelines from erosion.
- They reduce the severity of flooding my slowing down and storing runoff water.
Restoring wetlands
- For reasons listed above and many others the U.S. government decreed in 1989 that for every hectare (2.5 acres) of wetlands destroyed another hectare must be created.
- To preserve wetlands and their biodiversity an international agreement called the Ramsar Convention has been formulated which stipulates stringent protection of wetland areas in the territories of signatory countries
How are wetlands dissapearing?
- In the past 100 years over half of the worlds wetlands have dissapeared. Gobbled up by agriculture, development, water diversion projects and dredging.
- Pollution, water extraction, dam construction, excessive hunting and fishing also contribute to the detiorating health of these areas.
- Wetlands such as bogs, marshes, swamps and shallow areas in lakes and along river banks are crucial to natural occurring water purification and flood control.
Work Cited
Works Cited
KidsGeo.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0150-swamps-and-marshes.php>. Picture Citation
NWFLEC. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nwflec.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/yellowpitcherplant.jpg>. Picture citation
"Scientist Rebuild Wetlands." Current Science: n. pag. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 12 Apr. 2013.
water.epa.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/protection.cfm>.
water.epa.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/definitions.cfm>.
"Wetlands Dissapearing Around the Globe." UPI: n. pag. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 12 Apr. 2013.
"Who Needs Wetlands?" Junior Scholastic: n. pag. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 12 Apr. 2013.