Posted
on February 2, 2016
Wetlands
are really, really important to the Earth's biosphere. These
ecosystems are land areas that are saturated with water (either all
the time or just part of the year); the plants that grow in wetlands
are adapted to wet soil, and many different sorts of animals live in
wetlands as well.
Wetlands
are considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems. That
means that there are more different kinds of plants and animals in
wetlands than there are in either fully aquatic or drier land
ecosystems. And some animals that only live in wetlands part-time use
those areas to breed, feed, or even “just” rest. (Resting is
important for migratory birds!)
Wetlands
often act as reservoirs that hold fresh water. They often act as
filters, because wetlands plants remove impurities and excess
nutrients from water.
Do
I need to point out that anything that is important to the Earth's
biosphere is also important to humans? According to the World Wetlands Day website, more than a billion people make a living
from wetlands!
Here
are some types of wetlands:
swamps
Swamps are wetlands that are forested. Swamps can be fresh water, brackish
water (somewhat salty), or seawater (very salty).
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| Mangroves are adapted to having "wet and salty feet." |
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| Swamps are often pictured as kind of sinister and creepy. |
marshes
Marshes have few if any woody plants – and any woody plants that occur are low-growing shrubs. So, no trees. Usually, marshes are grassy.
Marshes have few if any woody plants – and any woody plants that occur are low-growing shrubs. So, no trees. Usually, marshes are grassy.
bogs
Bogs are characterized by peat – dead plant materials that have accumulated
and made the water acidic.
Bogs
are sometimes called mires, quagmires, or muskegs. We talk about getting mired in work, bogged down by a problem, or stuck in a quagmire (a tricky situation that is difficult to solve) because sometimes people or animals get stuck in bogs or mires.
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| Don't worry; this horse WAS pulled to safety. |
fens
Fens
are also mires, but they are alkaline rather than acidic. Rather than
coming from peat (dead plant materials), the waters of a fen are full
of minerals and often bubble up from springs.
Even
though wetlands are so important to food chains, biodiversity, and
even human economies, some people view them as just wasteland. They
sometimes want to drain such areas so that they can build more stores
and apartments and roads. We have lost more than 64% of the Earth's
wetlands since 1900.
Yikes!
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