WETLANDS
- ~ 6% of all land is currently wetlands.
- Wetlands comprise fresh water marshes, potholes, meadows, playas and vernal pools where vegetation is not woody, as well as swamps where it is.
- Shallow water-fed systems are central to the life cycle of many animals and plants.
- Some wetlands even perform a global function. Such as northern peat lands of Canada, Alaska and Eurasia may help moderate climatic change by serving as a sink for the green house gas CO2.
- Wetlands also have commercial and utilitarian functions.
- Wetlands can be found in diverse topographical settings, and also they are often as different in their appearance. They can occur in cold climate where permafrost retains water and low evaporation rates prevail.
- Their topographical variety and the complexity of their hydrology have made some wetlands difficult to identify and hance, difficult preserve.
- Wetlands are highly dependent on the quantity and quality of water in their immediate area.
- Wetlands can serve as reproductive or feeding sites for someone species only if they are connected with other waterways.
- Wetlands also differ from deep-water aquatic systems in their sensitivity to the effects of water level changes.
- Wetlands from nearby wetlands or water can reduce their ability to provide food storage, water purification and habitats.
- The dependence of many wetlands on contiguous water systems makes them especially vulnerable to even minor human activity.
- The incoming water brings nutrients and sediments that can make the system more productive. The wetlands then cleanse these waters by retaining sediments as well as phosphorus and other chemicals.
- Heavily vegetated surroundings contributed small amounts of sediment and nutrients to these wetlands.
Wetlands are lands consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated lands. They limit the damaging effects of waves, convey, and store floodwaters, trap sediment and reduce pollution. Wetlands accept water during storms and whenever water levels are high. When water levels are low, wetlands slowly release water. Wetlands also release vegetative matter into rivers, which helps feed fish in the rivers. Wetlands help to counter balance the human effect on rivers by rejuvenating them and surrounding ecosystems. Many animals that live in other habitats use wetlands for migration or reproduction. For example, herons nest in large old trees, but need shallow areas in order to wade for fish and aquatic life. Amphibians often forage in upland areas but return to the water to mate and reproduce. While wetlands are truly unique, they must not be thought of as isolated and independent habitat. To the contrary, wetlands are vital to the health of all other biomes and to wildlife and humans everywhere.
Unlike most other habitats, wetlands directly improve other ecosystems. Because of its many cleansing benefits, wetlands have been compared to kidneys. The analogy is good one. Wetlands and kidneys both help control water flow and cleanse the system. Wetlands also clean the water by filtering out sedimentation, decomposing vegetative matter and converting chemicals into useable form. The ability of wetlands to recycle nutrients makes them critical in the overall functioning of earth. No other ecosystem is as productive, nor as unique in this conversion process. In some places artificial wetlands were developed solely for the purpose of water purification.
Wetlands are far more important than we would have believed. We now realize that they are a very important ecosystem. We know why wetlands are important, but what are we doing to protect them? They are rapidly disappeared by human activities. With the construction of buildings on wetland sites and the development of watersheds along with the pumping of ground water, these human involved activities destroy wetlands, making them not have enough room to move and
causing them to disappear. Restoration programs offer a degree of success in restoring wetlands. Right now there is an attempt to rejuvenate Florida's Everglades. These programs improve the situation, but do not restore the ecosystem to their original state and level of function. Wetlands destruction, like many environmental problems, is one of sustainability. We have to learn to balance today's needs with future environmental needs. Ralph Tiner, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife service scientist, said, "Trying to create a wetland is like taking a vein in your arm and moving it where there is no vein. It may look like a vein, but it does not function like one."
So what?
- Wetlands are super important to environment and human. Because they helps limit the damaging effects of waves, convey, and store floodwaters, trap sediment and reduce pollution, purify the water, etc.
What if?
- All wetlands are disappeared? We wouldn't have as much O2, the lands and soils dry up, the water doesn't have a chance to purifying, etc.
Says who?
- The authors Jon A. Kusler, William J. Mitsch and Joseph S. Larson, with other scientists and congressmen.
What does this remind me of?
- This is remind me of the Ocean Acidification because they both about human activities impact on environment. People need to think twice before they proceed on the nature.
- Wetlands comprise fresh water marshes, potholes, meadows, playas and vernal pools where vegetation is not woody, as well as swamps where it is.
- Shallow water-fed systems are central to the life cycle of many animals and plants.
- Some wetlands even perform a global function. Such as northern peat lands of Canada, Alaska and Eurasia may help moderate climatic change by serving as a sink for the green house gas CO2.
- Wetlands also have commercial and utilitarian functions.
- Wetlands can be found in diverse topographical settings, and also they are often as different in their appearance. They can occur in cold climate where permafrost retains water and low evaporation rates prevail.
- Their topographical variety and the complexity of their hydrology have made some wetlands difficult to identify and hance, difficult preserve.
- Wetlands are highly dependent on the quantity and quality of water in their immediate area.
- Wetlands can serve as reproductive or feeding sites for someone species only if they are connected with other waterways.
- Wetlands also differ from deep-water aquatic systems in their sensitivity to the effects of water level changes.
- Wetlands from nearby wetlands or water can reduce their ability to provide food storage, water purification and habitats.
- The dependence of many wetlands on contiguous water systems makes them especially vulnerable to even minor human activity.
- The incoming water brings nutrients and sediments that can make the system more productive. The wetlands then cleanse these waters by retaining sediments as well as phosphorus and other chemicals.
- Heavily vegetated surroundings contributed small amounts of sediment and nutrients to these wetlands.
Wetlands are lands consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated lands. They limit the damaging effects of waves, convey, and store floodwaters, trap sediment and reduce pollution. Wetlands accept water during storms and whenever water levels are high. When water levels are low, wetlands slowly release water. Wetlands also release vegetative matter into rivers, which helps feed fish in the rivers. Wetlands help to counter balance the human effect on rivers by rejuvenating them and surrounding ecosystems. Many animals that live in other habitats use wetlands for migration or reproduction. For example, herons nest in large old trees, but need shallow areas in order to wade for fish and aquatic life. Amphibians often forage in upland areas but return to the water to mate and reproduce. While wetlands are truly unique, they must not be thought of as isolated and independent habitat. To the contrary, wetlands are vital to the health of all other biomes and to wildlife and humans everywhere.
Unlike most other habitats, wetlands directly improve other ecosystems. Because of its many cleansing benefits, wetlands have been compared to kidneys. The analogy is good one. Wetlands and kidneys both help control water flow and cleanse the system. Wetlands also clean the water by filtering out sedimentation, decomposing vegetative matter and converting chemicals into useable form. The ability of wetlands to recycle nutrients makes them critical in the overall functioning of earth. No other ecosystem is as productive, nor as unique in this conversion process. In some places artificial wetlands were developed solely for the purpose of water purification.
Wetlands are far more important than we would have believed. We now realize that they are a very important ecosystem. We know why wetlands are important, but what are we doing to protect them? They are rapidly disappeared by human activities. With the construction of buildings on wetland sites and the development of watersheds along with the pumping of ground water, these human involved activities destroy wetlands, making them not have enough room to move and
causing them to disappear. Restoration programs offer a degree of success in restoring wetlands. Right now there is an attempt to rejuvenate Florida's Everglades. These programs improve the situation, but do not restore the ecosystem to their original state and level of function. Wetlands destruction, like many environmental problems, is one of sustainability. We have to learn to balance today's needs with future environmental needs. Ralph Tiner, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife service scientist, said, "Trying to create a wetland is like taking a vein in your arm and moving it where there is no vein. It may look like a vein, but it does not function like one."
So what?
- Wetlands are super important to environment and human. Because they helps limit the damaging effects of waves, convey, and store floodwaters, trap sediment and reduce pollution, purify the water, etc.
What if?
- All wetlands are disappeared? We wouldn't have as much O2, the lands and soils dry up, the water doesn't have a chance to purifying, etc.
Says who?
- The authors Jon A. Kusler, William J. Mitsch and Joseph S. Larson, with other scientists and congressmen.
What does this remind me of?
- This is remind me of the Ocean Acidification because they both about human activities impact on environment. People need to think twice before they proceed on the nature.