Abigail. Taylor, Bradly Aron Shannon

A wetland is an area of land that is inundated or submerged in water all year or at various parts of the year. Inundated means flood They support plants adapted to water-saturated soil. What they do: Provide habitat for wildlife Filter, clean, and store water Collect and hold flood waters Plants found here help control water erosion water erosion is a type of weathering in which surface soil and rock are worn away by water actions

Water and soil are periodically low in dissolved oxygen levels due to the high organic production by plants, microbes, and other organisms. Microbes are tiny organisms that cannot be seen without a microscope. They live everywhere Have a high capacity to filter dissolve nutrients and chemical pollutants. They are like kidneys for ecosystem

There are three types of wetlands geologically Basin Wetlands Riverine Wetlands Fringe Wetlands

Develop in shallow basins A basin is an area between or at the bottom of a depression.

Develop along shallow river banks and river banks that are periodically flooded.

They occur along the coasts of large lakes and the sea. Water flows back and forth because of tidal action making fringe wetlands both freshwater and marine (saltwater) biomes. Example: marshes

Marshes Swamps Bogs

Areas of shallow water that are transitions from water to land Can be freshwater or salt water The amount of water changes constantly Salt water marshes change with tide A river or streams is usually the water source Water comes into the marsh a settles in the soil and is also absorbed by plants

Both aquatic and non aquatic plants grow in wetlands Duckweed Lilly pads Cattails Pondweeds Arrowheads Willow trees

Include both fresh and saltwater Beaver Alligators Newts Shrimps Turtle

Beaver dams Crayfish burrows Fallen trees Make a great place for birds to rest at. Dead snags What is left over from dead trees that had their roots downed in a flood or by mud.

A wetland that is dominated by woody pants They are characterized by saturated soils during growing season and standing water during certain parts of the year. Highly organic soil forms a black, thick soil for nutrient-rich environment. Supports water-tolerant trees Swamps playa rival role in flood protection and nutrient removal. Many creatures depend on swamps as a valuable food source.

Because of nutrient-rich soils found in swamps, many of the fertile woodlands have been drained and cleared for agriculture development.

Found throughout the United States, they are usually inundated with flood water from near by rivers and streams Covered with very slow moving or standing water During dry seasons, they can have the only water around for miles. Also called Bottomland Hardwoods They are river swamps and are generally found in broad floodplains

These trees have the ability to survive in arears that are flooded all year or for parts of the year Gum Tree (Eucalyptus) Oak Tree (Quercus bicolor) Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)

Have same function as a forest swamp but with more shrubby and bush like vegetation Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris) Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) Dogwood (Cornus obliqua)

Forest and shrub swamps are usually found close together. This type of swamp if found along moving streams and floodplains, so the soil is waterlogged all year around and sometimes this area is completely covered. Mangrove swamp is an example of a shrub swamp. It is dominated by mangroves found in south Florida.

Forest and shrub swamps are usually found close together. This type of swamp if found along moving streams and floodplains, so the soil is waterlogged all year around and sometimes this area is completely covered. Mangrove swamp is an example of a shrub swamp. It is dominated by mangroves found in south Florida.

American crocodile Anaconda common egret Crane Flamingo Shrimp

characterized by spongy peat deposits an accumulation of decomposing matter in an area over time. have acidic waters and a floor covered by a thick carpet of sphagnum moss Formed mainly by rainwater, causes it to be low in nutrients. It can develop as sphagnum moss grows over a lake or pond, slowly filling it, this is called terrestrialization. or by paludification, sphagnum moss taking over a dry area of land, trapping the water under the surface. Over time acid peat deposits build up over time. Sphagnum moss grows in low ph (acidic) environments Plant and animal communities that liver have developed special adaptations in order to survive the low nutrient levels and acidic waters.

Have short growing seasons and found in areas that have low temperatures. In the unities states the often form in old glacial lakes by terrestrialization, but some may be open water surrounded by floating vegetation. The acidic water caused by sphagnum peats make ecosystems here specialized. The plants that can grow here are called acidophiles.

Insectivorous plants : The Northern Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea) round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) Common trees: black spruce (Picea mariana) tamarack (Larix laricina)