Wetlands Estuary

Wetlands Wetlands are areas of land that are saturated with water most of the year.

Wetlands Are found on every continent except for Antarctica. Canada has 1,270,000 square kilometers of wetlands – that’s 25% of the worlds wetlands.

Wetlands Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, and bogs.

Marshes Dominated by soft-stemmed plants (i.e. grasses, cattails) that are adapted to saturated conditions. Can be divided into two types: tidal and non-tidal.

Swamps Considered any wetlands that are dominated by woody plants. Characterized by saturated soil during the growing season, and standing water during the rest of the year. Soils are thick, black, and nutrient-rich.

Bogs Characterized by spongy peat deposits, acidic waters, and a ground cover dominated by sphagnum moss. Bogs receive all of their water from precipitation rather than runoff and groundwater like the other wetlands. Soil is typically nutrient- poor.

Wetland Functions Dead plant leaves and stems break down in the water to form small particles of organic material called "detritus." This enriched material feeds many small aquatic insects, shellfish, and small fish that are food for larger predatory fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals.

Wetland Functions Wetland vegetation traps carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Wetland Functions Help remove pollutants from the water. Control flooding by absorbing extra water when rivers overflow. Produce many important products including cranberries, blueberries, and peat moss.

Wetland Threats Formerly considered “wastelands”! They have been drained and cleared for farms and development. Pesticides

Estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water formed where freshwater from rivers and streams flows into the ocean, mixing with the salty sea water.

Estuaries Although influenced by the tides, estuaries are protected from the full force of ocean waves, winds, and storms by the reefs, barrier islands, or fingers of land, mud, or sand that define an estuary's seaward boundary.

Estuaries The tidal, sheltered waters of estuaries support unique communities of plants and animals, specially adapted for life at the margin of the sea.

Estuary Importance Tens of thousands of birds, mammals, fish, and other wildlife depend on estuarine habitats as places to live, feed, and reproduce. –Migratory Birds Nesting Sites –Commercially Important Fish

Estuary Importance Being that estuaries are wetlands, estuaries are important natural pollutant filters. Used for recreation. Make safe harbors for ships.

Threats to Estuary Pollution Dredging Agricultural run-off Unnecessary human interference. Exotic species introduction.