What is a Wetland? | US EPA Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season Water saturation (hydrology) largely determines how the soil develops and the types of plant and animal communities living in and on the soil
Wetland - Wikipedia Wetlands have unique characteristics: they are generally distinguished from other water bodies or landforms based on their water level and on the types of plants that live within them
Wetland | Definition, Characteristics, Types, Importance, Examples . . . wetland, complex ecosystem characterized by flooding or saturation of the soil, which creates low-oxygen environments that favor a specialized assemblage of plants, animals, and microbes These organisms exhibit adaptations designed to tolerate periods of sluggishly moving or standing water
What is a wetland? And 8 other wetland facts | Stories | WWF Wetlands take many forms including rivers, marshes, bogs, mangroves, mudflats, ponds, swamps, billabongs, lagoons, lakes, and floodplains Most large wetland areas often include a combination of different types of freshwater systems
Home - Wetlands International Wetlands occur wherever water meets land These unique habitats include mangroves, peatlands and marshes, rivers and lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded forests, rice-fields, and even coral reefs Healthy wetlands are central to solving the interconnected climate, biodiversity, and water crises
What are wetlands? | U. S. Geological Survey - USGS. gov Wetlands provide habitat for thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals Wetlands are valuable for flood protection, water quality improvement, shoreline erosion control, natural products, recreation, and aesthetics
Wetland - Education | National Geographic Society Wetlands go by many names, such as swamps, peatlands, sloughs, marshes, muskegs, bogs, fens, potholes, and mires Most scientists consider swamps, marshes, and bogs to be the three major kinds of wetlands A swamp is a wetland permanently saturated with water and dominated by trees
What is a wetland? - NOAAs National Ocean Service There are many different kinds of wetlands and many ways to categorize them NOAA classifies wetlands into five general types: marine (ocean), estuarine (estuary), riverine (river), lacustrine (lake), and palustrine (marsh)