wetlands of the world

Awetlandisanareaoflandthatisentirelycoveredbywaterforatleastpartoftheyear.Doallwetlandslookthesame?No!Eachisadistinctecosystemthatsupports life.

Bog

Abogisawetlandthataccumulatespeat,adepositofdeadplantmaterial.Muchofthismaterialcomesfrommosses,likesphagnummoss.Theirspongy,mossyfloorscontainfewernutrientsthanamarshorswamp.Asaresult,theycannotsupportlarge plants.


Onlyspeciallyadaptedcreatureslikesalamanders,dragonflies,snakes,andcarnivorousplantsthrivein bogs.

Bogsaregenerallyfoundincool,northernclimates.Theyreceivemost of their water from precipitation.


Asawetland,bogsimprovewaterquality,trapcarbonintheirsoil,andprovideahabitatforuniqueplantsand animals.

sphagnum moss

frog

CountyAntrim,NorthernIreland, UK

Mangrove

Amangroveisawetlandfilledwithsalt-lovingtrees.Thesetreesthrivewheremostplantsfailinbrackishwaterwithtwice-dailyoceantides.Thetreeshavecomplexrootandsaltfiltrationsystemstocopewithsaltwaterandwave action.


Mangrovesareimportantbreedingandnestinggroundsforbirds.Theyarealsovitalnurseriesforyoung fish.

Mangrovesareoftenfoundalongtropicalcoastswherefreshwatermeets saltwater.


Asawetland,mangrovesareimportantforstormsurgeprotection,andtheymovecarbonfromtheairintotheirsoilforlong‑term storage.

mangrove roots

scarlet ibis

LosHaitisesNationalPark,Dominican Republic

Swamp

Aswampisawetlanddominatedbywoodyplantsandtrees.Thewetgroundcreatesathick,nutritioussoilforwater-tolerant plants.


Animalsthatliveinswampslikealligatorsandfrogsareadaptedtochangingwaterlevels.Treerootsystemsprovidearich,shelteredhabitatfornestingbirds,aswellasfish,amphibians,and reptiles.

Freshwaterswampsarecommonlyfoundinland,whilesaltwaterswampsareusuallyfoundalongcoastalareas.Theyarefedbywaterfromundergroundorsurfacewatersuchas rivers.


Asawetland,swampsservevitalrolesinfloodprotectionandnutrient removal.

tupelo tree

American
crocodile

FloridaEverglades, USA

Marsh

Amarshisawetlandthatsupportsreedsandgrasses.Smallshrubsoftengrowalongtheedgesasthelandgetsdrier,buttherearefew trees.


InBotswana,lions,jackals,andbat-earedfoxescanbeseenontheoutskirtsofmarshes.Theyarehometodiversebirdlife,suchasAbdim’sstorks,koribustards,andlargesecretary birds.

Marshescanbeformedbytidesinlowlandareasnearacoast.Riversoftenformmarshlandsonlowlyingfloodplainsandnearlakesthatfloodduringthewet season.

Asawetland,marshescontainwatersuppliesintheirsoil.Theyalsoreducedamagebyfloodsbyabsorbing floodwater.

papyrus

Africanfish eagle

Botswana, Africa