What is wetland ecosystem

Other abiotic factors of wetlands include sedimentation, erosion, turbidity water clarity , nutrients, alkalinity, temperature and physical dynamics such as ice scouring in colder climates.

Climate itself hugely impacts wetlands. Another major abiotic factor is human intrusion via land use, agriculture, shipping and urban development. Wetlands provide extraordinary wildlife diversity. The dominant wetlands wildlife includes fishes and crustaceans, migrating birds and waterfowl, and some mammal species such as:. Wetlands serve as spawning and nursery grounds for many fish. Turtles, frogs, snakes, and other reptiles and amphibians call wetlands home.

Many of these animals provide food for other animals and for people. A number of endangered and threatened wildlife species reside in wetlands. Dominant wildlife in wetlands, whether they are birds, mammals, fish or invertebrates, rely upon the primary producers like aquatic vegetation to survive. The dominant wetlands wildlife species ensure food webs remain intact both near and far from wetlands. Wetland ecology represents a balance between the species that live in wetlands and the environment around them.

Hydrology affects every aspect of wetland ecology. Flooding shapes the chemical and physical characteristics of wetlands and how much oxygen exists in them. When this delicate balance unravels, wetlands and their denizens suffer. Pollution disrupts the chemical balance of wetlands that plants and animals depend upon to survive. Wetlands provide flood control, storm barriers, clean water and aquifer restoration. Bog bodies are in such excellent condition that anthropologist s can examine clothes, tattoos, and hair color, and even investigate a cause of death.

Most people found in bogs were killed, though historians and anthropologists debate whether they were murdered or sacrifice d as part of a religious ritual. They are called quaking bogs because the surface quakes when a person walks on the spongy peat. The island of Ireland, with its cool, wet climate, has hundreds of quaking bogs. Unlike other wetlands, bogs usually are not agriculturally fertile. The amount of acid in the soil and water is generally higher than that in swamps or marshes.

The supply of nutrient s, especially nitrogen, is low. Only certain kinds of plants can grow in bogs. Some of the few plants harvested in the wet, acidic soil of bogs are cranberries and blueberries. Plants are autotroph s, meaning they are able to create their own food from air, water, and sunlight. Many bog plants have adapted to the poor nutrients in the soil and water by expanding their food source.

Pitcher plants and sundew, common in bogs, are carnivorous: They trap and consume insects. Because of the limited species of plants, bogs do not have the biodiversity common in other types of wetlands. Insects, common in all wetlands, include butterflies and dragonflies. These insects feed on the nectar in bog flowers.

Ireland has dozens of native butterflies found in bogs. Birds, such as geese and pheasant, also make their homes in the bog, although it is unusual to find larger animals. In North America, moose are one of the few large animals that thrive in bog habitats. Moose, the largest species of deer, consume aquatic plants such as pond lilies. Vital Ecosystems Wetlands are some of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. They act like giant sponges or reservoirs. During heavy rains, wetlands absorb excess water, limiting the effects of flooding.

Wetlands also protect coastal areas from storm surge s that can wash away fragile beaches and coastal communities. Saltwater swamps and tidal salt marshes help secure coastal soil and sand. Wetland ecosystems also act as water-treatment facilities. The plants, fungi, and algae of a wetland filter wastes and purify water.

Nitrate s and other runoff chemicals often wash into wetlands from urban area s and farm s. Organisms there absorb the harmful chemicals. Pollutant s not absorbed by plants slowly sink to the bottom, where they are buried in sand and other sediment. Wetlands, especially marshes and swamps, are home to a wide variety of plant and animal life.

Some animals, such as shrimp, live in tidal marshes. Many marine fishes, such as striped bass, enter coastal wetlands to spawn. Bass swim from the ocean and into salt marshes to lay their eggs.

When the eggs hatch, the young bass find plenty of food and some protection in the grasses or tree roots. Oysters live in huge reefs in salt marshes. All of these wetlands are home to economically valuable fisheries. Near the bay, the ecosystem is a tidal salt marsh. Farther from the Atlantic Ocean, freshwater marshes appear close to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries.

Chesapeake Bay wetlands are home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife. Plants include grasses, wild rice, pond lily, cattail, alder, and button bushes. Chesapeake Bay wetlands are a major nesting area for the bald eagle, a symbol of the United States. Bald eagles and ospreys feed on fish in the Chesapeake Bay. Many migratory birds, including swans and geese, spend winters in the Chesapeake wetlands.

Other animals native to the Chesapeake Bay include muskrats, beavers, otters, turtles, frogs, and numerous shellfish, as well as the fox squirrel and bog turtle, which are endangered species. Economic Importance Wetlands are economically important to people. They are popular places for recreational activities, such as hunting, hiking, canoeing, and bird-watching.

According to the U. Images of blue crabs are on thousands of souvenirs, and many Maryland restaurants serve crab cakes. For most of history, wetlands were looked upon as wastelands.

They do not easily support development. The soil is wet, spongy, and difficult to build on. Wetlands are also home to pests, from mosquitoes to alligators. Until recently, draining wetlands was accepted practice. Drained wetlands provided land for agriculture, housing, industry , schools, and hospitals. The capital of the United States, Washington, D.

Almost half of U. Drainage and peat harvesting have destroyed wetlands in Ireland and Scandinavia. Many fish that depend on wetlands have become rare. Some of these species, such as flounder, trout, and bass, are commercially important. Freshwater and ocean fisheries depend on wetlands to provide habitat for the next generation of fish.

In the early s, governments began recognizing the enormous value of wetlands. To protect the vanishing ecosystems, hunting and fishing licenses were restricted. Living shoreline s and other restoration project s encouraged the development of coastal wetlands to protect communities from storm surges. Fines and restrictions on agricultural and industrial runoff reduced the toxic chemicals spilling into wetlands.

In some parts of the world, including the United States, it is now against the law to alter or destroy wetlands. Through management plans and stricter laws, people are trying to protect remaining wetlands and to recreate them in areas where they have been destroyed. Case Study: Tres Rios The arid urban area of Phoenix, Arizona, serves an example of how wetlands support the economy, health, and wildlife of an area. Wetlands are home of a large biota diversity and provide significant economic, social and cultural benefits related to timber, fisheries, hunting, recreational and tourist activities, etc.

In general they provide a wide array of useful and appreciated ecosystem services related to water quality preservation, erosion shore protection from wave action, nurseries for fish and other freshwater and marine animals. Wetlands can be critical to groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, and reductions of storm and flooding damages.

Wetlands play an important role in educating people about biodiversity and natural processes. However, many wetlands across the world have undergone significant degradation with negative impacts on biological diversity and peoples' livelihoods. Many of their resources are considered under risk as a result of anthropic impacts related to water management, damming, fishing, farming, oil exploitation, agriculture and forestry, etc.

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NRC Table 1: Excerpts from three wetland definitions distinguishing wetland habitats from other ecosystems What may seem like a relatively straightforward task, developing a precise definition for wetlands presented some difficulty and resulted in many different definitions Table 1.

To be considered a wetland, an area must have: hydrology that results in wet or flooded soils soils that are dominated by anaerobic processes, and biota, particularly rooted vascular plants, that are adapted to life in flooded, anaerobic environments. Wetland Conservation and Ecosystem Services.