In the words of Bill Nye the Science Guy, do you ever find yourself so bored that watching traffic seems interesting? If so, lose the attitude and go check out a wetland near you! Besides being beautiful, wetlands are very important. But, what is a wetland, anyway? Well, you've got land, you've got water-it's not that complicated. So, a wetland is any place where the land is wet; that's where they got the idea for the name, OK?
But why should you care about wetlands? Wetlands play a variety of roles in the environment. All wetlands, whether coastal or inland, provide special habitats that affect wildlife far beyond their boundaries. Wetlands are uniquely important to plants, animals, humans, and the total environment.
- Wetlands are rich with wildlife because of the abundance of food and plant cover (which serves as shelter)
- Wetlands are extremely important in flood control, holding back and absorbing excess rain water and allowing it to gradually drain away
- During dry periods wetlands hold moisture long after open bodies of water have disappeared
- Both coastal and inland marshes provide breeding, resting and wintering habitats for thousands of migratory birds including ducks, herons, and shorebirds
- Many species of fish caught commercially (including bass, salmon, and perch) reproduce and spend part of their lives in wetlands close to larger bodies of water
- Many kinds of insects, crustaceans, clams, snails, frogs, salamanders, turtles and mammals live and breed in wetlands
- Wetlands cleanse the environment by trapping and neutralizing sewage waste, allowing silt to settle out of the water, and helping to decompose some toxic substances
- Wetland plants absorb nutrients and cycle them through the food web
- Photosynthesis of wetlands plants adds oxygen to the environment. These plants also provide food for other life
The many functions and activities that take place in wetlands make them among the most productive and valuable ecosystems in the world.
Kathy Kramer
Director
Aquatic Outreach Institute
1327 South 46th Street
Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 231-5655
kathy@aoinstitute.org
http://www.aoinstitute.org