wetlandsWetlands are areas of standing water that support aquatic plants. Marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens are all considered wetlands. If an area is wet enough for long enough to support a majority of plants that are adapted to wet conditions then you have a wetland. An example might be a patch of land that is dominated by cattails. Since cattails are adapted to a life where they are partially submerged by water, then the area would be considered a wetland, even if it is dry for a part of the year Plant species adapted to the very moist and humid conditions are called hydrophytes. Wetlands have the highest species diversity of all ecosystems. Many species of amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Wetlands are not considered freshwater ecosystems as there are some, such as salt marshes, that have high salt concentrations-these support different species of animals.
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Location & typesWetlands are found all over the world, within almost every terrestrial biome from deserts to alpine tundra. The map shows the distribution of wetland areas in the United States. Notice the most of the wetland areas in the Southeast, the Mississippi river system and in the northern states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Marshes are characterized by the presence of soft-stemmed vegetation adapted to saturated soils. These are typically grasses, sedges or rushes. Some common ones include prairie potholes, the expanses of the Everglades, and salt marshes. Swamps are characterized by the domination of woody plants. There are many different kinds of swamps including the cypress swamps of Louisiana, Red Maple swamps in the Northeast and the Mangrove forests of tropical and subtropical regions. Bogs are distinctive wetlands that are low in nutrients and often contain very acidic water and extensive peat deposits. Fens are different from bogs in that they receive their water supply from either runoff or groundwater (not rainfall). This usually results in a different water chemistry.
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Animals & Plants
Plants that are adapted to moist and humid conditions (such as those found in wetlands) are called hydrophytes. These include cattails, water lilies, bulltongue, sedges, tamarisk, and many kinds of rush. The different vegetation types in a wetland can be divided up into emergents, floating, and submerged plants. Also there are many different types of animals such as frogs, salamanders, birds, ducks, beavers, fishes, alligators, snakes, turtles, and many more.
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