Wetlands

Maria is taking her dog, Diva, for a walk in the forest. Diva loves this area. She loves rolling in the mud! Maria doesn't like it here as much. The ground is often flooded, so she needs to wear rubber boots to not get her feet wet.

There are always mosquitoes too, and it smells like rotten eggs. Maria heard that the city is planning to drain this area and build a new shopping centre here. That sounds like a great idea! Who needs a swamp anyway?! A swamp, such as this one, is an area of land covered with shallow water for a portion of the year or even all year round.

It’s an example of a wetland. Wetlands exist on every continent, except Antarctica, usually in lowland areas, or close to lakes, ponds, rivers, or seas. Wetlands might be either completely flooded with shallow standing water, or just hold enough moisture in the soil to make the area muddy. The soil in wetlands is unique. It works a little like a sponge!

It absorbs and holds water in the little spaces between soil grains. This means there is not much space for air and oxygen to get into the soil. Most plants on land need oxygen in the soil. Animals and microorganisms like bacteria or fungi that live in the soil, need oxygen too. This is why in the wetlands we can only find special types of plants and other organisms that are well adapted to the wet, oxygen-poor conditions.

But not every wetland is the same. The difference between different wetlands is mostly in the soils and types of plants growing there. There are four major types of wetlands. Swamps are forested wetlands, where woody plants grow, such as trees and bushes. Plants with soft stems, such as grasses, rushes, and reeds, are typical for the second type of wetlands - marshes.

Marshes are often found at the edges of lakes, where the dry land transitions into water. Bogs are another type of wetland. They form where rainwater accumulates. Most typical plants in bogs are mosses and shrubs such as cranberries. The environment here is quite acidic, and there is very little oxygen and nutrients.

So, when plants die in bogs, they break down very slowly, creating a layer of partly decomposed organic matter - peat. Peat also forms in the last type of wetlands - fens. Conditions in fens are less acidic than in bogs, and there are more nutrients available. Plants typical for fens include brown mosses, and different types of wildflowers. Wetlands play a very important role.

One of the benefits is that wetland plants absorb substances dissolved in water. In this way, wetlands help purify water. Because soil in wetlands acts like a sponge, it can soak up large amounts of high water - water from heavy storms, when tides change, or when snow melts. In this way, wetlands help prevent floods. Another benefit is that wetlands are home to many unique species.

Apart from wetland plants, many different kinds of animals live here too, for instance many species of long-legged wading birds, such as herons; amphibians, such as frogs, newts and salamanders; and reptiles, such as crocodiles. Wetlands also have plenty of insects that lay their eggs in shallow water. Many people enjoy wetlands too, as a great place for recreation: birdwatching, fishing, or hiking. Hm, maybe a swamp is better than a shopping centre... Oh, no, Diva!

You’re all dirty! Let’s go home and give you a wash!