Big Ideas: Wetlands and Living Things That Habitat There
What are Wetlands?
Wetlands are lands in which water covers the soil or is present either at or near the surface of the soil or within the root zone, all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season (Water Shedss, 1995). The recurrent or prolonged presence of water at or near the soil surface is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface (Water Shedss, 1995). Wetlands can be identified by the presence of those plants that are adapted to life in the soils that form under flooded or saturated conditions (Water Shedss, 1995).
Wetlands are highly variable and dynamic: they are water bodies, but also include land. They are freshwater, brackish or saline, inland or coastal, seasonal or permanent, natural or man-made (Water Shedss, 1995). Wetlands include mangroves, (peat) swamps and marshes, rivers, lakes, floodplains and flooded forests, rice-fields, and even coral reefs (Water Shedss, 1995). Climate
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Where are They Found?Wetlands are found in every country and in every climatic zone, from the polar regions to the tropics (Wetlands International, 2014). They are distributed around the world and cover an area that is 33% larger than the USA (Wetlands International, 2014).
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Wetlands are found all around the world and the have many seasons (Education Portal, 2013). A wetland during the summer season could be up to 72 degrees Fahrenheit on the top (Education Portal, 2013). This same wetland could be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter season (Education Portal, 2013). The climates usually average 39 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the location of the wetland and the season the wetland is experiencing (Education Portal, 2013).
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Precipitation
Obtaining a long-term precipitation data time-series for a wetland area can be a difficult and time-consuming process (Education Portal, 2013). Once a nearby monitoring location is identified, retrieving the data, accounting for gaps in the record, and generating the summary statistics can provide further challenges (Education Portal, 2013). It has been shown that the average amount of rainfall in wetlands is 1750mm-2000mm of rain per year (Education Portal, 2013).
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A Habitat For Many Living Things
Many different kinds of animals find habitat in wetlands. Some of those animals include, beavers, otters, sea otters, ducks and geese, Shorebirds, Herons, Kingfishers, Birds of Prey, Rails, Pelicans, Grebes, Shearwaters, Borax Lake Chub, salmon, Oregon chub, and the three-spined sticklebacks (OSU Libraries, 2014).
Lots of different kinds of amphibians can be found in wetlands. Some of the amphibians include, Stripped Marsh Frog, Brown Stripped Grass Frog, Spotted Marsh Frog, Bell Frog, Booroolong Frog, Oak Toad, Southern Toad, Eastern Newt, Dwarf Salamander, and the Southeastern Slimy Salamander (OSU Libraries, 2014). |
Various types of reptiles can be found in a wetland. Some of those reptiles include, Blue Water Mountain Stink, Freshwater turtle, freshwater snakes, Eastern Water Dragon, Alpine Water Stink, and Swamp Water Stink (OSU Libraries, 2014).
Many different kinds of insects can be found in a wetland. Some of those insects include, Pond Skaters, Water Scorpion, Water Boatmen, Dragon Fly, fly, Springtail, and mosquito (OSU Libraries, 2014). Various types of plants can found in a wetland. Some of those plants include, various types of fungi, Red Gum, Coolibah Tree, various types of shrubs, Black Box, Lignum, Rushes, and Juncus (OSU Libraries, 2014). |
References:
Image_http://ci.coastal.edu/~sgilman/778wrldwtld.gif
Image_http://www.burnsmcd.com/Resource_/Article/5228/Image1/BM-NeedToKnow-WetlandBanking-GAL.jpg
Image_http://www.bayjournal.com/images/article_images/large/Wetland_RAIN2.jpg
Image_http://moberly.k12.mo.us/Forms/MATC/wd/sitesg/Images/Otters7.jpg
Image_http://jacksonville.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/editorial/images/files/editorial/images/additional/108/Met_freshwaterturtle.jpg
Education Portal. (2013). Freshwater biomes. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/freshwater-biomes-climate-locations-plants-animals.html on January 30, 2015
OSU Libraries. (2014). Wetland plants and animals. Retrieved from http://oregonexplorer.info/wetlands/PlantsandAnimals on January 30, 2015 on odkadgk;d on
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Wetlands International. (2014). What are wetlands. Retrieved from http://www.wetlands.org/Whatarewetlands/tabid/202/Default.aspx on January 30, 2015
Water Shedss. (1995). Wetlands. Retrieved from http://www.water.ncsu.edu/watershedss/info/wetlands/definit.html on January 30, 2015 on O
Image_http://ci.coastal.edu/~sgilman/778wrldwtld.gif
Image_http://www.burnsmcd.com/Resource_/Article/5228/Image1/BM-NeedToKnow-WetlandBanking-GAL.jpg
Image_http://www.bayjournal.com/images/article_images/large/Wetland_RAIN2.jpg
Image_http://moberly.k12.mo.us/Forms/MATC/wd/sitesg/Images/Otters7.jpg
Image_http://jacksonville.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/editorial/images/files/editorial/images/additional/108/Met_freshwaterturtle.jpg
Education Portal. (2013). Freshwater biomes. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/freshwater-biomes-climate-locations-plants-animals.html on January 30, 2015
OSU Libraries. (2014). Wetland plants and animals. Retrieved from http://oregonexplorer.info/wetlands/PlantsandAnimals on January 30, 2015 on odkadgk;d on
on o o
Wetlands International. (2014). What are wetlands. Retrieved from http://www.wetlands.org/Whatarewetlands/tabid/202/Default.aspx on January 30, 2015
Water Shedss. (1995). Wetlands. Retrieved from http://www.water.ncsu.edu/watershedss/info/wetlands/definit.html on January 30, 2015 on O