Wonderful Wetlands
Do you live near wetlands? These are places with waterlogged soil that may be covered by shallow water during at least part of the year. The wet soil and water make a difference to the kinds of animals and plants that live there.
Wetlands act like water filters. They trap polluting substances and release nitrogen. They’re important to the health of the planet, people and animals.
Freshwater wetlands
Most of our wetlands in the lower 48 states (about 95%) are freshwater wetlands. Some states are much wetter than others; for example, Florida has 20% of all the wetlands in the United States. Most of those are freshwater.
These areas include:
• Marshes, with plants with soft stems, grasses, rushes and sedges.
• Bogs, areas with a lot of peat, a material made up of decayed plants. Peat feels bouncy to walk on. Bogs are found in the colder climates. Cranberries are grown in bogs.
• Swamps, wet areas with trees and shrubs.
• Wet meadows, low-lying areas usually near streams and lakes.
Saltwater wetlands
• Saltwater marshes are made up of grasses. The tide rises and falls in these marshes twice each day. They are found on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts.
• Mangrove swamps are where groups of mangrove trees grow in salty waters in warm tropical areas. These are mainly found in southern Florida. Their long roots trap dirt and sand and help to build up shorelines.
Wetlands are shrinking
Today, the lower 48 states have about 110 million acres of wetlands. That’s about half of the amount in the 1600s. Humans are responsible for some of that loss, because of farming, construction, pollution and building dams and dikes. Natural causes include droughts and erosion.