Wetlands Habitat - Defenders of Wildlife
Wetlands Habitat
Defenders of Wildlife
Wetlands Habitat
Wetlands are the link between land and water and are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world. Some common names for different types of wetlands are swamp, marsh and bog. Depending on the type of wetland it may be filled mostly with trees, grasses, shrubs or moss. To be called a wetland, an area must be filled or soaked with water at least part of the year. Some wetlands are actually dry at certain times of the year!
Wetlands have many important functions that benefit people and wildlife.
* Provide habitat for a wide variety and number of wildlife and plants
* Filter, clean and store water, and act like kidneys for other ecosystems
* Collect and hold flood waters
* Absorb wind and tidal forces
* Provide places of beauty and many recreational activities
Other names for wetlands include: muskeg, moor, fen, carr, dambo, mangal, vlei, bayou, slough, pocosin, prairie pothole and vernal pools. Each type of wetland has characteristics specific to their part of the world.
Wildlife
Wetlands provide extremely important habitat for a wide variety of wildlife – mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates like crabs, crayfish, dragonflies and yes, mosquitoes. Some animals live their whole lives in wetlands and others depend on wetlands for essential parts of their life cycle such as breeding sites. Wetlands provide:
* An extensive and complex food chain used by animals from alligators to zebra butterflies, salamanders, snakes, snapping turtles, marsh hawks and mink.
Please visit the website for more information.
Votes:31
Comments: 0