Wetlands - Types, Functions

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• Wetlands - Types, Functions

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Wetlands Wetlands are areas that are
periodically or permanently inundated by surface
or ground water and support vegetation adapted
for life in saturated soil. Wetlands include
swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas.
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What do wetlands do? Wetland Functions Habitat
- nesting, spawning, rearing and resting sites
for aquatic and land species, food chain
production Water water quality protection,
water filtration and Quality purification,
treatment of nonpoint source runoff
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What are hydrophytes?

• Hydrophytes are water-loving plants. (Hydrophytes
  grow in wetlands.)

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Hydrology

• Hydrology - protection of other areas from wave
  action and erosion, storage areas for storm water
  and flood water, ground and surface water,
  aquifer recharge

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Why are wetlands important?

• maintain biodiversity
• provide habitat for animals
• maintain water quality
• support commercial fishing,
  forestry

• reduce flood damage
• hiking, fishing, hunting, bird watching, boating
• aesthetic value

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• Where are wetlands located?
• Wetlands are found bordering bodies of water
  on the edges of oceans, lakes, ponds, rivers and
  streams
• Wetlands are found wherever the land topography
  creates drainage areas

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Did you know? Nationwide, an estimated 50
million people spend approximately 10 billion
annually observing and photographing
wetland-dependent birds.
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Wetland Classification

• Wetland Types
• Swamp Forest
• Bottomland Hardwood
• Pine Flat
• Hardwood Flat
• Freshwater Marsh
• Salt/Brackish Marsh
• Estuarine Scrub Shrub
• Estuarine Forest
• Maritime Forest
• Headwater Swamp

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The following slides show photos of wetland types
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Riverine Swamp Forest
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Headwater Swamp
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Swamp Forest
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Hard Wood Flat
Wet Pine Flat
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Tidal Salt Marsh
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Loss of Wetlands

• 50 of the United States Wetlands have been lost.

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Causes of Wetland Loss

• Wetlands are lost when they are dredged or
  drained for human development to irrigate or
  use land for farms, industry, residential, roads,
  parking lots,etc.