The word "wetland" indicates that water is the first requirement for wetlands to exist. A wetland can be identified by three basic factors: soil, vegetation, and water regime. A wetland generally is described as an area where water is the dominant factor in determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface. Specifically, a wetland is an area that is periodically or permanently saturated or covered by surface water or groundwater , that displays unique soils associated with extended saturation, and that typically supports or is capable of supporting water-loving vegetation.
Wetlands form in areas where one or more of the following occur:
⦁ The land is flat and water runs off the surface very slowly
⦁ Water becomes ponded in land-surface depressions
⦁ Infiltration of precipitation into the soil is slow
⦁ Groundwater discharges to the land surface
⦁ The water table (the upper surface of the saturated zone of an unconfined groundwater system) is at the land surface.
Wetlands are the second most productive ecosystem on our planet. Wetlands purify our air and water, they provide important nesting and feeding grounds for migratory birds, and they support more than a third of America’s endangered species.
Wetland is a broad term for any flat, spongy, water-saturated, semi-terrestrial environment. The land mixes with the water. And the water mixes with the land. Wetlands are characterized by distinctive plant and animal species.
There are two main types of wetlands -- the coastal tidal wetlands and salt marshes, and inland freshwater wetlands and ponds.
Wetlands are areas of land that are covered with fresh water or saltwater and feature species adapted to life in a saturated environment. They are shallow and allow the growth of rooted or anchored plants.
Wetlands begin with the saturation of a land habitat. Over time, sediment and organic debris collected in the depressions and the water became shallower until the accumulated sediment and debris filled in the water and left behind shallow wetland ponds surrounded by dry land.
Because wetlands are among the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world, they are of extreme significance to scores of species, many of which are endangered. In the United States for example, one-third of the nation's threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands, while half use wetlands during a portion of their lives. Without the wetlands, these species would go extinct.
Estuarine and marine fish and shellfish, and some mammals must have wetlands to survive as they are breeding grounds and/or provide a rich source of food via decomposing plant matter. Some of the species that live in wetlands include wood ducks and muskrats. Other fish, mammals, reptiles and birds visit wetlands periodically because they provide food, water and shelter.
In addition to being unique ecosystems, wetlands also act as a filter for pollution and excess sediment. This is important because rainwater runoff is normally laden with dangerous pesticides and other pollutants. By going through a wetland prior to reaching open water, this is filtered out and often, excess sediment naturally builds up in the wetland instead of in rivers or other water bodies.
Protecting or planting native plants along streams and shorelines prevents erosion, protects water quality, and provides wildlife habitat.
In order to claim this earthcache, please send an email to 9livesgone@gmail.com and answer the following questions:
1. What is the approximate size of this particular wetland system?
2. Is this wetland system a coastal tidal wetland or an inland freshwater wetland? Which type of area is this wetland?
3. What types of plants are growing along this wetland and why?
4. What is the elevation at the listed coordinates?
5. What wildlife and animals can you see on your visit today?