Wetlands:
*A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique hydric soil. Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment, principally water purification, flood control, carbon sink and shoreline stability. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life.
Wetlands occur naturally on every continent except Antartica, the largest including the Amazon River basin, the West Siberian Plain, and the Pantanal in South America. The water found in wetlands can be freshwater, brackish, or saltwater. The main wetland types include swamps, marshes, bogs, and fens; and sub-types include mangrove, carr, pocosin, and varzea.
A patch of land that develops pools of water after a rain storm would not be considered a "wetland", even though the land is wet. Wetlands have unique characteristics: they are generally distinguished from other water bodies or landforms based on their water level and on the types of plants that live within them. Specifically, wetlands are characterized as having a water table that stands at or near the land surface for a long enough period each year to support aquatic plants.
A more concise definition is a community composed of hydric soils and hydrophytes.
Wetland hydrology is associated with the spatial and temporal dispersion, flow, and physio-chemical attributes of surface and ground water in its reservoirs. Based on hydrology, wetlands can be categorized as riverine (associated with streams), lacustrine (associated with lakes and reservoirs), and palustrine (isolated). Sources of hydrological flows into wetlands are predominantly precipitation, surface water, and ground water. Water flows out of wetlands by evapotranspiration, surface runoff, and subsurface water outflow. Hydrodynamics (the movement of water through and from a wetland) affects hydro-periods (temporal fluctuations in water levels) by controlling the water balance and water storage within a wetland.
When we think of wetlands, geology doesn't usually come to mind. Yet, geology plays an important role in the wetland development and the characteristics listed above. Water accumulates in areas where it cannot penetrate the earth below. Some rocks, such as granite, shale and slate are naturally impervious to water . On the other hand, porous rocks can become impermeable if their pores become filled with fine particles from soil or sediments. Clay, for example, consists of very small particles that are easily carried long distance by moving water. Clay can potentially block up the pores in underlying rock and create a waterproof barrier that allow wetlands to develop.
The landscape also plays a large role in the ability of water to accumulate in an area. Topogenous wetlands are the most common and occur where water naturally accumulates such as hollows and valleys. Soligenous wetlands are similar to topogenous wetlands in that they also lie in hollows but the water source comes from springs. Flood plain wetlands also depend on the landscape and occur in river valleys where the adjacent land is low, broad and flat.
The Reedy Creek Wetland:
At the posted coordinates, you will be very near the northwesternmost corner or the southern part Reedy Creek wetland. To the Northeast is the rest of the Reedy Creek wetland area, but it is in private property that is owned by the big theme parks nearby. The southern part of the wetland is administered by Osceola and Polk Counties as part of the Reedy Creek Mitigation Banks and is public land. it is just over 3.6 square miles in size.
The forested area you see is actually a buffer area. To your east is a bridge over Reedy Creek. If you were to follow the creek, just a few short distance away, you will see less and less coniferous trees and more of the type of vegetation associated with wetlands. For the purposes of this Earthcache, you will be able to make enough observations to answer the questions required to log this as a find.
How to log this Earthcache:
****Send me your answers BEFORE logging the find.****
In order to claim the find, send me an email using the link just belot the Earthcache title with the answers to the following questions:
1) Based on the surrounding geology, what type of wetland do you think this is? (Topogenous, Soligenous, or Flood Plans)
2) Do you think this area is a seasonal or a permanent wetland? Why?
3) Do you think this wetland is riverine, lacustrine or palustrine? Why?
4) Why do you think water accumulates in this area? What kind of soil features do you think causes this particular area to be a wetland?
5) Is the water in this wetland saltwater, brackish or fresh water?
6) (Optional) This is not required for logging this Earthcache, but it makes for a fun memory of your find. Post a picture of yourself or your entourage at or near the GZ.
*Source: Wikipedia
