wetlands
Published: February 28, 2022 | Updated:
August 16, 2023
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently or seasonally.
Wetlands are a key player in global greenhouse gas budgets. Wetlands can be a source of some greenhouse gases, especially when disturbed, but they are also an important carbon sink for greenhouse gases, where carbon is stored and prevented from entering the atmosphere.
Wetlands can be either coastal/tidal, or inland/non-tidal. There are four main types of wetlands:
- Marshes (constantly flooded wetlands)
- Bogs (mossy wetlands)
- Swamps (wooded wetlands)
- Fens (peat-forming wetlands)
Wetlands are among the most productive, biodiverse ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs. Wetlands play an integral role in the ecology of the watershed, providing the foundation for the base of the food-chain.
Additional benefits of wetlands include shoreline stabilization (coastal wetlands), groundwater recharge, flood protection, water purification, and carbon absorption.
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