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Wetlands exist on every continent, except Antarctica. [3] The water in wetlands is either freshwater, brackish or saltwater. [2] The main types of wetland are defined based on the dominant plants and the source of the water. For example, marshes are wetlands dominated by emergent herbaceous vegetation such as reeds, cattails and sedges.
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem found in and around a body of water, in contrast to land-based terrestrial ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems contain communities of organisms — aquatic life —that are dependent on each other and on their environment.
White water lilies are a typical marsh plant in European areas of deeper water. Many kinds of birds nest in marshes; this one is a yellow-headed blackbird.. Marshes provide a habitat for many species of plants, animals, and insects that have adapted to living in flooded conditions or other environments. [1]
Wetlands have decreased by as much as 50% since 1900 and in some parts of the world by 90%. [19] [20] Inland wetlands, freshwater marshes making up about 20-25% of all freshwater wetlands globally, [21] have been decreasing approximately 1.2% each year throughout the last century (since 1900). [22] [23]
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 ...
Freshwater swamp forests are rich in biodiversity and provide habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species. They support numerous aquatic species, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Birds are also abundant in these ecosystems. The flooded conditions can make these areas particularly important for fish breeding and spawning. [20]
In wetlands, nitrogen is used by the vascular and non-vascular vegetation to grow, therefore removing the nitrogen naturally and preventing a large amount of nitrogen from entering the coastal region creating anoxic habitats in the ocean. [28] Conservation of the brackish marsh wetlands can be a last resort to help prevent these potential problems.
Wetlands exist on every continent, except Antarctica. [19] The water in wetlands is either freshwater, brackish or saltwater. [18] The main types of wetland are defined based on the dominant plants and the source of the water. For example, marshes are wetlands dominated by emergent herbaceous vegetation such as reeds, cattails and sedges.