Wetland Habitats Wetlands are some of the world's most important environments Because they are made up of both land and water they are home to thousands of types of plants and animals What Is a Wetland Wetlands are areas where the ground is covered with water for part of the year Although the water does not usually flow in or out the amount of water in a wetland region depends on the season In hot summer months the pools of standing water can dry up while in the rainy season almost all the land might be covered All sorts of creatures live in wetlands from tiny gnats to huge crocodiles Wetlands V Wetlands are areas of land that are covered in water for part of the year This marshland is in North Carolina one in North America Muskrat page 14 South America Marsh deer page
Types of wetlands The main types of wetlands are swamps marshes bogs and floodplains Each one is home to different plants and animals Swamps can be made up of freshwater or salt water and they often have tall trees growing in them Marshes are similar to swamps but they have more grasses than trees Bogs have a spongy soil called peat The plants that grow there are usually mosses or reeds Floodplains are areas around rivers that flood when the river overflows Other types of wetlands include fens ponds and mangroves EXTREME ANIMALS V This map shows the world s largest wetland areas although wetlands can be found in almost every country Wetland water scorpions have been nicknamed toe biters because of their painful nip They can seize fish larger than themselves with at their sharp pincers 4 in 2 cm Gharial page 1 Asia Europe Tropic of Cancer Africa Equator Tropic of Capricorn Australia Western swamp tortoise page 2 Hippo page
Wetlands under threat Over the last 100 years more than half of all the wetlands in the world have disappeared as humans have taken the land and water to meet their own needs Where Have the Wetlands Gone For years people regarded wetlands as wastelands that could be turned into useful land for farming or to live on Pollution from farming and factories has poisoned the water Wetland water has been channeled away for irrigation Climate change is also affecting wetlands as hotter summers mean there is less water Birds such as this heron in Florida need wetlands to wade in to catch fish Why Are Wetlands Important Wetlands stop flooding by absorbing water like a sponge They also help to purify water see page 18 When water levels are low wetlands slowly release water and plant matter into rivers and surrounding areas keeping other habitats healthy They are vital for thousands of species that live there all year round or use them as resting places during migration or for
ENDANGERED ANIMALS The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN see page 28 lists animals according to how endangered they are Extinct Died out completely Extinct in the wild Only survive in captivity for example in zoos Critically endangered Extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the near future Endangered High risk of becoming extinct in the wild Vulnerable High risk of becoming endangered in the wild Near threatened Likely to become endangered in the near future Least concern Lowest risk of becoming endangered are A Fish die Saving the World's Wetlands because of As wetlands have dried up or become polluted many of the animals that live pollution there have become endangered Fish and other aquatic creatures die out and in wetland there is not enough food and water for animals farther up the food chain waters This People now realize how important wetlands are In 1975 an agreement also affects the known as Ramsar was set up between the governments of many different animals that countries to help restore and manage wetland areas all over the world feed on
