Animals and Plants of the Wetlands

The amount of vegetation in a wetland makes a big difference to a wetlands well being. The more plants a wetland has, the more water, nutrients, and minerals it will obtain, and as a result of more minerals, the soil will become richer and even more plants will grow. Also, with more plants the velocity of the water is slowed down, and more water is released into the atmosphere by the plants. The less vegetation there is in a wetland, the higher the water flow, and the bigger chance of flooding.

Wetlands are home to a diverse culture of plants and animals. For example, nearly fifty percent of amphibians breed in one type of wetland (vernal pools). Without the ecological support of wetlands, we would see the extinction of many unique species that can only be supported in a wetlands environment. In fact, approximately 43 percent of all the endangered bird species live in the wetlands.

Wetlands give habitats to a lot of different land animals, semi-aquatic (beavers and muskrats), and plants. Wetlands provide animals with food and shelter, as well as a place to raise their young. Amphibians have to live in wet places, so what better place than a wetland for hundreds of species of frogs and salamanders? Wetlands are also known to harbor snakes, turtles, and alligators.

You will find different species of birds around some wetlands, swamps especially, because they are often home to dead trees, which make great places for birds to nest. There are also lots of insects in wetlands because wetlands are too shallow for a lot of fish to live in, and insects can lay there eggs in wetlands without fear of them being eaten.

The plants in wetlands are many and varied, and a lot of them can only live in the wetlands and nowhere else. Wetland plants have adapted so that they are buoyant and will float on the surface of the wetland in order to be more useful to themselves and the wetland. Some plants you might find in wetlands are branched bur reed, hornwort, frogbit, and Canadian pondweed.

One of the reasons certain wetlands in the U.S. are protected is because of their importance in birds' migratory routes. There are hemispheric, regional and international routes. The regional routes give a rest stop to about 20,000 birds, which is about five percent of the North American water birds. The international routes provide for 100,000 birds and the hemispheric for 500,000. If just a few wetlands in a row were destroyed, almost all the birds would die (Toxic).

Along with the destruction of wetlands comes the extermination of the unique species that call the marshes their home. About 32% of threatened and endangered species live in wetlands (N.W.F.). Wetlands aren't only ideal places for development; they are also ideal places for animals to live. They are a very good place for fish because they have a lot of food and provide shelter for them. This in turn attracts birds that eat the fish. Wetlands are also the home of many other fish, birds, shellfish, and rodents.

If the wetlands are destroyed wild animals won't be the only ones to suffer. Pollution levels will rise because the wetland vegetation won't be filtering the water. Flooding will increase because there won't be wetlands to store and regulate the water. One acre of wetlands can store up to 360,000 gallons of water (California). Wetlands also attract many tourists each year, and 70% of commercial fishing relies on wetlands (California).

Although the future of the wetlands looks grim, there is hope for them. Many people are trying to help, and there have been laws and regulations passed in a lot of countries that help to protect them. There are also a lot of organizations around the world that are doing all that they can to help such as the EPA, Sierra Club, and National Wildlife Federation.

Go to:

INDEX PAGE DIFFERENT TYPES FUNCTIONS AND VALUES SFBAY WHATS HAPPENING RESOURCE LIST     TAKE A STAND