what is a wetland?
DESCRIPTION
What is a Wetland?. A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Characteristics of a Wetland. Wetlands vary widely due to local and regional differences in: Topography Hydrology Vegetation - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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What is a Wetland?
• A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally.
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Characteristics of a Wetland
• Wetlands vary widely due to local and regional differences in:
• Topography • Hydrology• Vegetation• and other factors, including human disturbance. • Wetlands can be divided into two main classes:
tidal and non-tidal areas.
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Wetland Topography
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Where are Wetlands Located?
• Wetlands are found on every continent except Antarctica
• One of the world's largest natural wetlands is the Patanal , which straddles Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay in South America.
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Climate
• Many of the world's wetlands are in temperate zones (midway between the North or South Pole and the equator)
• Amount of rainfall a wetland receives varies widely according to its location
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What does a Wetland Do?• water purification
systems• flood control• shoreline stability • reservoirs of
biodiversity.
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Ecosystem Stress
• Water Scarcity • Endangered species• Imbalance in sediment load and nutrient
filtration• Disruption of breeding grounds
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Natural or Not..
• Wetlands may be converted for agriculture or development or constructed as a water management tool as in the recent developing field of Water Sensitive Urban Design
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Agriculture
• Concerns are developing over farm fishing, a practice especially popular within Asia and the South Pacific and its influence on many small island developing states
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Human ImpactEncroachment
• Drainage• Development• Over-grazing• Mining• Unsustainable water
use
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Wetland Plants
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Wetland Animals
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http://drake.marin.k12.ca.us/stuwork/rockwater/Wetlands%202/Animals%20and%20plants%20of%20the%20Wetlands.htmlhttp://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/habitat/wetlands.phphttp://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/wetlands.html