SAVE WETLANDSWETLANDS: INTRODUCTION Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season. Wetlands are among the most valuable ecosystems on the planet. Wetlands are sometimes described as (aners of the leelsenessFLORA AND FAUNA WETLANDS PROVIDE HABITAT FOR Q)] MORETHAN S00 species OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS AND PROVIDE A HOST OF BENEFITS TO PEOPLE. FLORA CAN BROADLY BE CLASSIFIED IN’ QB SUEMERCED WATER PLANTS, FLOATING WATER PLANTS, EMERGENT AND RIPARIAN WATER PLANTS, SUBMERGED WATER PLANTS ARE 100 PER CENT UNDER WATER, AND PROVIDE OG Foon source Fon NATIVE FAUNA AND HABITAT FOR INVERTEBRATES. DUCKS SUCH AS MALLARDS, (0D PINTAILS AND TEAL BUILD NESTS IN DENSE, GRASSY AREAS NEAR WETLANDS.TOPOGRAPHY OF WETLANDS Awetland is | | The wateris | Seawatercan Wetlands are Though a an area of often also create most wide variety land thatis | | groundwater, wetlands, abundant in | of inland and either seeping up especially in boreal and coastal covered by from an coastal areas tropical wetlands are water or aquifer or that regions, most | also found in saturated spring,come| experience common on temperate with water. from a lake strong tides. floodplains regions.recieve water and . Ft * waste i mitigate both give tise to loods and drought: hydric soils protect shorelines y cs recharge S groundwaterFACTORS OF DECREASE o1 Grazing by domestic animals. Introduction of nonnative plants that compete with natives 04 Wetlands are destroyed due to the expansion of human. ‘and their effect on living and non-living organisms 02 (ld landfills and dumps that leak toxic substances, !Marinas, where boats increase turbidity and release pollutants. o5 Diversion of flow to or from wetlands. Addition of impervious surfaces in the watershed, 03 drainage andpollution, overfishing and ‘overexploitation of resources inflling for agriculture and ‘construction,rd Increased flooding due to the erosion of soil and lack of trees. Rising of the sea levels, Disruption of the food chain when the apex predators become EFFECT OF influx of surface water and sediments, fragmentation of a DECREASING wetland from a contiguous wetland complex, loss of recharge area, or WETLANDS changes in local drainage patterns. ‘Significant loss of wetland ecosystems has resulted in the decline of many species, worsening water quality including “dead the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, more flood damage, and other costly problems.