Basically, a wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or temporarily, 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.

 

Ramsar international wetland conservation treaty defines wetland as:

Article 1.1: "wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres."

Article 2.1: "wetlands may incorporate riparian and coastal zones adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water deeper than six metres at low tide lying within the wetlands."

 

The hydrogeomorphic (HGM) includes five major wetland types: riverine, slope depressional, flat and fringe; Marshes, Swamps, Bogs, Fens.

 

The world's wetlands are expected to be from 7 to 9 million kilometers or about 4 to 6 percent of the earth's surface with 56 percent found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The average temperature of a freshwater wetland in summer is 76 degrees Fahrenheit. The average temperature in winter is 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The climate in freshwater wetlands is usually semitropical, as freezing conditions rarely occur.

 

Wetlands are a critical part of our natural environment. Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs. An immense variety of species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and mammals can be part of a wetland ecosystem.

 

Wetlands protect our shores from wave action, reduce the impacts of floods, absorb pollutants and improve water quality. Wetlands are important features in the landscape that provide numerous beneficial services for people and for fish and wildlife. Some of these services, or functions, include protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats, storing floodwaters and maintaining surface water flow during dry periods. These valuable functions are the result of the unique natural characteristics of wetlands. Wetlands helps in ground water purification recharge, flood control. Wetlands are considered as the Reservoirs of biodiversity. Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems that provide the world with nearly two-thirds of its fish harvest. Wetlands are the best places for migratory birds for resting, feeding, breeding or nesting grounds for some time. Freshwater wetlands hold more than 40% of the world's species and 12% of all animal species. It is estimated that over 20,000 medicinal plant species are currently in use, some of them from wetlands, and over 80% of the world's population depend on traditional medicine for their primary health care needs.

 

Conversion of wetlands for commercial development, drainage schemes, extraction of minerals and peat, overfishing, tourism, siltation, pesticide discharges from intensive agriculture, toxic pollutants from industrial waste, and the construction of dams and dikes, often in an attempt at flood protection, are major the major threats to the wetlands. Wetlands are vital ecosystems that provide livelihoods for the millions of people who live in and around them. A wetland system needs to be monitored over time to in order to assess whether it is functioning at an ecologically sustainable level or whether it is becoming degraded. Degraded wetlands will suffer a loss in water quality, a high number of threatened and endangered species, and poor soil conditions.

Let's save wetlands before it's too late.