Wetlands
Table of Contents
Introduction
Wetlands are a critical part of our water cycle, protecting us from floods and storing water in aquifers which we can use for generations.
Biodiversity
Wetlands host many species from common migratory birds and fish, to very rare and specialized species including mangrove plants and peatland insects. Amphibians, crabs, and many other call wetland home year-round, while others just use them as a stepping stone to distant breeding or feeding grounds.
Clean Water
The plants including mosses, grasses, and even trees can help clean our environment by filtering pollutants from the air and water. They help keep our groundwater clean, and prevent dangerous pollutants from reaching our oceans.
Tall grasses can capture plastics that have washed into waterways, and a growing number of species have been found to help remove PFAS.
Type of Wetland
The following are some types of wetland, divided into coastal and inland examples. They are listed alphabetically. Some are permanent, while other examples may disappear and reappear depending on season or tides.
Coastal
Estuaries
These wetlands are characterized by the mixing of fresh and salt water. Different parts of the estuary will have different levels of salinity, which in turn means different plants in different areas, according to how salt tolerant they are.
Migratory fish and birds rely heavily on these ecosystems, for example salmon fry which hatch up in mountain streams come down and spend time eating, growing, and gaining strength in estuaries before heading out to see. Where estuaries have been destroyed, and these young salmon are flushed directly out to sea, scientists have found they can stunted by the sudden shock of ocean water, making survival much harder than for those with the benefit of their historical transitional zones.
Mangroves
These coastal forests consist of trees that help protect coastlines from incoming storms including hurricanes and the flooding they produce. The trees are adapted to saline water, and are full of species who rely on brackish water including oysters and crabs.
Mangroves are under threat from shrimp farms, unsustainable oyster harvesting, as deforestation both for wood harvesting and livestock farming (mostly cattle).
Mudflats (Slob in Ireland)
These are found world wide, and support diverse ecosystems for crabs, sea birds, and fascinating species such the mud skipper, a fish that survives on land and breathes using water trapped inside their large gill chambers.
Salt Marsh
Also known as a coastal salt marsh. These coastal ecosystems are found in the upper interdental zone between land and open salt or brackish water. They are regularly flooded by tides.
Inland
Basin Wetlands
These are much like vernal pools, in that they can be seasonal, but can vary massively in size.
Freshwater Marsh
These can be found in a variety of landscapes including spaces along side estuaries, canals, rivers, lakes, or ponds.
Peatland
Also known as bogs and mires. These diverse ecosystems can support all sorts of species, including grassland and scrubland type plants, with rich layers of moss which help sequester greenhouse gases such as CO2.
Around the world peatlands have been drained for agriculture, as well as harvested for mosses used in gardening.
Pocosin
These are palustrine wetlands with deep, acidic, sandy, peatsoils. Groundwater saturates the soil except for short seasonal dry spells as well as prolonged droughts. Their soils are nutrient deficient, especially in phosphorus. - Wikipedia: Pocosin
Pocosins are characterized by dense, waxy shrub and woody vine vegetation. Sometimes they include sweet bay, loblolly bay, swamp bay, and pond pines. - Carolina Wetland Association: Types of Wetlands
Seeps
Seeps are created when ground water reaches the surface, and are defined by their unique proximity to slow moving ground water. They usually occur over an impermeable layer that prevents the water from draining, keeping the area wet for most of the year.
Swamps
These consist of trees suited to damp and wet growing conditions. A swamp might be vast and consist of waterways and lake-sized water bodies, or may only exist at one end of a lake, depending on the terrain and geological characteristics of an area.
Riparian Zone
These zones exist along the edges of waterways, helping to protect water quality, reduce erosion, and prevent damage from floods or even reducing flooding itself. These spaces provide rich habitat for wildlife and can act as wildlife corridors in otherwise urban or agricultural spaces.
Vernal Pools
These are seasonal pools or ponds, also called ephemeral pools. They are created by rainy weather, providing critical habitat for frogs and other species, then drying up and disapearing till the next adequate rain fall event.
Wet Meadow
These are often part of a larger complex that may include shrub swamps, forested swamps, and marshes.
Threats to Wetlands
This sections covers some of the threats to wetlands.
Agriculture
Drained Wetlands
Over the last 100 or so years, many wetlands have been drained for farming and urban expansion. We have turned around half of the planet's habitable land into farm land with 77% of that being used for livestock and their feed, while only around 1% of habitable land has been built up for urban or industrial purposes.
In addition to draining wetlands for grazing, coastal wetlands such as mangroves have also been destroyed to make way for aquaculture, particularly shrimp farming.
Chemical Pollution
Humanity produces a ton of chemical pollutants, but farming releases many tons of raw animal sewage which is full of microplastics and PFAS from contaminated animal feed, and the majority of antibiotics which are used on livestock instead of for humans. In addition there are pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, fungicides, and various livestock medications including de-wormers. All of these impact aquatic ecosystems, particularly wetlands where these chemicals can accumulate, killing off fish, amphibians, often through their insect prey or simply via contaminated water itself.
Water Extraction
We all need water to live, and wetlands can help provide us with safe drinking water. However the amount used by agriculture and industries is increasingly unsustainable. By comparison people use very little water in and around their homes, but every little counts.
Click the Water button to learn which of our choices have the biggest impact on humanity's water use. Which small changes can save the most water, such as picking different foods or borrowing and reusing instead of buying new products. The page also touches on what at-home changes we can make, including the installation of rain barrels and grey water systems.
Deforestation
For the mangroves and other types of wetland that are characterized by trees, deforestation for farming and lumber are a grave threat.
Sea Level Rise
As water levels rise, salt water intrudes deaper into mangroves, estuaries, and other coastal weltands, killing off the less salt-tollerant plants, often leaving dead trees to rot and give off greenhouse gases. When sealevel rise and flooding cause salt water to infiltrate fresh ground water, this can kill off entire coastal ecosystems including forests.
Light Pollution
Many species who dwell in and around wetlands rely on light to communicate, navigate, and find mates. These species include turtles, migratory birds, and fireflies. When nearby communities, tourists, and industries flood the area with artificial lights, they throw off these natural activities, causing baby turtles to get crushed on roads instead of swimming out to sea, preventing fireflies from finding mates, and causing migratory birds to get lost or even crash into buildings.
Benefits of Wetlands
Water Cycle: Drought & Flood Protection
Biodiversity
Wetland Species
Animals
Amphibians
Birds
Fish
Insects
Plants & Algae
Aquatic Plants
Resources & Guides
Europe
Scotland
SEPA's Engineering in the Water Environment Good Practice Guide, Riparian Vegetation Management "This document is one of a series of good practice guides produced by SEPA to help people involved in the selection of sustainable engineering solutions that minimize harm to the water environment. This Guide provides guidance on the establishment and sustainable management of vegetation in the riparian zone of rivers, lochs and wetlands for the benefit of the environment and people."
SMEEF Restoration Toolkit "Whether you are starting your first coastal or marine restoration or enhancement project, or have been working on an established programme, this toolkit aims to guide you through the maze of supporting information available.
Each section covers the key facts and there are links to the latest advice. The Toolkit also enables you to create a bespoke action list for your group.
Please note this toolkit is a live document and will be updated regularly. If you believe there may be something missing or incorrect, please email us..."
Oceana
Australia
NSW
Salinity Indicator Plants (PDF) "This booklet is based on information provided in Spotting Salinity Using Indicator Plants, which was produced by the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation, Hunter Region in 1998, with assistance from the Hunter Catchment Management Trust and NSW Agriculture. Information contained in the plant description section and pictures of some species have been taken with permission directly from the 1998 publication."
Queensland
The Flora Wetland Indicator Species List (WISL) "has been compiled to support the determination of whether a site is a wetland. The Wetland Indicator Species (WIS) in WISL have adapted to living in wetlands and are dependent on them.
The presence of a WIS at a site does not, in itself, confirm the site to be a wetland, but is one line of evidence towards determining the wetland status of a site."
Organizations
International
Society of Wetland Scientists "is an international, professional non-profit organization whose mission is to promote best practices in wetland research, education, conservation, preservation, restoration, and management."
Wetlands International "is a global organisation that works to sustain and restore wetlands and their resources for people and biodiversity. It is an independent, not-for-profit, global organisation, supported by government and NGO membership from around the world."
Africa
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Cameroon
Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society (CWCS) "is a lead national environment NGO in Cameroon founded in February 1997. The organisation’s head office is in Yaoundé. CWCS is administered by a board of directors with more than 100 registered members comprising environment experts, young conservation professionals and students."
Rainforest Trust "is working with local partner, Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society (CWCS), to elevate the protected status of Douala-Edea Wildlife Reserve to a national park while increasing the reserve by 375,303 acres of mangrove forests, rivers, wetlands and marine habitats. Collectively, this expansion and conversion to a national park will actively safeguard a total of 741,000 acres."
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Chad
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Libya
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Mauritania
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Senegal
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Asia
Turkey
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
United Arab Emirates
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Europe
OSPAR "is the mechanism by which 15 Governments & the EU cooperate to protect the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic.
OSPAR started in 1972 with the Oslo Convention against dumping and was broadened to cover land-based sources of marine pollution and the offshore industry by the Paris Convention of 1974. These two conventions were unified, up-dated and extended by the 1992 OSPAR Convention. The new annex on biodiversity and ecosystems was adopted in 1998 to cover non-polluting human activities that can adversely affect the sea.
The fifteen Governments are Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
OSPAR is so named because of the original Oslo and Paris Conventions ("OS" for Oslo and "PAR" for Paris)."Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Belgium
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Czech Republic
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Finland
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
French Southern & Antarctic Lands
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Hungary
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Ireland
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Luxembourg
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Netherlands
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Poland
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Romania
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Sweden
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
United Kingdom
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
North America
Cuba
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
Haiti
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."
USA
NEMESIS "Welcome to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's National Estuarine and Marine Exotic Species Information System (NEMESIS). Here you will find information on marine and estuarine invertebrates and algae introduced to the United States."
Wetlands and Wetland Restoration "Recommendations of the Wetland Expert Panel for the incorporation of non-tidal wetland best management practices (BMPs) and land uses in the Phase 6 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model"
The Wetlands Initiative "is a non-profit conservation organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The Wetlands Initiative works with nonprofit and government partners and local communities to advance wetland restoration and science in the Midwestern United States."
North Carolina
Carolina Wetland Association "A non-partisan, science- based organization advocating for wetlands in the Carolinas."
South Carolina
Carolina Wetland Association "A non-partisan, science- based organization advocating for wetlands in the Carolinas."
Oceana
Australia
Greening Australia: Reef Aid "To improve water quality on the Great Barrier Reef, we are working with landholders, communities and Traditional Owners to rebuild eroding gullies and restore vital coastal wetlands across the catchment."
OZ Fish "Through the power of many, we are delivering fish habitat rehabilitation projects across Australia. Our network of recreational fishers brings the right expertise to the table and activates local organisations. When you become an OzFish member you can connect with your local chapter and become part of protecting our native fish and habitat. Because healthier waterways will mean more fish and better fishing."
South America
Amazon Watch "is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. We partner with Indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability, and the preservation of the Amazon's ecological systems."
Maps
North America
USA
Florida
Grants & Funding
Europe
UK
Scotland
SMEEF Restoration Toolkit "Whether you are starting your first coastal or marine restoration or enhancement project, or have been working on an established programme, this toolkit aims to guide you through the maze of supporting information available.
Each section covers the key facts and there are links to the latest advice. The Toolkit also enables you to create a bespoke action list for your group.
Please note this toolkit is a live document and will be updated regularly. If you believe there may be something missing or incorrect, please email us..."
North America
USA
Maryland’s Chesapeake and Coastal Grants Gateway (Grants Gateway) was created to streamline the grant application process for government and non-governmental organizations as well as academic institutions. Grants Gateway provides a one-stop location for partners seeking technical and financial support for projects that foster healthy ecosystems, communities, and economies that are resilient in the face of change.
Minnesota
Stewardship Fund Grants "support public efforts to manage stormwater, control pollution, and improve water quality and habitat."
Oceana
Australia
Western Australia
The Landowner Biodiversity Conservation Grants Program "provides financial support to Cockburn residents living in the rural, rural living and resource zones, who wish to conserve and enhance the natural bushland and wetland areas on their property."