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WETLANDS. Mangrove Swamp – Everglades National Park – Estuarine Wetland. Wetlands Wetlands are areas that are periodically or permanently inundated by surface or ground water and support vegetation adapted for life in saturated soil. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas.
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WETLANDS Mangrove Swamp – Everglades National Park – Estuarine Wetland
Wetlands Wetlands are areas that are periodically or permanently inundated by surface or ground water and support vegetation adapted for life in saturated soil. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas. January 2002
Wetlands are transitional environments between uplands and fully aquatic environments • They are defined on the basis of • Hydrology – presence and duration of water • Vegetation – dominance of vegetation adapted to saturated soil conditions • Soils – poorly drained and with evidence of low or fluctuating oxygen
Wetland Hydrology • Area is inundated or saturated to the surface for at least 5% of the growing season in most years • Growing season is based on soil temperature and is determined for regions by the USDA • Most years = 51 out of 100 years Wetlands are NOT always wet!
Hydrophytic Vegetation • Plant species that are adapted for life in saturated soils • Anaerobic soil conditions • Soggy or waterlogged soils • Require adaptations for better support • Require adaptations for gas exchange • Hydrophytes are plants growing in water or on substrates that are periodically deficient in oxygen
Hydric Soil • A soil that is saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the root zone • Tend to be dark in color and have mottles of iron staining
What do wetlands do? Wetland Functions Habitat : nesting, spawning, rearing and resting sites for aquatic and land species, food chain production Hydrology:protection of other areas from wave action and erosion, storage areas for storm water and flood water, ground and surface water aquifer Recharge Water :water quality protection, water filtration and Quality purification, treatment of nonpoint source runoff
Why are wetlands important? • maintain biodiversity • (animals, plants, and many trees) • provide habitat for animals • maintain water quality • support commercial fishing, forestry • reduce flood damage , store runoff • hiking, fishing, hunting, bird watching, boating • aesthetic value Did you know? Nationwide, an estimated 50 million people spend approximately $10 billion annually observing and photographing wetland-dependent birds. January 2002
NC-CREWS Primary Wetland Functions and Subfunctions Water Quality • Nonpoint Source Removal • Floodwater Cleansing Wildlife Habitat • Terrestrial Wildlife • Aquatic Life Potential Risk • Wetland Extent and Rarity • Replacement Difficulty • Land Use Characteristics Hydrology • Surface Runoff Storage • Floodwater Storage • Shoreline Stabilization January 2002
Example: Water Quality Function January 2002
What do we Know? • Wetlands store runoff and provide habitat for animals • Development issues are causing animals to overcrowd other habitats.
Common development issues Fertilizers from farming, construction sites, and home owners Construction is killing off trees, plants and animals. Animals are being run out of their homes and forced to overcrowd other wetlands.
Swamp Forest • Bottomland Hardwood • Pine Flat • Hardwood Flat • Managed Pine • Freshwater Marsh • Salt/Brackish Marsh • Estuarine Scrub Shrub • Estuarine Forest • Maritime Forest • Headwater Swamp • Human Impacted Wetland Classification Modifiers: • Partially Drained/ Ditched • Cut-over • Cleared January 2002
Types of Wetlands Swamps - Depends on nutrient-rich ground water derived from mineral soils. Great Dismal Swamp
Swamp Forest January 2002
Types of Wetlands • Marshes - Permanently or periodically flooded sites characterized by nutrient-rich water. Located around beaches. Ex. – Kitty Hawk or Corolla
Tidal Salt Marsh January 2002
Types of Wetlands • Bogs - Made by peat accumulation, usually dominated by moss. Bogs appear where the water at the ground surface is acidic. Bogs are generally formed by rain water
Wet Pine Flat Hard Wood Flat January 2002
Types of Wetlands • Fens - Made by peat accumulation; may be dominated by sedge, reed, shrub or forest. Fens are mostly fed by surface or groundwater.
Common Wetland Plants Bladderwort Cattails Algae
Common Wetland Plants Spike Rushes Duckweed Waterweed Coontail Bulrushes Water Lily
Common Wetland Animals Leopard Frog Red-winged Blackbird Beaver Garter Snake Ducks Red Fox
Common Wetland Animals Whirligig Beetle Dragonfly Minnow Snail Tadpole Water Strider
Walnut Creek Wetlands • Not only has all of the qualities discussed previously but also is essential for filtering trash and pollutants coming from Raleigh • All cities would love to have this natural filtration system that prevents trash from flowing all the way to the ocean
KEY COMPONENTS OF OUR WETLAND • Acts as a filter for trash, hazardous waste, and acid rain • Habitat for many species, both plants and animals, who would otherwise not live in the Raleigh area • Prevents flooding in surrounding areas
Water travels from the city of Raleigh-into the storm drains, then to Little Rock Creek, Walnut Creek, The Neuse River, to the Pamlico Sound and finally to the Atlantic Ocean.
