Wetlands

• ​vegetation

• hydrology

• soil

​3 Characteristics

​In order to be considered wetlands it has to meet 3 criteria:

Plants must be able to grow in flooded or near-flooded environments.

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​Vegetation

Must be made predominantly of peat or decaying plant material.

• 50% of wetlands gone in the last century

• 60,000 acres lost annually

• loss due to

  • dredging (removal of sediments mainly for ships)

  • draining (agricultural)

  • filling (agriculture/development)

• ~40% of all plant and animal species worldwide call wetlands home.

• includes ~50% of all endangered/threatened species

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• ​Soil act as sponges

• Vegetation provides an energy buffer

​Flooding Protection

• Facilitates several biogeochemical cycles including:

  • nitrogen

  • sulfur

  • phosphorous

  • carbon

​Cycling Substances

​Wetlands maintain the water shed by providing for rivers.

​

​Filter out toxins and pollutants.

​

• ​1.5 million acres

  • less than half remain of original size

• largest subtropic habitat

• largest set of mangroves

• supplies water to 8 million people

Facts

​More Facts...

• Only place alligators and crocodiles coexist

• massive Burmese python problem

  • Exotic animal trade

• Only place you can find the Florida panther

  • last remaining member of the Puma subspecies in the Eastern United States

First dredging for the North New River Canal

​​1906

​Draining of Lake Okeechobee

1928

Kissimmee river is channelized by the Army Corps of Engineers

​​1961-1971