Wetlands
- Wetlands are important due because it provides a CO2 sink from the greenhouse effect.
- They rely largely on the amount water readily available in an area.
- Wetlands occur in streams, lakes, and freshwater rivers.
- Many wetlands were created by glaciers thousands of years ago.
- Its' diversity is a key component of a wetland.
- Due to shallow waters, it is ideal for habitat and spawning grounds for both plants and animals.
- Limits erosion by waves.
- Prevents water floods by storing flood water.
- More than half of the regions of wetlands in the United States have been destroyed excluding Hawaii and Alaska.
- Often present near a freshwater source.
- Main characteristic is fluctuating water levels; its; adaptive state is why it is crucial to the environment.
- The biodiversity of both plants and animals rely largely on the water levels of a wetland.
- Wet lands can help with pollution problems; they can turn harmful chemicals into harmless gas due to bacteria that live there.
Author's Main Point:
The author is informing the readers about the benefits and the use of wetlands, to provide context as to why people must protect these regions. Wetlands vary greatly due to the different factors that contribute to it, however most have one thing common, the fluctuating water levels. Due to the different water levels in wetlands, it creates biodiversity for both plants and animals. The different types of water levels allow different types of species to come in the region; without these specific conditions, varying types of organisms will not show up. The wetlands does more than provide a habitat for organisms, it also helps with environmental issues. Wetlands may act as a CO2 sink, which is the reason for the greenhouse effect, or global warming. Furthermore due to its' biodiversity, wetlands can turn harmful chemicals from the runoff to harmless gas due to the bacteria that reside within the area. Because wetlands are often located near freshwater resources, excess water flow into the wetland and it prevents flood from occurring. Yet these very wetlands that seem to benefit humans in various ways are being decimated. More than half of wetland have been destroyed in the U.S. alone due to urbanization and colonizing the land. Those that try to protect this environment are struggling due to the varying descriptions of wetlands; without a definite definition, they cannot protect them.
My opinion:
Destruction seem to follow humans everywhere they go; from the atmosphere, to the ocean, and the land. Despite the amount of waste that humans use that pollute and destroy the environment, nature seem to find a way to fix it enough to keep organisms alive. Wetlands seem to help with climate change by acting as a CO2 sink, yet more than half of these areas have been destroyed in the U.S. People are not aware about their ecological footprint. Creating neighborhoods on wetlands seem like a problematic scenario. Yet they destroy a habitat just to build more houses; despite the fact that this particular area have fluctuating water levels that can flood the neighborhoods. People in general need to understand that destroying environments and habitats does not only endanger species, it causes ripple effect that eventually backfires to them. Always thinking about the present and not enough about the future and the consequences that will follow due to reckless decisions. Wetlands are detrimental to the environment because so many species rely on it to survive and to occupy; and at the end of the day, humans rely on theses species to play their role in the food chain and the ecosystem. With wetlands disappearing, the ecosystem and abundant of species that rely on it will vanish along with it. We as a 'species of intelligence' need to live up to the name and realize that we cannot keep destroying out own home; it is the only one that we have.
The author is informing the readers about the benefits and the use of wetlands, to provide context as to why people must protect these regions. Wetlands vary greatly due to the different factors that contribute to it, however most have one thing common, the fluctuating water levels. Due to the different water levels in wetlands, it creates biodiversity for both plants and animals. The different types of water levels allow different types of species to come in the region; without these specific conditions, varying types of organisms will not show up. The wetlands does more than provide a habitat for organisms, it also helps with environmental issues. Wetlands may act as a CO2 sink, which is the reason for the greenhouse effect, or global warming. Furthermore due to its' biodiversity, wetlands can turn harmful chemicals from the runoff to harmless gas due to the bacteria that reside within the area. Because wetlands are often located near freshwater resources, excess water flow into the wetland and it prevents flood from occurring. Yet these very wetlands that seem to benefit humans in various ways are being decimated. More than half of wetland have been destroyed in the U.S. alone due to urbanization and colonizing the land. Those that try to protect this environment are struggling due to the varying descriptions of wetlands; without a definite definition, they cannot protect them.
My opinion:
Destruction seem to follow humans everywhere they go; from the atmosphere, to the ocean, and the land. Despite the amount of waste that humans use that pollute and destroy the environment, nature seem to find a way to fix it enough to keep organisms alive. Wetlands seem to help with climate change by acting as a CO2 sink, yet more than half of these areas have been destroyed in the U.S. People are not aware about their ecological footprint. Creating neighborhoods on wetlands seem like a problematic scenario. Yet they destroy a habitat just to build more houses; despite the fact that this particular area have fluctuating water levels that can flood the neighborhoods. People in general need to understand that destroying environments and habitats does not only endanger species, it causes ripple effect that eventually backfires to them. Always thinking about the present and not enough about the future and the consequences that will follow due to reckless decisions. Wetlands are detrimental to the environment because so many species rely on it to survive and to occupy; and at the end of the day, humans rely on theses species to play their role in the food chain and the ecosystem. With wetlands disappearing, the ecosystem and abundant of species that rely on it will vanish along with it. We as a 'species of intelligence' need to live up to the name and realize that we cannot keep destroying out own home; it is the only one that we have.