Wetlands

Swamps

• Dominated by trees• 30% of area must be dominated by trees

to be a swamp• Reeds and grasses grow around edge• pH levels 5-8• High groundwater levels• Dissolved oxygen levels typically vary

from 2 ppm to 9 ppm

Magnolia Plantation Swamp

Freshwater Swamp in Florida

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Belarus-Peat_Mining_near_Rudzensk-Swamp-2.jpg

Terraba-Sierpe Wetlands Costa Rica

http://muchacostarica.com/media/8590/Mangroves.jpg

Marshes

• continually/frequently inundated wetland • dominated by emergent, herbaceous vegetation• shallow with few floating plants• may form near surface water (such as a stream• pH levels are 5 to 8• High groundwater, levels. • Dissolved oxygen levels typically vary from 3 ppm to 10 ppm.

Bride Brook Salt Marsh in Connecticut

Tidal marsh along the Edisto River, South Carolina 

http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/images/marsh.jpg

The Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) winters in the tidal marshes along the Gulf Coast

http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/images/egret_4.jpg

Elephants in Amboseli National Park  in the great Rift Valley

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gv-Y-w4cukw/UhPS-f1ojiI/AAAAAAAADs8/lO6vpg1inTM/s400/ElephantsInMarsh.jpg

Bog

• a peat-accumulating wetland with no significant inflow or outflow of water• High groundwater level. • Low mineral content in soil and water. • High level organic material (decomposing). • Highly acidic (low pH) mostly from sulfuric acid. • Thick masses of sphagnum moss may be present. • Dissolved oxygen levels typically vary from ND (nondetectable) to 6

ppm.

Black Moshannon Bog Natural Area at Black Moshannon State Park, near Phillipsburg, Rush Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania,

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Black_Moshannon_Bog_June_panorama_2.jpg/800px-Black_Moshannon_Bog_June_panorama_2.jpg

Peat Bog in Ireland

http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/74/90374-004-773B2FD2.jpg

Chickering Bog Natural Area Vermont

http://www.nature.org/cs/groups/webcontent/@web/@vermont/documents/media/prd_018493.jpg

Fen

• a peat-accumulating wetland with drainage or connections to the groundwater• supports marshlike vegetation• high mineral content in water and soil that feeds the fen. • high groundwater level, occupies a low point of relief. Rich in Ca, Mg,

Ma, K. Low acidity (high pH). Marl may be present. • Dissolved oxygen levels typically vary from 2 ppm to 8 ppm.• Temperature ranges from 50 degrees F to 57 degrees F (because of

groundwater contact).

Fen in Michigan

Fen in Canada

http://www.ducks.ca/assets/2012/11/graminoidrichfen2-300x225.jpg

Prairie Fen

http://nativeplants.msu.edu/uploads/images/homeImageFen2.jpg

Prairie potholes

• shallow marshlike ponds formed in glacial depressions (such as kettles and depressions near moraines). • Range from New York to Montana. • High groundwater levels. • Dissolved oxygen levels typically vary from 3 ppm to 7 ppm. • Temperature ranges from 50 degrees F to 57 degrees F (if fed by

groundwater).

The prairie potholes of Canada, Minnesota and North and South Dakota were formed by glaciers scraping over the landscape during the Pleistocene.

http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/images/potpic1.jpg

Chase Lake Wetland Management District in south central North Dakota

http://www.fws.gov/arrowwood/ChaseLake_WMD/aerial_potholes.jpg

Importance of Wetlands

• Biologic diversity (providing a home for specific plants and animals)• Flood control• Beauty• Groundwater recharge• A place to fish or hunt• A place for migrating waterfowl• A protected area or a park.• filter and clean water

Building a wetland filter

Materials

• Cotton batting (comes in a roll, used in quilting, found with sewing supplies)• Clay (can use natural clay or modeling clay)• Topsoil or potting soil• Pea-gravel or any small stones• Vegetable oil• 2-liter pitcher• Large pan or box (plastic or metal).

Directions

• As a team, you must now decide how to build the wetland filter. The filter should represent what occurs in a real wetland. Each team must determine what each material represents in nature (e.g., what does the clay represent? the cotton batting?). This must be recorded on the team lab sheet

• Remember to only use one-half of the container for the wetland. The container must have one-fourth on each end for the water filtering.

• Notify your teacher when you have reached this step. Once all teams are at this point, each team will present their filter to the class and explain the order that was used.

• To test the filter, a designated team member will fill a 2-liter pitcher with 1 liter of tap water. Add a small amount of top soil and 2 capfuls of vegetable oil. Stir well.

• Prop up one end of the model so water will flow through the wetland. Slowly pour the contaminated water at the high end of the container. Record all observations

• What happened to the contaminated water?• Which filter system worked best? Why? Which filter systems did not work well? Why?• Using this filter model, why are wetlands important in today’s world? Why should we

preserve wetland areas?