Wetland Ecosystems

Wetland Ecosystems

An ecosystem is a large community of living organisms that live in a particular area.

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Ecosystems

Living and Non-Living Organism

A living organism is anything alive, which includes plants, animals, and microbes.

Living Organisms

Non-Living Organisms

A non-living organism is inanimate, or any form without life.

Open Ended

List examples of living organisms

Multiple Choice

An example of a non-living organisms is

• Sunflower

• Beetles

• Water

• Grass

The living organisms in an ecosystem need each other, as no one plant or animal could survive by itself. The organisms interact with the sun, soil, water, air, and each other in an ecosystem.

Living Organisms & Ecosystems

Multiple Choice

True or False: Coral is a plant

• True

• False

Coral reefs are busy underwater ecosystems. They look like rocks but are actually animals. They have skeletons and form the base where a lot of other organisms live, like crabs, starfish, clams, sponges and jelly fish.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Half of the world's species live in tropical rainforests

• True

• False

Half of the world’s species live in tropical rainforests. These ecosystems are home to plants, animals, fungi, and many microscopic organisms.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Organisms that live in the desert don't need water to survive

• True

• False

The desert is a dry ecosystem where there is very little rain. To live in the desert, you must be able to save water. Cactuses store water and can live without rain for months. The Kangaroo Mouse rarely drinks water and gets its water from food.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Freshwater systems like rivers and lake are home to rare species

• True

• False

Freshwater ecosystems are home to rare species. Ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers are freshwater ecosystems home to specifies that can’t live in the salty ocean water. These ecosystems are all over the world!

Multiple Choice

True or False: Most of the tundra ecosystems are located in the Southern Hemisphere

• True

• False

Most tundra ecosystems are located in the Arctic in the Northern Hemisphere. The tundra is massive and has no trees since the ground is permanently frozen.

A wetland is areas of land where water covers the soil all year, or just at certain times of the year.

Wetlands

​Wetland types include: swamps, marshes, ponds, bogs, and fens.

A swamp is an area of land that has trees, spongy land, and water that has flooded the plants and trees. Swamps are nesting and breeding grounds for birds and other animals.

Approximately 6 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by swamps.

Common plants that grow in a swamp include mangroves, reeds, and cattails. Animals you might see in a swamp are deer, raccoons, snakes, woodpeckers, and cranes.

Swamps

A marsh is similar to a swamp because they often cover land with water.

The only difference between a swamp and a marsh is that a marsh doesn’t have trees. If the wetland has more grasses and plants than trees, it is considered a marsh.

Many different animals live in marshes, including ducks, fish, shrimp, crab, frogs, and heron.

Marshes

A pond is a body of water that is smaller than a lake. Ponds usually have still water and they do not connect to any other bodies of water. A lake is similar, but only bigger.

Ponds can occur naturally, or they can be human made by digging a large hole in the ground.

Ponds are home to frogs, dragonflies, hedgehogs, and many different plant species.

Ponds

A bog is a wetland where peat builds up. Peat is layers of dead plant material, often mosses.

Bogs develop where the water at the groundsurface is acidic and low in nutrients. Bogs can be covered many meters deep in peat.

Bogs only contain freshwater from rain and they only exist in northern climates inside lake basins with poor drainage.

In a bog, you will likely see fungi, salamanders, cranes, and raccoons.

Bogs

A fen is similar to a bog, as it only gets fresh water from rain. The soil in a fen is basic, which is the opposite as acidic. This means that different types of plants can survive in the soil.

Fens are home to tamarack trees, poison sumac, and many different wildflowers. Fens also provide a habitat for deer, turkey, and other birds as well as snakes, turtles and fish. Fens are the rarest type of wetland.

Fens

Open Ended

What do swamps and marshes have in common?

Both swamps and marshes are areas of land where shallow water grows and many different plant and animal species live.

Open Ended

What are the differences between swamps and marshes?

A marsh has no trees and more grasses while a swamp has trees.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Wetlands are areas of land that are covered with water for only part of the year.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT a type of wetland?

• Swamp

• Ocean

• Marsh

• Bog/Fen

• Pond

Multiple Choice

True or False: A fen has peat growing in acidic soil

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Fens and bogs collect water from lakes and rivers

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Ponds can be human made or can occur naturally

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: A swamp has trees while a marsh doesn’t

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Ponds are bodies of water, meaning they don’t connect to streams or rivers

• True

• False