Wetlands

​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.

​

​Vegetation

Hydrology

​​Water must move abundantly above and through soil
(flooding)

Must be made predominantly of peat or decaying plant material.

Soil

But how much is left?

• 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)

Multiple Choice

How many acres of wetlands do we lose annually?

• 200,000 acres
• 50,000 acres
• 10,000 acres
• 60,000 acres

Multiple Choice

What is not a criteria of wetlands?

• Water scarcity
• High water table
• decayed plant material in soil

• Abundance of aquatic plants

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

• includes ~50% of all endangered/threatened species

​

Provides habitat

• ​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.

​

Maintain water sheds

​Filter out toxins and pollutants.

​

Nature's detox

​The Everglades

• ​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

Restoration | NC DEQ

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Multiple Choice

What is destroying wetlands?

• Climate change
• Human activities
• Wildlife
• Natural disasters

Multiple Choice

What happens when we lose wetlands?

• Increase in biodiversity, water quality, flooding, and carbon storage.
• No impact on biodiversity, water quality, flooding, and carbon storage.
• Negative impacts on biodiversity, water quality, flooding, and carbon storage.
• Positive impacts on biodiversity, water quality, flooding, and carbon storage.

Multiple Choice

What is not a function of wetlands?

• Habitat for wildlife
• Water purification
• Increased flooding

• Carbon dioxide emission

Multiple Choice

Where is most freshwater found?

• Underground aquifers
• Oceans and seas
• Rivers and lakes
• Glaciers and groundwater

Multiple Choice

How do wetlands prevent flooding?

• By absorbing and storing excess water during heavy rainfall or storms
• By releasing excess water during heavy rainfall or storms
• By increasing the water level during heavy rainfall or storms
• By blocking the flow of water during heavy rainfall or storms

Multiple Choice

Eutrophication is caused by

• Excessive nutrients
• Climate change
• Lack of nutrients
• Pollution

Multiple Select

What is the highest use of water in the United States?

• Industrial use
• Residential use
• Agriculture
• Thermoelectric power generation

Multiple Choice

What event led to the creation of the Clean Water Act?

• Cuyahoga River catching fire
• Implementation of water conservation measures
• Discovery of a new water source
• Passage of the Clean Air Act

Multiple Choice

The chief water pollutant in NC is

• sediment

• phosphorus
• carbon dioxide
• oxygen

Multiple Choice

What country has the largest water withdrawal per capita?

• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Qatar
• United States

Multiple Choice

What is an organic water pollutant?

• A pollutant containing carbon

• A pollutant derived from minerals
• A pollutant derived from inorganic compounds
• A pollutant derived from synthetic materials

Multiple Choice

Cryptosporidium is an example of what type of water pollutant?

• Biological
• Radiological
• Physical
• Chemical