2.3 Iraqi Marshes

Question 1

What are wetlands ?

Answer 1

Wetlands are areas saturated with water

Question 2

Give an example of a wetland ?

Answer 2

marshes / swamps / bogs / fens

Question 3

What covers 10% of Earth’s
land surface

Answer 3

Ecosystems

Question 4

Ecosystems provide ……. and …….

Answer 4

Goods and services

Question 5

Why are wetlands useful?

Answer 5

o They store water, preventing floods, erosion and therefore help to recharge aquifers
o Filter, trap and recycling nutrients, as well as chemically neutralising pollution
o Support nursery areas for fish / migrating birds and provide goods

Question 6

Why were wetlands seen as a bad thing?

Answer 6

needed to be drained, dredging, infilling, otherwise you got mosquitos

Question 7

How did Saddam Hussein affect citizens in Iraq?

Answer 7

Saddam Hussein also drained different rivers to destroy the lifestyle of 250,000 Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq

Question 8

Give examples of goods that Mediterranean wetlands provide?

Answer 8

e. g. olives / figs / grapes / fish
e. g. Leather
e. g. oaks
e. g. lavender, thyme, rosemary

Question 9

What is Nutrient cycling?

Answer 9

Nutrient cycling: Forests provide leaf litter which rots down into humus,
returning important nutrients to the soil for soil formatio

Question 10

Since when has the Mesopotamian Marshes started to recover?

Answer 10

2003