Wetlands

Question 1

What is a wetland?

Answer 1

an area overloaded or saturated with water most or all of the
time

Question 2

Name the 3 main types of wetlands

Answer 2

swamps, bogs, marshes

Question 3

What are some characteristics of salt marshes?

Answer 3

*Occur worldwide
*Tidal zone in between land and open saltwater
*Plant life dominated by marsh grasses
*Habitat for >75% of fisheries (blue crab, shrimp, finfish) species

Question 4

What are some characteristics of freshwater marshes?

Answer 4

*Located upstream of saltwater marshes
*Close enough to the sea that tides still influence them, but not close
enough that saltwater can affect them
* All plants here can’t tolerate salt

Question 5

Since the 1700s, the US has lost over _____________of its wetland resources

Answer 5

50%

Question 6

What are some characteristics of mangroves?

Answer 6

*Found in tropics/subtropics
* Salt tolerant trees
*Can remove salt from water
* Complex root system
*Habitat for billions of worms, protozoa, barnacles, oysters, and
other invertebrates
*Feed fish and shrimp, which feed wading birds, pelicans, and
crocodiles

Question 7

Name the three main types of mangroves.

Answer 7

red, black, white

Question 8

What is a natural stressor that can affect wetlands?

Answer 8

storm events

Question 9

What are some human stressors that affect wetlands?

Answer 9

*Damming
* Mangrove deforestation
*Shoreline squeeze
* Excess nutrients

Question 10

What is “shoreline squeeze”?

Answer 10

When sea levels rise, wetlands can grow taller by accumulating more
sediment, or they can move inland by taking over newly wet ground

Question 11

How do nutrients affect wetlands?

Answer 11

Using more fertilizer and nutrients makes plants grow more above ground but less underground. The plants have weak roots, so creek banks can collapse

Question 12

What can help wetlands survive sea level rise?

Answer 12

When there is enough sediment, wetlands can build up

Question 13

Name three conservation efforts that can help wetlands.

Answer 13

*Restoring water paths
* Restoring degraded wetlands
* Creating new wetlands
* Enhancing current wetlands

Question 14

Name four reasons why wetlands are important.

Answer 14

*Flood control
* Food supply
*Recreation areas
* Shelter for migrating birds
* Clean water
* Shoreline and storm protection
*Materials and medicines

Question 15

How do migratory birds use wetlands?

Answer 15

“pit stops” on long journeys

Question 16

How do wetlands provide storm protection?

Answer 16

*slow down the inland movement of storm surges
*reduces wave height and water speed

Question 17

What can wetlands filter from water?

Answer 17

Fertilizers/nutrients, toxins/contaminants

Question 18

What is blue carbon?

Answer 18

Carbon that is stored in the soils of wetlands

Question 19

Where is blue carbon stored short term?

Answer 19

leaves, roots, trunks

Question 20

Where is blue carbon stored long-term?

Answer 20

soils