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 About the Wetlands Wetlands are important! They store water and help prevent flooding. Wetlands act like sponges and hold onto water until it slowly seeps down into the ground. This water replenishes the aquifer (ah-quah-fur), or underground water supply, which can take years. If a wetland is not around, floodwater has no place to go and can only rush into nearby lakes or rivers. This wetland "sponge" also filters chemicals and nutrients. Plants and natural bacteria that live in a wetland break up many chemicals and make them less harmful. Some towns even use wetlands to filter wastewater from treatment plants. This gives the wastewater another chance to get clean before it enters lakes and rivers. Wetlands are wild places! They provide food, hiding places, and water for birds, fish, insects, reptiles, and other creatures. Some animals, like wood ducks and beavers, need wetlands to live; they can't survive without marshes or ponds. Be cautious when approaching the wetlands. Avoid disturbing the wildlife that depends on the wetland for survival. Enter a wetland with caution; many of the wetlands are fed continuously by free flowing springs that can be several meters deep. The depth of the water is hard to judge due to the suspended vegetation in the wetlands. MAN AND NATURE ARE INTERCONNECTED All living beings form and are part of ecosystems, which are diverse and always changing. Within an ecosystem, all aspects of the environment (both living and nonliving things) interact and affect one another. Every species affects the lives of those around them. An ecosystem is made up of all the living animals, plants and the nonliving matter within a geographic region. All the living things in an ecosystem depend on all the other things, living and non-living for continued survival, food supplies and other needs. In many ways, the actions and reactions that take place within an ecosystem are like a spider web; when one strand is broken, the web starts to unravel. What affects one part of an ecosystem affects the whole in some way. The idea of the web of life is shown by the interdependence within an ecosystem. Animals and plants depend on a complex system of food for survival. It is obvious that all forms of life in the ecosystem are dependent on all other living and nonliving things for food, nutrients, and energy. WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? By educating people about the consequences of our actions, we can all gain a better understanding of how to preserve the earth’s natural and wild places. As employees in companies and informed citizens, we can influence corporations and various levels of government to make environment-friendly choices. A healthier environment isn't possible unless we all get involved. Respecting Nature > |