Movies On Wetlands

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Movies On Wetlands
Life In A Wetland

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WetlandsLife in the Wetlands
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Bibliography
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Bogs
Marsh
Encyclopedia Articles
Prairie Potholes
Swamp
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Bog"bog." Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia.
2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School
Edition. Millions of years ago, on parts of
Earth that were covered by glaciers, the thick
ice dug into Earth's surface, making holes that
filled up with water and eventually turned into
bogs. A bog is a kind of wetland that has wet,
spongy, peaty soil.How Bogs FormBogs begin to
form as a lake or other body of water becomes
covered with a floating mass of plants that keeps
growing thicker. Pieces of these plants sink to
the bottom of the water. The lake eventually
fills up with plant matter coming down from the
floating plants and up from the matter that
settles at the bottom. When the vegetation is
still floating, the bog is called a quaking bog.
The surface of a quaking bog will sink or quake
when a person or animal walks on it. As the
plant matter in bogs decomposes, or rots, it
forms peat. The peat can be removed from the bog
and dried and then burned as fuel.
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Types of BogsThere are three main types of
bogs. In cool regions, the typical kind of bog
contains simple plants like mosses, notably
sphagnum moss. This kind of bog is often called a
sphagnum bog. A sphagnum bog also has heaths,
which are shrubby plants that thrive in poorly
drained soil. The second kind of bog is called a
fen. It is very similar to a sphagnum bog but
contains some groundwater. Minerals in the
groundwater allow grassy plants such as reeds to
grow in fens. The third kind is the tropical tree
bog. The tropical tree bog is found in warm,
tropical areas and contains mostly evergreen
trees. There are few animals in any bogs.Where
Bogs Are FoundSphagnum bogs are found across
very large areas of Russia, Canada, and northern
Europe. They also occur in wetter areas south of
those regions, such as in Great Britain and
Ireland. Fens often are found in the same areas
as sphagnum bogs. Tropical tree bogs cover large
areas in Malaysia, Indonesia, tropical South
America, and Africa.
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Marsh"marsh." Britannica Elementary
Encyclopedia. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica
Online School Edition. Near rivers and in flat
areas along seacoasts are places in which marshes
may be found. They also may be found in areas
where there may not be any lakes or rivers, but
where the ground is flat and water has collected.
A marsh is a type of wetland that receives
mineral-rich water from the ground and, often,
water from nearby rivers and seas. The plant life
in marshes is mostly grasses. This is the main
difference between marshes and swamps, where
trees are the main type of plants. Rice, one of
the world's most important food crops, grows in
marshy areas. Animals are abundant in marshes,
and many bird sanctuaries have been created in
river-mouth marshes around the world.
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How Marshes FormMarshes form in areas that
receive water regularly but cannot quickly drain
that water. A marsh at the mouth of a river, for
example, will receive a steady but slow supply
of water from the river. The water does drain,
but at such a slow rate that it is essentially
standing still. The river water deposits
sediment, very fine rock and soil carried by the
water, in the marsh. This sediment creates a rich
but very watery mud in which the marsh grasses
grow.Where marshes are foundFreshwater marshes
can be found in all parts of the world along
rivers as well as in low-lying inland areas. In
the Middle East, both the Nile Delta and the
delta of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have
extensive marshes of historical importance.
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The Okavango Marshes east of the Kalahari desert
in Botswana are inland marshes, as are the
marshes on the prairies of the United States. The
Florida Everglades constitute a marsh and swamp
system. Because the region is near sea level the
water from the heavy rains does not drain but
remains on the surface. Saltwater marshes are
found on the east coast of the United States, in
the Arctic, Northern Europe, Australia, and New
Zealand.Freshwater marshes include the common
river-mouth marshes and the small marshes, called
prairie potholes, that have developed in
countless little depressions in the Midwestern
United States. Grasses, sedges, reeds or rushes,
and rice are common marsh plants. As in a swamp,
wildlife is often abundant. Well-known
river-mouth marshes include those of the Camargue
in the Rhône Delta and the Danube in Romania. The
deltas of the Nile, Tigris-Euphrates, Mekong, and
Amazon also have marshes. The Okavango Marshes
east of the Kalahari desert in Botswana are
perhaps the best example of marshes formed in an
interior, closed basin.
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Swamp"swamp." Britannica Elementary
Encyclopedia. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica
Online School Edition 5  Apr.  2007
 cleId353829.Large trees standing in murky
waters are a typical sight in a swamp. A swamp is
a type of wetland found all over the world.
Swamps are similar to marshes, but they have
trees growing in them rather than the grasses
that are more common in marshes. Bald cypress,
gum, willow, alder, maple, and palm trees are all
commonly found in freshwater swamps. The high
salt content in saltwater swamps makes it
difficult for most plants to grow, but one tree
that thrives in seawater is the mangrove. It will
even grow in the sand at the edge of the sea.
Animals that do not live in seawater can still
live in the tops of the mangrove trees, because
they stay up high and never touch the water. Such
creatures as snails, crabs, and worms may live
among the trees' roots.
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How Swamps FormIn low-lying areas like coastal
plains and flat regions near rivers, there may be
a large amount of mineral-rich water and poorly
drained soil. That is, the water in the soil does
not flow out, which causes the ground to become
waterlogged. Such places can become swamps. The
conditions there allow water to remain standing
for much of the year rather than flowing through.
Some swamps develop from marshes that slowly fill
in, allowing trees and woody shrubs to grow.
These taller plants block the sun from the
smaller marsh plants, which eventually die off.
The decaying plants cause swamp water to vary in
color from yellow to a deep brown that looks like
strong tea or coffee.
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Where Swamps Are FoundThe United States has
many swamps, especially in the Southeast. The
Florida Everglades is a marsh-swamp combination,
so is Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp. Northwest of
the Everglades large cypress swamps occur. Major
rivers in both North and South America also
feature swamps along their banks. Examples are
the Mississippi River system in North America and
the Paraná and Paraguay rivers in South America.
Saltwater swamps also form along flat areas of
seacoasts, where seawater floods and drains the
land. If enough dissolved soil and other
materials, called sediment, are carried along by
the water that runs off, it can accumulate,
making the swamp spread and become very large.
The points where the Mekong, Amazon, Congo, and
Ganges rivers meet the ocean, and the north
coasts of Australia and Sumatra, have extensive
mangrove swamps.
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Little Habitats on the PrairieLuoma, Jon
R. "Little Habitats on the Prairie.(Brief
Article)." Audubon 101.6 (Nov 1999) 94. Student
Resource Center - Gold. Thomson Gale. Helotes
Elementary School. 5 Apr. 2007 roup.com/ips/infomark.do?contentSetIAC-Documents
typeretrievetabIDT003prodIdIPSdocIdA576254
26sourcegalesrcprodSRCGuserGroupNametlc20915
8434version1.0 From the air on a sunny spring
day, the prairie pothole country of North America
looks like a sort of earthbound galaxy, a myriad
of oval blue stars on a sky of green--millions of
little wetlands glistening crystalline in the
sun. Some are many acres in size, others not much
more than large puddles. Cumulatively, these
ponds and puddles and the adjoining prairie
upland constitute some of the most vital habitat
for waterbirds in the Western Hemisphere. The
prairie pothole country was created at the end of
the most recent Ice Age, when retreating glaciers
carved out more than 25 million small, shallow,
saucerlike wetlands--potholes--across 300,000
square miles on the Great Plains of Canada and
the northern prairie of the United States--Iowa,
Minnesota, eastern Montana, and the Dakotas. Of
special importance are some of the smallest and
most ephemeral of the wetlands. These may dry up
by midsummer, but they are the first to melt and
warm in the spring, attracting the birds that
search for food and nest sites as soon as they
arrive from points south.
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The prairie pothole country was created at the
end of the most recent Ice Age, when retreating
glaciers carved out more than 25 million small,
shallow, saucerlike wetlands--potholes--across
300,000 square miles on the Great Plains of
Canada and the northern prairie of the United
States--Iowa, Minnesota, eastern Montana, and the
Dakotas. Of special importance are some of the
smallest and most ephemeral of the wetlands.
These may dry up by midsummer, but they are the
first to melt and warm in the spring, attracting
the birds that search for food and nest sites as
soon as they arrive from points south. Sadly,
the same soil that made the prairie a rich land
for native grasses and grazing bison also makes
this place ideal for growing crops or raising
livestock. Since this continent was settled, many
farmers have viewed the potholes as outright
nuisances, and a lot of small prairie wetlands
have been ditched, drained, and filled into
oblivion. In the United States, the degree of
pothole-wetland loss has varied from state to
state 98 percent in Iowa, about 75 percent in
Minnesota, about half in North Dakota, and about
one-third in South Dakota. The effects on
waterbirds have been profound. From the 1970s to
the early 1990s, the number of northern pintail
ducks in the region declined by more than 63
percent. But recently, dramatic changes in
wetland laws have offered hope. Most notably, the
1985 federal Swampbuster program prevents farmers
from draining or filling potholes and other
wetlands if they want to receive federal
benefits.
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And there have been other signs of hope. Cycles
of drought and of abundant moisture are part of
the warp and weave of prairie ecosystems. The
most recent drought lasted eight years, from 1985
to 1993, and many pothole wetlands simply dried
up. But when the rains finally came, seeds of
wetland plants that had lain dormant for years
responded just as they are biologically adapted
to do They germinated, and complexes of wetland
plants burgeoned anew. Some bird populations have
increased, including mallards and gadwalls.
Still, pothole country faces continuing threats.
For example, last May South Dakota drew sharp
criticism from officials at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service by suddenly redefining what
constitutes a wetland. Under the new approach,
some small, seasonal potholes would no longer be
considered wetlands at all, even though
biologists have proven that these temporary
potholes provide some of the most critical
feeding habitat to waterbirds in early spring.
The National Audubon Society, led by Genevieve
Thompson, executive director of the state field
office for the Dakotas, has joined the opposition
to the change. "If this happens in South Dakota,"
Thompson asks, "does this mean it will happen in
North Dakota and Nebraska and Montana?"
Resolution 26 Keep the wetlands wet!
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Cite Your Source!
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Dont Forget To Cite Your Source!Wetlands by
Adele D. Richardson. Published by Bridgestone
Books, Mankato, MN in 2001.
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Dont Forget To Cite Your Source!Life In The
Wetlands by Carolyn Scrace. Published by
Childrens Press in Danbury, CT in 2005.
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Cite Your Source
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Forested WetlandsPlants and Animals of the
WetlandsThe Importance of the WetlandsHow
Wetlands are EndangeredWhy the Wetlands are
Important/
Videos
Credits for Videos
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Little Habitats on the PrairieLuoma, Jon
R. "Little Habitats on the Prairie.(Brief
Article)." Audubon 101.6 (Nov 1999) 94. Student
Resource Center - Gold. Thomson Gale. Helotes
Elementary School. 5 Apr. 2007 roup.com/ips/infomark.do?contentSetIAC-Documents
typeretrievetabIDT003prodIdIPSdocIdA576254
26sourcegalesrcprodSRCGuserGroupNametlc20915
8434version1.0 From the air on a sunny spring
day, the prairie pothole country of North America
looks like a sort of earthbound galaxy, a myriad
of oval blue stars on a sky of green--millions of
little wetlands glistening crystalline in the
sun. Some are many acres in size, others not much
more than large puddles. Cumulatively, these
ponds and puddles and the adjoining prairie
upland constitute some of the most vital habitat
for waterbirds in the Western Hemisphere. The
prairie pothole country was created at the end of
the most recent Ice Age, when retreating glaciers
carved out more than 25 million small, shallow,
saucerlike wetlands--potholes--across 300,000
square miles on the Great Plains of Canada and
the northern prairie of the United States--Iowa,
Minnesota, eastern Montana, and the Dakotas. Of
special importance are some of the smallest and
most ephemeral of the wetlands. These may dry up
by midsummer, but they are the first to melt and
warm in the spring, attracting the birds that
search for food and nest sites as soon as they
arrive from points south.
Next
65
Credits for Videos

• Forested WetlandsForested Wetlands.
  Environmental Media. 2001.unitedstreaming. 5
  April 2007http//www.unitedstreaming.com/
• Plants and Animals of the Wetlands
• The Importance of the Wetlands
• How Wetlands are EndangeredOur Wonderful
  Wetlands. United Learning. 1993.unitedstreaming.
  5 April 2007http//www.unitedstreaming.com/

Credits for Pictures used in this Power Point

• Searchasaurus, April 4, 2007
• http//web.ebscohost.com
• unitedstreaming. 4 April 2007http//www.unitedstr
  eaming.com/

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Credits for Books

• Wetlands by Adele D. Richardson. Published by
  Bridgestone Books, Mankato, MN in 2001.
• Life In The Wetlands by Carolyn Scrace.
  Published by Childrens Press in Danbury, CT in
  2005.

Credits for Encyclopedias

• "bog." Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia. 2007.
  Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.
• "marsh." Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia.
  2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School
  Edition.
• "swamp." Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia.
  2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School
  Edition 5  Apr.  2007  lementary/article?articleId353829.
• Luoma, Jon R. "Little Habitats on the
  Prairie.(Brief Article)." Audubon 101.6 (Nov
  1999) 94. Student Resource Center -
  Gold. Thomson Gale. Helotes Elementary School. 5
  Apr. 2007 .do?contentSetIAC-DocumentstyperetrievetabID
  T003prodIdIPSdocIdA57625426sourcegalesrcpro
  dSRCGuserGroupNametlc209158434version1.0

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Internet Sites(as you click on the links below,
hold down the Control (Ctrl) key

• Wetlands
• Wetland Facts
• Why We Need Wetlands
• Freshwater Marsh
• Wetland Plants and Animals
• Wetland Plants
• Americas Wetlands
• Freshwater Marsh Animals
• Introduction to Wetlands
• Types of Wetlands
• Economic Benefits of Wetlands
• Types of Wetlands
• What is a Wetland?
• (Those marked with a are more difficult)