One of the most vital natural resources on the earth, water supports life in a variety of ways beyond merely filling water bottles. It aids in the production and maintenance of food, enabling life to flourish in the most exquisite ways.
In order to support life, the planet does something amazing by providing water to us in our oceans, rivers, lakes, and even wetlands. Because the planet is covered in water, it is also teeming with life.
Wetlands are not frequently considered among the wonderful bodies of water that support life. But once you learn about the fun facts about wetlands and everything they accomplish, you’ll be surprised.
Wetlands support numerous people and wildlife worldwide by offering food, fresh water, and shelter despite only making up about 6% of the planet’s land area. Around the world, it is believed that half of all wetlands have vanished.
Table of Contents
What is a Wetland?
A wetland is a body of water or “land covered by water” that supports a number of significant species. They have a rich ecosystem and serve as a facility for the creatures living there to treat wastewater.
There are thought to be 400 million people who reside close to wetlands that enable the development of different crops including rice and staples. Wetlands are vital for providing safe drinking water, preventing flooding, producing materials and medicines, and acting as a habitat for numerous organisms.
According to WWF, “wetlands are the link between land and water and are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world.” They are places that are often covered by water either fresh or salty or somewhere in between and can either be permanent or seasonal. Wetlands can either be filled with moss, shrubs, grasses, or trees.
Here, we will be looking at 20 facts on wetlands that even I didn’t know!
20 Fun Facts about Wetlands
Here are some fun facts about wetlands
- Water covers wetlands for the most part
- Antarctica has no wetlands
- Wetlands’ biological diversity is Supreme
- Wetlands provide birds with a place to survive.
- The largest protected wetland in the world is Llanos de Moxos.
- The Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland
- Wetland ecosystems serve as natural water filters
- Municipalities can use wetlands for wastewater treatment
- There are various sub-types of wetlands
- Wetlands are essential for the survival of 19,500 species!
- The Ramsar Convention was established in 1971 to safeguard wetlands
- 1/3 of the world’s carbon is stored in wetlands
- International Wetland Day
- The majority of tourists in Africa are drawn to wetlands.
- Peatlands contain more than half of the world’s wetlands
- The primary habitats in the Arctic area are wetlands
- Wetlands Help Prevent Natural Disasters and Floods
- Stops Climate Change
- Wetlands are constantly in danger!
1. Water covers wetlands for the most part
As the name implies, the majority of the wetlands are submerged in water that is either fresh, salty or in between. A location must be submerged or filled with water for a significant portion of the year in order to be classified as a wetland.
2. Antarctica has no wetlands
Every continent on the planet, with the exception of Antarctica, has some type of wetland. Wetlands are unable to survive in Antarctica’s harsh weather conditions.
3. Wetlands’ biological diversity is Supreme
One of the most diverse biomes on earth is said to be wetlands. The biomes’ year-round humidity and moisture are largely responsible for this diversity, making them ideal habitats for a wide variety of animals.
Numerous species can find food there and can live there. All residents receive sustenance from organic matter’s decomposition, which keeps the ecosystem’s food web and food chain in good shape.
4. Wetlands provide birds with a place to survive.
These wetlands are essential to the survival of about 150 different bird species, such as ibises, sandpipers, kingfishers, ducks, and geese. For instance, wetlands are necessary for up to 80% of the birds that breed in America. It’s possible for birds to make wetlands their permanent home and to migrate from one habitat to another.
5. The largest protected wetland in the world is Llanos de Moxos.
The Llanos de Moxos in Bolivia is the largest protected wetland in the world. It borders Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru and has an area of more than 17 million acres or nearly the size of North Dakota.
Like other wetlands, Llanos de Moxos is home to more than 1,000 plant species, 60 amphibians, 100 reptiles, 565 birds, and 625 fish. The West Siberian Lowland, Amazon River Basin, and Hudson Bay Lowland are a few more significant wetlands that exist in the world.
6. The Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland
The greatest wetland is the Pantanal, which has an area of between 54,000 and 75,000 square miles. It spreads through Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay, collecting runoff from the highlands nearby before emptying into the Paraguay River.
7. Wetland ecosystems serve as natural water filters
Wetlands can serve as water filters naturally. They are also known as the earth’s ecosystem’s kidneys. Wetlands can absorb nutrients in an agricultural runoff after heavy rains, preventing eutrophication and also slowing the growth of dead zones in water bodies.
Wetlands have the ability to transform dissolved nitrogen into nitrogen gas and eliminate more than 60% of the metals present in water. They primarily accomplish this by using soil percolation and plant uptake of the chemical in these wetlands.
8. Municipalities can use wetlands for wastewater treatment
Wetland ecosystems serve as the earth’s natural water filters, and because of this, towns can take advantage of them to cleanse wastewater. Many already utilize them because of their affordability, practicality, and efficiency. To clean wastewater, municipalities are converting existing wetlands for their wastewater treatment facilities.
9. There are various sub-types of wetlands
There are many different types of wetlands, including mangroves, ponds, swamps, lagoons, lakes, and floodplains. Within an already sizable wetland area, these various wetlands might be located near one another.
10. Wetlands are essential for the survival of 19,500 species!
Wetland ecosystems are the most diverse on Earth, as we’ve already mentioned. This indicates that wetlands are essential to the survival of many species. More than 19,500 different animal and plant species can live there.
11. The Ramsar Convention was established in 1971 to safeguard wetlands
An international agreement for the preservation of wetlands known as the Ramsar Convention was created in 1971, more than 40 years ago.
As a result, more than 2,000 wetlands have been designated as “Wetlands of International Importance” in the present. Seventy-five percent of these wetland sites have been added since 1999, all thanks to the WWF’s ongoing efforts.
12. 1/3 of the world’s carbon is stored in wetlands
Given that wetlands only make up a relatively small percentage of the world, their capacity to absorb carbon is astounding. Wetlands have the capacity to store up to 50 times more carbon than rainforests, which translates to the ability to hold one-third of the world’s total carbon even if they only occupy 3% of the planet.
13. International Wetland Day
In order to increase awareness of the importance of wetlands worldwide, February 2 is observed as World’s Wetlands Day.
14. Wetlands are located where water and land combine It is a known truth that wetlands are discovered where water and land meet and act as a bridge between the two.
15. The majority of tourists in Africa are drawn to wetlands.
The 131 million hectares of the African wetland environment are made up of peatlands, flooded forests, rice fields, river basins, and mangroves. Similar to other wetlands, these ones support life and give people recreational opportunities, which boosts tourism.
16. Peatlands contain more than half of the world’s wetlands
Tundra, peat swamp woods, moors, mires, and bogs are all examples of peatlands. Within peatlands, half of the world’s wetlands are found.
Although they can be found all throughout the world, they are most prevalent in African nations. The two nations with the biggest amounts of peatland are Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
17. The primary habitats in the Arctic area are wetlands
60% of the surface area of the Arctic is made up of wetlands. They must retain global diversity, thus this is crucial. As a result, unique habitats are provided for animals and plants, providing them with a priceless breeding and feeding ground.
The residents that live nearby the wetlands depend heavily on rainfall, fishing, hunting, and grazing grounds as a source of income.
18. Wetlands Help Prevent Natural Disasters and Floods
Wetlands have the ability to hold water, which is crucial since it avoids flooding. They absorb and store all the extra water in the area, acting like a sponge to lessen the chance of flooding. According to the EPA, one acre of wetland can hold 1.5 million gallons of floodwater.
As a result, rivers can maintain their regular water levels, and the likelihood of future natural disasters like typhoons or hurricanes is decreased.
Do not misunderstand; wetlands do not, in and of themselves, avert hurricanes or storms. When waves hit tidal wetland barriers, wetlands absorb their energy and break the waves. This prevents powerful waves from traveling much further inland and causing property damage.
19. Stops Climate Change
Natural catastrophes are a serious problem for the world, and climate change is having an increasingly noticeable impact on them (you may have observed an increase in frequency).
Wetlands are very good at storing carbon. This slows the release of greenhouse gases, lessening the greenhouse impact and thwarting climate change. Due to the effect of wetlands on climate change, their significance has increased among nations, and more efforts are being made to preserve wetlands.
20. Wetlands are constantly in danger!
Although wetlands are an important component of the environment and assist all living things on the planet. Wetlands, like other biomes, are in danger of going extinct. Numerous pollution-related activities, climate change, agriculture, and the construction of dams are some of these risks.
Conclusion
Thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals find habitat in wetlands. Wetlands are beneficial for several reasons, including flood protection, improved water quality, reduced shoreline erosion, natural product production, recreation, and beauty.
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A passion-driven environmentalist by heart. Lead content writer at EnvironmentGo.
I strive to educate the public about the environment and its problems.
It has always been about nature, we ought to protect not destroy.