02/02/2016
Wetlands for our Future: Sustainable Livelihoods is the theme this year as we mark the World Wetlands Day 2016 today!!
Do you know the importance of wetlands? To the economy, the society and most importantly the ecosystem?
1. Wetlands are homes, feeding grounds, breeding grounds, and places of refuge for many species.
2. They are the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems.
3. Different types of vegetation found in and around wetlands include submerged water plants like seagrasses and eelgrasses, floating water plants such as lilypads and duckweed, emergent plants such as arums, and shrubs and trees like mangrove forest species.
4. Common different types of wetlands are swamp, marsh and bog.
5. Scientists, politicians, environmentalists, farmers, and developers have been debating the definition of a wetland for many years. With there being many definitions, wetlands can be confusing and controversial. To be called a wetland, an area must be filled or soaked with water at least part of the year. Some wetlands are dry for parts of the year.
6. Wetlands help to absorb wind and tidal forces.
7. Wetlands collect and hold water, preventing flooding – acting like a sponge, they absorb flood water and release it slowly into the ground.
8. Wetlands filter, clean and store water – acting as kidneys to other ecosystems.
9. Wetland biomes appear on every continent except Antarctica.
10. Wetlands can be fresh water, salt water, or a combination of the two.
11. They become refuge areas in droughts, and they often support rare and threatened plants and animals that are not found anywhere else.
http://www.worldwetlandsday.org/
