What exactly is a wetland?
Wetlands are transitional areas between land and aquatic ecosystems, where the water table is usually at or near the surface, or the land is covered by shallow water. Wetlands must have one or more of the following three attributes:
- The land supports predominantly hydrophytes (plants growing in water or soil that is at least periodically deficient in oxygen due to excessive water) at least part of the time
- The substrate (foundation surface) is primarily undrained hydric soil (soil that is wet long enough to periodically produce anaerobic, or low-oxygen conditions)
- The substrate is non-soil, and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water for a portion of the growing season each year.
Excerpted from “Wetlands of the Galveston Bay System,” part of the Galveston Bay Fact Sheet Series.
Why are wetlands important?
Wetlands have numerous values: protecting shorelines; filtering excess organic material and nutrients from low quality water (i.e., wastewater treatment) and using them for plant growth; and providing habitat for fish and wildlife. The roots of wetland plants stabilize the soil and absorb nutrients. These plants provide food for herbivores (vegetarian animals) and detritivores (animals which eat detritus, or decaying organic matter). Lower intertidal marshes (marches that lie between high and low tide lines) provide a hiding place for juvenile finfish as well as shrimp, crabs and other invertebrates. A well-developed stand of emergent marsh is effective for breaking waves and preventing the gradual erosion of the shoreline. In tributaries, wetlands aid in groundwater recharge and flood control by storing excess water.
Excerpted from “Wetlands of the Galveston Bay System,” part of the Galveston Bay Fact Sheet Series.