Wetlands: notes on different wetland types, and organisms' adaptations to surviving there, reasons to save with video links

notes on different wetland types, and organisms' adaptations to surviving there, reasons to save with video links

1. Wetlands
PPt. by, Robin D. Seamon
http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlan
ds/types_index.cfm

2. Abiotic factors
Water
Soil
Light
Temperature
Biotic factors
Mangroves
Algae
Birds
Turtles
fish
Name some abiotic factors & some biotic factors that affect life in
the wetland ecosystem.

3. •Salt Marshes: SALTWATER
-Atlantic &Gulf coasts
-open areas filled with seas of grasses
-calm spots away from wind (bays, inlets)
-LOTS of wildlife
http://connecticutwatertrails.com/img64.jpg

4. Mangrove Swamps: SALTWATER
-tropical fresh & saltwater
-Florida
-migrating stop for birds
-oysters, mangrove crabs, fish, herons, egrets,
storks

5. •Swamp: FRESH WATER
-slow-moving streams/rivers
-wet during growing season, dry during summer
-inches to feet of water
-huge trees & shrubs

6. Marsh: FRESH WATER
-perennial grasses, NO trees
-wet areas,
-muskrats important
-migratory birds need
http://baytrail.abag.ca.gov/vtour/map4/access/Alame
da1/B10_FreshwaterMarsh.JPG

7. •Bogs: FRESHWATER
-Lots of peat (40 ft or more!)
-colder regions b/c little water flows in or out
-too much rain or snow
http://www.tehrantimes.com/ News/10248/09_PEAT.jpg

8. Wetlands and Wildlife:
•Migration: between winter & summer homes,
birds “refuel”(egrets, herons, geese,
sandpipers, plovers)
•Natural Nurseries: hatch & hide!
•Habitat & breeding grounds: animals live
here and breed esp. (WATERFOWL, moose,
frogs, raccoon, turtles, opossum, snakes,
insects, fish)
•Rare species: 1/2 US endangered species
live here: (wood stork, nail kites, whooping
cranes, American crocodile)

9. Plant Life:
•Emergents: plants that grow out of the water
rice

10. Plant Life:
•Floating plants: float on the surface, roots
floating as well

11. Plant Life:
•Submergents: grow under the water

12. Wetlands and People:
•SPONGE: soil is like a sponge. It soaks up
excess water & release it later into surrounding
habitat during dry weather!
•Flood buster: soaks in water and reduces flood
damage
•Erosion control
•Filters water: filters pollutants, protecting our
drinking water
•Unlike other habitats wetlands DIRECTLY
improve the habitats surrounding it.

13. -WETLANDS ARE IN TROUBLE!
-290,000+ acres wetlands lost each year
-50% gone over past 200 yrs
-people drain them for farms & cities
•Everglades: one of largest in the world, in S.
Florida (once covered most of it): NOW:
Everglades Nat’l Park
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SgPmQd1IziM/T
UnHvyEZl9I/AAAAAAAAAxE/AtTN39bNhJ
4/s1600/wetlands.jpg

14. Estimating Populations: Mark-recapture method
“Capturing the Wild Bean”
Scientists study groups of organisms in an area to determine population to see if a
population is outgrowing its carrying capacity or if they’re becoming endangered.
Biologists use the mark-recapture method to count.
Materials: lab sheet & pencil; paper bag with teacher-counted beans in it
Procedure & Observations:
6.Prepare data table:
2. Reach into the bag & remove a handful of beans
3. Count the number of beans you have ‘captured.’ Record on data sheet for 1
st
capture.
4. Use the permanent marker to mark each bean you have just counted. Allow to dry completely, put back in bag.
5. Shake bag. ‘Capture’ another handful. Record recapture.
6. Count number of beans with marks from first capture. Record in marked recapture.
7. Calculate estimation of total number of beans in bag: Record estimate in table
Number in recapture X number marked beans = estimated population
number of marked in recapture
•
Gently pour all beans onto table. Calculate actual total population. Record in actual population.
Results:
Compare your data. How close was your estimate to the actual number of beans?
Actual total
population
Calculated
estimate of
population
Number of marked
animals in
recapture
Total number of
animals in
recapture
Number of animals
In 1
st
capture

15. •Prairie Potholes: 5.3 million acres remain (WAS
17 million) in US N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Minnesota
-33,000 acres destroyed each year

16. •Great Lakes: marshes along Great Lakes have
decreased by 90 %

17. •California wetlands: 450,000 acres left
of its original 5 million acres.

18. •Lower Mississippi Valley: 15%
bottomland hardwood wetlands are left

19. To Help:
•Local zoning laws
•National reserves
•Write your legislators
•(lack support and money, so rules are poorly
enforced!)
•Federal Migratory bird Stamp Program
(Duck Stamp program)
•Clean Water Act section 404

20. W
E
T
L
A
N
D
S
Organism examples:
Primary Producers: cattail, wild rice,
smooth cord grass, sweet flag, blue iris,
switch grass
Primary Consumers: meadow voles, mice,
rabbits, aquatic macroinvertebrates,
deer, fish, waterfowl
Secondary Consumers: birds of prey,
snakes, foxes, fish, humans
Tertiary Consumers: turkey vultures,
ravens, crabs, humans
Decomposers: fungi, bacteria

21. W
E
T
L
A
N
D
S

22. How to survive ‘sink holes’ Man vs.Wild
How to use your Shoelaces Man vs. Wild
Water Compass Man vs. Wild
Man vs. Wild: Surviving with Bear
Man vs. Wild: Sawgrass

23. Works Cited:
PHOTOS
•Wetlands collage
•Bird
•Salt marsh
•Mangrove swamp
•Freshwater marsh
•Freshwater bogs
•FL everglades & satellite image
•Prairie Potholes
•Great lakes
•Ca.
•Mississippi