Food Web
Weather and Climate
Being so widespread, the temperature and
precipitation of wetlands are greatly variable,
depending on where the wetland is located. For
example, temperatures in a swamp in Mississippi will
range from 90°F to 100°F in the summer, while a
wetland in Alaska will range from 60°F to 80°F in the
summer.
Biological Relationships
● Certain species of birds will clean the teeth
of alligators. The birds get food, while
protecting the alligator from potential
infections
● Lichens are a symbiosis between fungi and
algae. The fungus provides the algae with
protection, while the algae provides the
fungus with nutrients
Fun Facts
●
Wetlands store massive amounts of carbon in the
soil
Due to the low oxygen content, organic matter
Wetlands
decays very slowly. Because of this, there have
been several bog mummies found in remarkably
good condition for over 2,000 years
● Wetlands are responsible for about a quarter of
global methane emissions
● Wetlands are one of the oldest biomes on earth, By: Andrew Howson
and were home to some of the earliest land plants
C Block Odd
Works Cited
“Types of Wetlands - National Groundwater Association.” NGWA - The
Groundwater Association, www.ngwa.org/Fundamentals/teachers/Pages/Types-of-
wetlands.aspx.
“Wetlands Classification and Types.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 1
Sept. 2017, www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetlands-classification-and-types.
“Major Wetlands of the World.” WWF,
wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/intro/majorwetlands/. Could put “lure”
“BaldcypressTaxodium Distichum.” Baldcypress Tree on the Tree Guide at
Arborday.org, www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=787.
“Roseate Spoonbill.” Audubon, 17 Jan. 2018, www.audubon.org/field-
guide/bird/roseate-spoonbill.
“Venus Flytrap Can Count Prey's Steps to Dissolve Them Alive.” New Scientist ,
www.newscientist.com/article/2074582-venus-flytrap-can-count-preys-steps-to-
dissolve-them-alive/.
Team, ITS Web Development. “Mississippi Climate.” Department of Geosciences
at Mississippi State University, 1 June 2016, www.geosciences.msstate.edu/state-
climatologist/climate/.
“Travel Alaska - Alaskas Climate.” TravelAlaska,
www.travelalaska.com/Planning/Alaska-Climate.aspx.
“Food Web/Pyramids.” The Swamps Biome, swampsbiome.weebly.com/food-
webpyramids.html.
French, Kristen C. “The Curious Case of the Bog Bodies - Issue 27: Dark Matter.”
Nautilus, 6 Aug. 2015, nautil.us/issue/27/dark-matter/the-curious-case-of-the-bog-
bodies.
“Carboniferous Period and Prehistoric Facts.” Information and Prehistoric
Facts | National Geographic, 10 Jan. 2017,
www.nationalgeographic.com/ science/ prehistoric-world/ carboniferous/ .
 Flora and Fauna Geographic Location
Wetlands are home to a very diverse Wetlands are an extremely diverse biome and are found on almost every continent. Some of the more well
array of flora and fauna and are refuge known wetlands include the Everglades in Florida, the Danube Delta in Southeastern Europe, Camargue in
to many endangered and threatened France, and the Kakadu Wetlands in Australia. According to the EPA, there are actually 4 different types of
species. Many of the plants and wetlands: marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens. All wetlands are characterized by being saturated with water and
animals here have adapted to this are categorized by their types of vegetation, the source of their water, and the pH value of their water. Bogs
environment in fascinating ways. For and fens are typically found only in the northern hemisphere, while swamps and marshes are found
example, bogs are home to plants that throughout both hemispheres.
have evolved to be carnivorous
because of the low nutrient levels in
the soil. Swamp cypresses have
evolved large bases in order to help
them retain oxygen. Wetlands are
home to a wide variety of reptiles,
amphibians, birds, and insects, such as
newts, alligators, turtles, flamingoes,
spoonbills, crawfish, crabs, and many,
many more. Birds typically have long
legs and beaks in order to help them
obtain food and keep themselves away
from the water, while some reptiles
have developed ways of luring prey
with specific bodily features, such as
the snapping turtle’s wormlike tongue

4 Types of Wetlands
Marsh - Soft stemmed grasses, relatively neutral water pH, water is mainly sourced from the surface (rivers,
oceans, etc.), soil is typically high in nutrients, can be tidal or non-tidal
Swamp - Any type of wetland with primarily woody vegetation (ex. Trees, bushes, shrubs)
Bog - Low water pH, very acidic water, floor is made up mostly of sphagnum mosses, soil is very low in
nutrients, peat is abundant, are formed by mosses trapping water in the ground
Fen - Similar to bogs, but with less acidic water and higher levels of nutrients in the soil