Wetlands serve as some of the most complex and important ecosystems on Earth, providing habitat for many plants and animals, collecting and filtering water, and reducing the amount of damage from floods and heavy rainfall. Wetlands go by many alternative names, including swamps, marshes and bogs. They vary slightly in physical composition; some wetlands contain primarily trees, while others contain brush and shrubs, but all perform equally important ecological roles.Continue Reading
In the United States, wetlands serve as homes and form critical habitats for nearly 50 percent of the nation's federally endangered plant and animal species. Fish, birds, amphibians and many types of plants require the resources found only in wetlands for survival. In addition to protecting threatened and endangered species, wetlands control flooding by acting as large sponges, filling with excess water when heavy rains fall. A single acre of wetlands might store over 1 million gallons of water, making them ideal natural sources of flood control. The trees and brush in wetlands anchor soil and vegetation to the ground, which ultimately reduces wind and soil erosion.
Wetlands provide humans with recreational opportunities and offer economic benefits as well. They supply ample amounts of shellfish along with cranberries, blueberries and wild rice. Waterfowl hunting within wetland boundaries proves lucrative, and some medicines derive from ingredients found only in wetlands.Learn more about Earth Science
Ocean water is salty primarily due to the large amounts of chloride and sodium on land which are dissolved by rainfall and carried to the sea by rivers and streams. Hydrothermal vents and underwater volcanoes located on the seabed also contribute dissolved salts to the ocean.Full Answer >
Heavy, consistent and prolonged rainfall coupled with the overflowing of rivers and other water channels is one of the main causes of flooding. As rainwater reaches and fills the river channels, the water spreads on the floodplain or the land next to the river and causes flooding.Full Answer >
Bryophytes serve two important functions in an ecological sense: they absorb and release water in certain ecosystems, and they also release acids in other ecosystems. These functions help support certain organisms and other small forms of life in the ecosystems in which they exist, explains McDaniel College. Bryophytes in these ecosystems usually take the form of "moss balls" for their functions.Full Answer >
Common health hazards associated with oil well fracking within the vicinity of the operation include accidental explosions, struck-by hazards, ingestion of contaminated water and overexposure to noxious chemicals that severely damage various organ systems in the body, which often result in infirmity and even death. Beyond the extraction site, oil well fracking also pose serious health concerns to the general public due to improper waste disposal and fracking-induced earthquakes.Full Answer >