Get Bill Nye Wetlands Worksheet Answers 2020-2025

Below are brief descriptions of the major types of wetlands found in the United States organized into four general categories: marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens.

Wetlands are the link between the land and the water. They are transition zones where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients, and the energy of the sun meet to produce a unique ecosystem characterized by hydrology, soils, and vegetation—making these areas very important features of a watershed.

Are wetlands the same as quicksand? No. Quicksand is where water coming up through the sand pushes sand particles far away from each other until the barely touch. It's mostly water.

Highly organic, mineral rich soils of sand, silt, and clay underlie these wetlands, while lily pads, cattails (see photo), reeds and bulrushes provide excellent habitat for waterfowl and other small mammals, such as Red-winged Blackbirds, Great Blue Herons, otters and muskrats.

Wetlands go by many names, such as swamps, peatlands, sloughs, marshes, muskegs, bogs, fens, potholes, and mires. Most scientists consider swamps, marshes, and bogs to be the three major kinds of wetlands.

Wetland functions are the result of interactions between the three major components of wetland ecosystems: hydrology, biology, and soils. These interactions produce complex chemical reactions and the transfer of materials and energy which drive wetland processes.

Wetlands provide habitat for thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. Wetlands are valuable for flood protection, water quality improvement, shoreline erosion control, natural products, recreation, and aesthetics.

Quicksand is a common and deadly element of swamp, jungle, and desert terrain.