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| Nitrogen Cycle (Denitrification in Wetlands) |
Despite harboring a bad reputation
for breeding nests of mosquitoes, wetlands are actually serve many very important environmental functions.
- Habitat
– Sometimes called “nurseries of life”, wetlands provide habitats to a host of thousands of plant and animal
species. The various levels of saturation in wetlands, acidity of water and soil, periodicity, and many other factors create
many combinations of wetland environments that allow diversity in plant and animal life. The wetlands not only provide habitats
to year-round species, such as alligators, frogs, and snake, they also provide temporary habitats for migrating birds that
stop to rest and feed during their long journeys.
- Watershed
– Wetlands are important watersheds, which serve as natural filters of contaminants from runoff water before they reach
lakes or rivers. Wetlands also serve an important function as a buffer between terrestrial and aquatic environments. The presence
of a wetland prevents land damage by absorbing tides, floodwater, and strong winds.
- Nitrogen
Cycle – Wetlands remove nitrogenous material from the water through denitrification (nitrate is converted to
atmospheric nitrogen). Excess nitrate in a freshwater causes eutrophication, which can lead to the destruction of that ecosystem.
- Mangrove Trees – Wetlands specifically inhabited by this species of plant. The presence of mangrove trees counteracts the effects
of erosion by stabilizing and increasing soil level over time.
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| Mangrove wetlands prevent erosion |
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