It's World Wetlands Day! YAY! What does that mean? It means we appreciate wetlands for the day, even if we aren't normally in the habit of thinking about them. Some of us happen to be thinking about wetlands all the time because we happen to study plants that live in wetlands. But others may say, why do I care about these places that I never want to go in because they are wet, muddy and full of mosquitoes? You might care about these places because they are nursery habitat for the fish, crabs and shrimp that you like to eat. You might care about these places because you are worried about climate change and wetlands store (literally) tons of carbon, both aboveground and belowground. You also might care about wetlands because you like bird watching and you can see storks, egrets, herons, coots, ducks and roseate spoonbills, among others, in wetlands.
Wetlands come in many shapes and sizes. Wetlands can be marshes, mangroves, fens, bogs and pannes. They can be wet from freshwater or saltwater. You probably have a wetland somewhere close to where you live. Love your wetlands!
No comments:
Post a Comment