What is a wetland?
Ranging from moist prairie depressions of less than
an acre to flooded Florida grasslands stretching for hundreds
of square miles, wetlands appear in every region and climate of
the U.S. Rivaling tropical rain forests in productivity, wetlands
are critical environments for todays wildlife refuges.
The painting below shows a saltwater marsh along the southeastern
coastline. Energized by a daily pulse of nutrients from tides,
such marshes provide habitat for two-thirds of the commercial
finfish and shellfish harvested in the U.S. Other types of wetlands
are featured below.
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