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, USA , with an endangered American Crocodile .]] In Physical Geography , a wetland is an environment "at the interface between truly Terrestrial Ecosystems and Aquatic systems making them inherently different from each other yet highly dependent on both" (Mitsch & Gosselink, 1986). In essence, wetlands are Ecotones . Wetlands often host considerable Biodiversity and Endemism . In many locations such as the United Kingdom and USA they are the subject of Conservation efforts and Biodiversity Action Plan s. The United States Army Corps Of Engineers and the United States Environmental Protection Agency jointly define wetlands as: Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas. Definition from Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual by Environmental Laboratory U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station 3909 Halls Ferry Road Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199 CHARACTERISTICS Wetlands are found under a wide range of Hydrological conditions, but at least some of the time water Saturate s the Soil . The result is a Hydric Soil , one characterized by an absence of free oxygen some or all of the time, and therefore called a " Reducing Environment ." Plants (called Hydrophytes or just wetland plants) specifically adapted to the reducing conditions presented by such soils can survive in wetlands, whereas species intolerant of the absence of soil oxygen (called "upland" plants) cannot survive. Adaptations to low soil oxygen characterize many wetland species. They are wonderful places for camping Intertidal wetlands are found in coastal areas where air temperature, wave action, salinity levels, and sediment movements are moderated by the locational features of the estuarine environment and ecosystem. Wetlands are a vital part of the ecosystem that provide clean drinking water for millions. There are many types of vegetation in wetlands. There are plants such as Cattails, bulrushes, Sedges, Arrowhead, Water Lilies, Blue Flag, and Floaters like common duckweed. Pondweed is also another type of plant that grows in wetlands, but it is not easily seen. Peatland can be dominated by red maple, silver maple, and Elm trees. Some types of trees in peatland can exhibit lower trunks and roots that have adapted to the wet surroundings by forming buttresses, enlarged root bases to better support the trees in the mucky soil. Trees can also form knees, raised roots that allow for gas exchange. Swamps can also have white Cedar, Tamarack, and White Pine. Below the canopy, there are often limited amounts of shrubs such as speckled Alder, Winterberry, and Sweet Gale. TYPES
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