Objectives
After participating in this activity, students will be able to:
- Observe building a model wetland
- Understand that wetlands are defined by plants, soil and water
- Identify some wetland types and their locations
- Relate importance of wetland function to people’s needs and daily lives
- Draw conclusions from observations of multiple trials of the wetland model, including modifications to model.
- Demonstrate wetland functions using the model
Summary
Wetlands provide some of the most important ecological functions of any habitat type. They provide nursery areas for fish, support an abundance of wildlife, help control flooding, filter nutrients and sediments and even some harmful pollutants. In the process, wetlands improve water quality and enhance our natural environment. By creating a wetland model, students observe these concepts in action and watch what can happen when a wetland disappears.
Background
Wetlands are an important feature of the Great Lake region. Marshes, a type of wetland, are found along the Great Lakes, but in some areas they’ve decreased by 90 percent. It is estimated that Michigan once had over 11 million acres of wetlands. Today, a little over 5.6 million acres remain.
A wetland is an area that periodically has waterlogged soils or is covered by shallow surface water. This surface water supports plants and animals that are adapted to living in a watery environment. Some major functions of a wetland are:
- Reduce flooding (flood buffering)
- Filter pollution
- Prevent soil erosion
- Provide habitat for aquatic and terrestrial animals and plants
- Serve as breeding, feeding, and nesting grounds
Wetlands are classified as marshes, bogs, swamps, vernal ponds, and wet meadows. These are the types found in Michigan. Some non-Michigan wetlands are salt marshes, mangrove swamps, and prairie potholes.
See: Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands
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