Wetlands
What Are Wetlands and Why Are They Important?
Wetlands are essentially saturated land. They are areas where fresh, brackish, or slat water flows in an out of when the tide rises and falls. They are home to many different plant and animal species are have lots of biodiversity. Wetlands are especially important in times of heavy rainfall and flooding because the area is able to absorb lots of water and stop it from overflowing into residential areas.
Read more about different types of wetlands below!
Causes of Wetland Decline & Importance of Restoration. In the past century, wetlands have increasingly been declining. In the Bay Area, the main cause of wetland decline is urbanization and the expansion of residential areas. Although homes and business are expanding and being built on top of filled in wetlands, it is important that people begin to look at the devastating effects of this expansions and start to restore these wetlands. Restoration of wetlands has become an important issue because of rising sea levels, increased rainfall, and flooding. Since all of these are beginning to increase because of global warming and climate change, wetlands are becoming increasingly more vital to areas like the Bay. In order to stop flooding and destruction of homes, businesses, and the entire surrounding Bay Area, wetlands need to be restored so the excess water can be absorbed. Invasive Species Invasive species are prominent in wetlands and can be introduced in several different ways. One invasive species that has taken over some Bay Area wetlands is the red fox. Read more about where this animal is native to, how it was introduced to Bay Area wetlands, the impacts and problems it has caused, and management solutions and success in a presentation created by me and some fellow Environmental Science students! Saving the Bay Documentary Some interesting facts I learned about the San Francisco Bay are that is has five times more water than the Mississippi River. I also learned that the Bay Area consists of 3 different bays and that 85% of the badlands are gone due to urbanization. Below are sketch notes from the documentary. Check them out for more interesting facts on the history of the Bay!
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