wetland

A wetland is an area of land that is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally, such that its soils and vegetation have adapted to saturated conditions. Wetlands are characterized by hydric soils, specialized hydrophytic plants, and a water regime that influences ecological processes. They can be freshwater or saline and occur in inland, coastal, and marine environments.

Common types include marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens in freshwater systems, and mangrove, salt marsh, and mudflat systems in coastal and estuarine settings.

Functions include providing habitat for a broad range of species, regulating water flow and flood peaks, filtering sediments and pollutants, storing carbon, and recharging groundwater.

Threats such as drainage and land conversion, pollution, invasive species, development, and climate change have reduced wetland extent and integrity in many regions. Conservation and restoration efforts aim to protect remaining wetlands, reestablish hydrology, restore vegetation, and integrate wetlands into land-use planning.