Wetlands

Definition of Wetlands: Transitional areas between terrestrial and aquatic systems in which the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. This is the common definition for Wetlands, other definitions can be discussed in the article

Notes

1. Under the Ramsar Convention, wetlands can include tidal mudflats, natural ponds, marshes, potholes, wet meadows, bogs, peatlands, freshwater swamps, mangroves, lakes, rivers and even some coral reefs.
2. Wetlands are ecotones. Wetlands often host considerable biodiversity and endemism.
3. In many countries, wetlands are the subject of conservation efforts and biodiversity action plans.
4. Wetlands are defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as "areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season. Water saturation largely determines how the soil develops and the types of plant and animal communities living in and on the soil. Wetlands may support both aquatic and terrestrial species. The prolonged presence of water creates conditions that favour the growth of specially adapted plants and promote the development of characteristic wetlands soils."