What exactly are "Wetlands?"
There are actually many different definitions of wetlands, mainly because there are so many different types.  Wetlands acts as a general term referring to marshes, swamps, bogs, and similar areas.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines wetlands as lands where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface (Cowardin, December 1979).  In a wetland region for all or part of the year, water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface of the soil or within the root zone.

Classification of Wetlands:
- marine
- estuarine
- riverine
- lacustrine
- palustrine

If you'd like more detailed information about the various classes of wetlands, visit the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Center's National Wetlands Inventory Center.

How are wetlands beneficial to the environment as a whole?
Wetlands are important to the environment for several reasons.  They play a key role in maintaining the natural balance, or equilibrium of the areas in which they are located.  Wetlands also serve as buffers in coastal regions, reducing flooding and erosion.  In addition, wetlands are host to an abundance of plant and animal life.  When wetlands are destroyed for development, these habitats are destroyed as well.

Some examples of the plant life that can be found in wetlands include:
- Jewelweed
- Swamp Buttercup
- Arrowhead
- Ironweed
- Boneset
- JoePye Weed
- Rushes

The last few species listed can be found at the Graver Arboretum.  For some pictures of this wetland habitat, click here.

For much more wetland information than is provided here, visit some of these links:

EPA Office of Water
Assateague State Park
Assateague Island
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Refuges - National Wildlife Refuge System
Constructed Wetlands Bibliography