Скачать с ютуб [Explainer] What are wetlands and why do we need to protect them?—English Educational****Information в хорошем качестве

[Explainer] What are wetlands and why do we need to protect them?—English Educational****Information

A wetland is a place in which the land is covered by water—salt, fresh, or somewhere in between—either seasonally or permanently. It functions as its own distinct ecosystem. You can recognize wetlands from other types of land or bodies of water primarily by the vegetation that has adapted to wet soil. . . #wetlandseasonspark #Wetlands #WetlandsEnglishDocumentary #RamsarConvention #ramsarsitesinindia #ramsarsites Water is essential for all life on Earth. Freshwater is used for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, transportation, electricity generation, and recreation. Freshwater habitats, like lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands, house more than 10% of all known animal species and about 50% of all known fish species, despite covering less than 1% of the earth's surface. One of these freshwater habitats, wetlands—aquatic environments that are covered by freshwater, saltwater, or a mix—are often undervalued. They are the planet’s natural waste-water treatment facilities and carbon-storing champions. And they’re crucial for food security. Between 300 million and 400 million people live close to and depend on wetlands. They support the cultivation of rice, a staple in the diet of half the world’s population. They also provide flood control, clean water, shoreline and storm protection, materials, medicines, and vital habitat. As much as 87% of the world's wetlands has been lost over the past 300 years, with much of this loss happening after 1900, despite their value to the human population. WWF is working to conserve and protect these valuable habitats. Learn more about the importance of wetlands: 1. What is a wetland? A wetland is a place in which the land is covered by water—salt, fresh, or somewhere in between—either seasonally or permanently. It functions as its own distinct ecosystem. You can recognize wetlands from other types of land or bodies of water primarily by the vegetation that has adapted to wet soil. 2. What kinds of species live in wetlands? A wide variety of species live in wetlands. Birds, including ducks, geese, kingfishers, and sandpipers, use wetlands as pit stops during long migrations, providing them with protection and food. Mammals like otters, beavers, and even tigers rely on wetlands to find food and shelter. And, of course, wetlands are home to many types of fish. 3. What are some of the world's largest wetlands? The West Siberian Lowland, Amazon River Basin, and Hudson Bay Lowland are among the largest wetlands in the world. The world’s largest protected wetland is Llanos de Moxos, located in Bolivia. It is more than 17 million acres—roughly equal in size to North Dakota. 4. How are wetlands natural water filters? Wetlands trap pollutants such as phosphorus and heavy metals in their soils, transform nitrogen into a form that's easier for plants to take in, and physically and chemically break down bacteria. New York City found that it could save $3 billion to $8 billion in new wastewater treatment plants by purchasing and preserving $1.5 billion in land around its upstate reservoirs. 5. What are the different types of wetlands? Wetlands take many forms including rivers, marshes, bogs, mangroves, mudflats, ponds, swamps, billabongs, lagoons, lakes, and floodplains. Most large wetland areas often include a combination of different types of freshwater systems. 6. How do wetlands fight climate change? Wetlands cover a small portion of the planet, but their carbon capturing abilities pack a big punch. They can store 50 times more carbon than rain forests, helping to keep the heat-trapping gas that contributes to climate change out of the atmosphere. Wetlands pull leaves, animal waste, and other high carbon matter down from the surface of the water. This natural debris is buried by the water and sediment in the wetlands, locking them away. Another advantage is that wetlands grow quickly and remain stable, meaning they have long lifespans of sucking carbon from the atmosphere. . . A wetland is entirely covered by water at least part of the year. The depth and duration of this seasonal flooding varies. Wetlands are transition zones. They are neither totally dry land nor totally underwater; they have characteristics of both. The saturation of wetland soil determines the vegetation that surrounds it. Plants that live in wetlands are uniquely adapted to their watery (hydric) soil. Wetland plants are called hydrophytes. Seasonally dry wetlands or wetlands with slow-moving water can often support trees and other sturdy vegetation. More frequently flooded wetlands have mosses or grasses as their dominant hydrophytes. Wetlands exist in many kinds of climates, on every continent except Antarctica. They vary in size from isolated prairie potholes to huge salt marshes. They are found along coasts and inland. Some wetlands are flooded woodlands, full of trees. Others are more like flat, watery grasslands. Still others are choked by thick, spongy mosses.