exploring our wonderful wetlands publication
TRANSCRIPT
Exploring Our Wonderful
Wetlands
Exploring Our Wonderful
Wetlands
Student PublicationGrades 4–7
Exploring Our Wonderful Wetlands
Exploration1
Wading Into Our Wetlands ................................................Page 3
Exploration2
Searching Our Saltwater Wetlands .................................Page 5
Exploration3
Finding Out About Our Freshwater Wetlands .............Page 7
Exploration4
Discovering What Wetlands Do .................................... Page 10
Exploration5
Becoming Protectors of Our Wetlands ........................Page 14
Wetlands Activities .............................................................Page 17
Websites ................................................................................Page 20
VisittheSouthwestFloridaWaterManagementDistrict’swebsiteatWaterMatters.org.
Dear Wetland Students: Areyoureadytoexploreourwonderfulwetlands?Wehopeso!Tohelpyoulearnaboutseveraltypesofwetlandsinourarea,wearetakingyouonaseriesofexplorations.Asyoumovethroughthepublication,besuretotestyourwetlandwitandwriteaboutwetlandsbeforemovingontothenextexploration.Byexploringourwonderfulwetlands,wehopethatyouwillappreciatewhereyouliveandencourageotherstohelpprotectourpreciousnaturalresources.Let’sbeginourexplorationnow!
SouthwestFloridaWaterManagementDistrict
Exploration 1Wading Into Our Wetlands Whatexactlyisawetland?Thescientificandlegaldefinitionsofwetlandsdiffer.In1984,whentheFloridaLegislaturepassedaWetlandsProtectionAct,theydecidedtouseaplantlistcontainingplantsusuallyfoundinwetlands.WeareveryfortunatetohavealotofwetlandsinFlorida.Infact,FloridahasthethirdlargestwetlandacreageintheUnitedStates. Thetermwetlandsincludesawidevarietyofaquatichabitats.Wetlandecosystemsincludeswamps,marshes,wetmeadows,bogsandfens.Essentially,wetlandsaretransitionalareasbetweendryuplandsandaquaticsystemssuchaslakes,riversoroceans.Tobeconsideredawetland,aregionmusthavewetsoilsorbecoveredbyashallowlayerofwaterforatleastpartoftheyear.Somewetlandsarealwayscoveredwithwaterandothersarefloodedonlyforashorttime.Trytothinkofatleastonewetlandareathatislocatednearyourhome. Wetlandsarenaturalreservoirsthatholdwaterandattractawidevarietyofplantsandanimalsespeciallysuitedforwetenvironments.Theyarecharacterizedbywaterandsoilthatissaturated,or“hydric.”
Types of Wetlands Thetwomaintypesofwetlandsaresaltwater wetlandsandfreshwater wetlands.Saltwaterandfreshwaterwetlandsmaybefurtherdividedintomorespecificcategories.Forexample,aswampcontainstreesandshrubs,whileamarshisfilledwithgrassesandsoft-stemmedplants.Thekindsoftrees,plantsandanimalsthatexistinwetlandareasmayalsovary.Explorations2and3describeseveraltypesofwetlandsinsouthwestFlorida.
Exploring Wetlands DidyouknowthatthereisawonderfulplacetoexperiencenaturalFloridaandseveraltypesofwetlandsinwest-centralFlorida?ItiscalledtheGreenSwamp. TheGreenSwampspreadsacrossapproximately870squaremilesandincludespartsofPasco,Polk,Lake,HernandoandSumtercounties.It’samazingthatfourmajorrivershaveoriginsintheGreenSwamp.TheHillsborough,Peace,WithlacoocheeandOcklawahariversallbeginhere.
OnavisittotheGreenSwamp,youcanexploreseveralkindsofwetlands.Youwillidentifyspecialplants,shrubsandtreesthatgrowinthedifferentareas.Insectionswherewatercoversthegroundformostoftheyear,onlyafewspeciesoftreescansurvive.Oneexampleiscypresstrees.Thesespectaculartreesareeasilyfoundincypresswetlands.Bylookingverycloselyatthesoilinawetlandarea,youwillfindthatitisdifferentfromsoilsinothersurfacelandareas.Thesoilinwetlandsismadeupofpeatormuckdepositsthathavebuiltupfromthesurroundingwetenvironment.
Duringyourvisit,don’tforgettoobservetheabundanceofwildlifethatliveandbreedhere.TakeavirtualtourthroughtheGreenSwampatWaterMatters.org/greenswamp/.
Foradditionalinformationaboutothernaturalsitesinwest-centralFlorida,ordirectionstotheGreenSwampWildernessPreserve,visitWaterMatters.org/Recreation/.
Wetlands Wit1.Howmanymajorriversbegin intheGreenSwamp? Canyounameallofthem?2.Describethreefeatures ofawetland.
Writing AboutWetlands1.Makealistofseveralwords thatdescribeawetland.Use thesewordstowritea paragraphthatcouldbeused todescribeawetlandto someonewhohasneverseen awetlandarea.2.Explainwhyyouthink wetlandsareimportanttous inFlorida.Trytoincludeat leastthreereasonsinyour answer.
Exploration 2Searching Our Saltwater Wetlands Asyoulearnedearlier,wetlandscanbedividedintotwomaincategories:saltwaterwetlandsandfreshwaterwetlands.Duringthisexploration,youwilllearnaboutsaltwaterwetlandsfoundalongtheedgesofestuariessuchasTampaBay,CharlotteHarborandSarasotaBay.EstuariesareareaswherefreshwaterfrominlandsourcesmixeswithsaltwaterfromtheGulfofMexicoortheocean.Thesewetlandsareknownassaltwaterwetlandsbecausetheycontainsaltwater.Thetwokindsofsaltwaterwetlandsthatwearegoingtoexaminemorecloselyaresaltmarshesandmangroveswamps.Let’sfindoutmoreaboutthemnow.
Salt Marsh SaltmarshesarenonforestedsaltwaterwetlandsthatforminareasoflowelevationalongFlorida’sgulfcoastwheretheoceanmeetstheland.
Animals Saltmarshesareamongtheworld’smostproductivehabitatsforfishandwildlife.Theyarenurseriesforfish,shellfish,crabsandshrimp.Thefreshwatermixeswithsaltwatermakinganenvironmentfortheseyounganimals.DidyouknowthatmostofFlorida’scommercialseafoodharvestismadeupoffishandshellfishthatdependonthesecoastalwetlands?Saltmarshesalsoprovidehabitatforbirds,smallmammalsandturtles.
Plants Onavisittoasaltmarsh,youwillmostlikelyseemanyplantssuchastheblackneedlerush.Itisagray,grassyplantthatgrowswellinhigh,
marshyareas.Youwillalsoseecordgrass,themost
commonspeciesofplantfoundinacoastalmarsh,growingtwotosixfeettall.Itsintricaterootsystemhelpskeepthesoil
anchoredasthetidesmoveinandout.
Mangrove Swamps OnatripalongoneofFlorida’smanybays,youareboundtocomeacrossaforestofmangroves,oramangroveswamp.Mangrovesareuniquebecauseoftheirabilitytogrowwellinsaltyenvironments.Somemangrovesactuallyseparatefreshwaterfromseawater.Somemangrovesgiveoffexcesssaltthroughtheirleaves,whileothersareabletoblockouttheintakeofsaltattheirroots.
Types of Mangroves Therearethreekindsofmangrovesthatmakeuptheapproximately500,000acresofmangroveforeststhatexistwithinourstate.• Theredmangroveisthemost commonandfoundnearwater.They oftenlookliketheyarestandingor walkingbecausetheirrootsstickout wellabovethesurface.Thisfeature hasearnedthemthetitleof“walking trees.”•Theblackmangroveiseasily identifiedbynumerousfingerlike rootsthatwraparoundthebaseof thetreetrunk.•Thewhitemangrove’srootsarebelow thewater’ssurface.
Role of Mangroves Mangrovesplayanimportantroleinsaltwaterforestedwetlands.Theirrootsandbranchesprovidehomesformanywaterfowl,suchasbrownpelicansandroseatespoonbills.Theyalsoserveasnurseriesforavarietyoffish,crustaceansandshellfish,which,inturn,supplyfoodtomanymarinespecies,includingsnook,snapper,tarpon,jackandsheepshead.
Writing AboutWetlands1.Describehowmangrovesare abletosurviveinasalty environment.2.Listseveralreasonswhy mangrovesareimportantfor keepingsaltwaterforested wetlandshealthy.
Wetlands Wit1.Nameseveralyounganimals thatmaybefoundinthe nurseryenvironmentofan estuary.2.Whichkindofmangroveis knownasthewalkingtree? Why?
Exploration 3Finding Out AboutOur Freshwater Wetlands Freshwaterwetlandscontainfreshwater.Thefreshwater,forestedwetlandswewillexploreincludecypressswamps,hardwoodswampsandhydrichammocks.Inaddition,wewilllookatfreshwatermarshesandwetprairies,whichareexamplesofnonforestedfreshwaterwetlands.Let’sbeginourexplorationofthesefreshwaterwetlandsnow. Cypress Swamps
Cypressswampsareusuallyfloodedforfivetoeightmonthseachyearandareknownfortheirmysteriousappearance.You’llseebaldandpondcypresstreeswithmossdrapesandgnarledrootsalongwithcypresskneesandtreestumps.Othertreesincludetheblackgumandredmaple.Epiphytes,suchasspanishmossandotherairplants,canbefoundhere.TheAmericanalligatormakesthiswetlanditshome,alongwithraccoons,riverotters,frogs,Floridasnappingturtles,snakesandfish.
Hardwood Swamps Hardwoodswampsareforestedwetlandsfilledwithhardwoodtrees.Standingnearorintheglassytea-coloredwatersareblackgum,redmaple,waterash,laureloak,waterelm,cypressandwillowtrees.Theseswampsoftenborderrivers,streamsandlakes.Itisaplacewhereyoucanobservewoodducksonthewaterandgraysquirrelsinthetrees.Hardwoodswampsaresubmergedorsaturatedpartoftheyearduetoseasonalperiodsofflooding.
Hydric Hammocks Hydrichammocksarelocatedbetweenriverswampsandattheedgeofflatwoods.Theseforestedwetlandsarefilledwithamixtureofbroad-leafevergreensanddeciduoustreesthatshedtheirleaveseveryyear.Theareaisfilledwithcabbagepalms,laureloaksandclimbingvines.Inadditiontoblueviolets,longspurandgreenflyorchids,manyotherbeautifulflowersgrowwildhere.Animalssuchasthegrayfox,stripedskunkandbobcatmaybeseenroamingthearea.Althoughtheseareasareseldomflooded,thesoilsaresaturatedmostoftheyear.
Freshwater Marshes Afreshwatermarshisawetlandareathatresemblesapond,exceptthatitiscoveredwithwaterplantsandotherkindsofvegetation.Althoughyouwon’tseeanytreeshere,youwillfindmanywoodyplants,grasses,sedges,rushesandothersoft-stemmedplants.Themarshprovidesfood,protectionandbreedingsitesformanyanimals,includingalligators,turtles,variouswaterbirds,ottersandraccoons.
Wet Prairies Wetprairiesarelargefieldsofgrasses,sedges,rushesandwildflowers.Theyarealsoknownaswetmeadows.Theseareasarefloodedforshortperiodsoftimeandusuallystaysaturatedtherestoftheyear.Gartersnakes,frogs,ducks,rabbitsanddeerarejustafewoftheanimalsyoumightseeonavisittothisarea.
Wetlands Wit1.Whichswampisoftenfound alongrivers,streamsand lakes?2.Whichwetlandlooks likeapond?
Writing About Wetlands1.Cypressswampsareoften
describedasmysteriousorscary.Imaginethatyouareexploringacypressswamp.Writeaparagraphthatdescribesyourthoughtsandfeelingsaboutbeingthere.
2.Comparethefeaturesofawetprairieandacypressswamp.Makealistofthethingsyouwouldincludeinapictureofeachwetland.
Exploration 4Discovering What Wetlands Do Untilrecently,mostpeoplethoughtofwetlandsasdirty,smelly,unpleasantplacesfilledwithmosquitoes,pestsandscarycreatures.Wetlandsusedtobecalledwastelandsandweredrainedsothelandcouldbeusedforhomes,businessesandfarming.Nowwerealizethattheyplayaveryimportantroleinhelpingtokeepourenvironmentcleanandhealthy.Fortunatelyforus,lawshavebeenenactedtosaveandprotectourvaluablewetlands. Studythefollowinglisttodiscoverwhatwetlandsdoforusinwest-centralFlorida.Whenyouhavefinished,trytothinkofadditionalwayswetlandsareimportanttousandhelpourenvironment.
Wetlands help improve our water quality.
Wetlandsarenaturalcleaningsystems.Theyhaveoftenbeencalled“nature’skidneys”becausetheyhelpcleanoutthepollutantsthatmovethroughthem.Theypurifyandfiltercontaminantsfromagriculturalactivitiesandfromwaterthatdrainsorflowsoffthesurfaceoftheland.Theplantsinawetlandhelpcleanwaterbytrappingsolidsandabsorbingthemintheirroots.Bacteriaandothermicroorganismsimprovethequalityofwaterbyeatinganddigestingorganicwastes.
Wetlands help protect us from floods.
Wetlandsactasgiantsponges.Theycanabsorbheavyrainfall
andreleasethewaterveryslowlysothatbusinessesand
housingdevelopmentslocatednearbywon’tbeflooded.Wetlandslocatedalongthecoastserveasnaturalbarriers
thatcanreducedamagefromstormsurges.
Wetlands help store water.
Wetlandsareimportantstorageareasthatcollectrainwater.Someofthewatersoaksintothegroundtorefilltheaquifer.Someisgraduallyreleasedeitherbacktotheatmosphereortoothersurfacebodiesofwater.Wetlands help support a variety of fish, waterfowl and other wildlife.
Wetlandsarehabitatformanyanimalsandbirdsthatcannotnest,breedorliveanywhereelse.Didyouknowthat22speciesofwadingbirdsdependonFlorida’swetlands?Nearlytwo-thirdsofourmarinefishandshellfishrelyonsaltwaterwetlandsfortheirsurvival.Otheranimalsthatcanbeobservedinwetlandsinclude:white-taileddeer,bobcats,grayfoxes,blackbears,panthersraccoons,skunks,riverottersandotherlargemammals.
Wetlands help serve as nursery areas.
Wetlandsarenurseryareasthatprovidefoodandshelterforawidevarietyoffish,birds,reptilesandmammals.Nutrientsdepositedinwetlandsarethebuildingblocksoffoodchainsthatarepartofthecomplexnetworkoffeedingrelationshipsinanenvironment.
Wetlands help stabilize our coastal shorelines.
Wetlandslocatedalongthecoastprovideabarrierandbufferzonebetweensaltwaterandfreshwater.Thesevegetation-filledbrackishwaterareashelppreventcoastalerosionbytrappingandstabilizingsedimentsthroughtheirroots.
Wetlands help provide recreational activities.
Manyrecreationalactivitiestakeplaceinandaroundwetlands.Peopleusewetlandsforoutdoorexperiencessuchashiking,fishing,boating,birdwatchingandphotography.
Wetlands provide habitat for threatened and endangered species.
Wetlandsprovidehabitatcrucialtothesurvivalofnearlyone-thirdoftheplantandanimalspeciesincludedonafederallistofendangeredspecies.EndangeredspeciesthatdependonFlorida’swetlandstosurviveincludethewoodstork,limpkins,sandhillcrane,ospreyandlittleblueheron.
Wetlands Wit1.Whyarewetlandsoften callednature’skidneys?2.Nametwoendangered speciesthatdepend onwetlandsfortheir survival.
Writing About Wetlands1.Selecttwowaysthat wetlandshelpour environmentandexplain whytheyareimportant.2.Createalistoffivetrueor falsestatementsaboutwhat wetlandsdo,thengivethe quiztoaclassmate.
Manyfunctionsofwetlandscanbeexploredthroughtheuseofmetaphors.Ametaphorisafigureofspeechinwhichawordorphrasemeaningonekindofobjectorideaisusedinplaceofanothertocreateacomparisonbetweenthem.Inotherwords,ametaphorrepresentsaconceptorideathroughanotherconceptoridea.Saying“Paul’sbrainisapowerfulcomputer”isusingametaphor.Paul’sbrainisn’treallyacomputer,butitisbeingcomparedtoacomputertomakethepointthatheisverysmart.Otherexamplesinclude“Booksarewindowsofthought”or“Thelioniskingofthejungle.”Directions:Examinethefollowingpictures.Howcouldeachbeametaphorforawetland?Writeyouranswersinthespacesprovided.Example
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Wetlands provide nursery areas that shelter,
protect and feed young wildlife.
SPONGE
FILTER
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PRODUCTIVE GARDEN
BARRIER
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WATER TOWER
PLAYGROUND
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Exploration 5Becoming Protectors of Our Wetlands Morethan50percentofvaluablewetlandswerelostintheUnitedStatesbetweenthe1780sandmid-1980s.AspeoplemovedintoFlorida,wetlandsweredrainedandfilledwithdirt.Theseareasweredevelopedforhomes,businesses,agriculture,miningandotheruses.Theamountandqualityoffreshwaterbegantodecreaseasdidthewildlife.Approximately100millionacresofwetlandsremainofthe215millionthatonceexisted. Fortunately,peoplebegantochangetheirattitudesaboutthevalueofwetlands.Floridahasbecomealeaderinreducingthelossofwetlands,andthestateLegislaturehasdecidedtoprotectourpreciouswetlandsthroughacquiringlandorregulatingitsuse.Today,manywetlandsareenjoyedbymillionsofpeopleaspartofthelocal,stateandfederalparksystems.
Protecting Our Wetlands Ourfederalandstategovernmentshavetakenstepstopreservewetlandsthroughprotectionprograms.Inaddition,theSouthwest
FloridaWaterManagementDistrictworkshard
toprotectourwetlands.Lawsareenforcedtorestrictdredgingandfillingofwetlands,limitusesofwetlands
andminimizeimpactscausedbygrowthanddevelopment.Theprotectionandpurchaseofwetlandswillhelptosavethemforfuturegenerations. Butthereisstillalotofworktodo.Importantresearchisconductedeachyeartolearnmoreaboutwetlandsandhowtoimproveourwaysofprotecting,restoringandmanagingthem.Everyonemustworktogethertoprotectourwetlands.Thatincludesgovernment,builders,farmers,environmentalgroups,scientistsandYOU!
MajorWetland Areas
Florida Wetlands
2013 – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Here are several ways that you can help protect our wetlands:
Writing About Wetlands1. Whydoyouthinkpeople changedtheirattitudes aboutthevalueofwetlands? Givethreereasonsto supportyouranswer.2. Ninewaysweregivento helpprotectourwetlands. Developtwoadditionalways toaddtothelistandexplain whyyouthinktheyare important.
• Beginanenvironmentalclub atyourschool.
• Learnmoreaboutwetlandsand naturalsystems.• Visityourlocalwetlandparks andexperiencethereal Florida.
• Encourageotherstohelp protectourvaluablewetlands.
• Joininonacoastalcleanupor otherprojecttoimprovethe bayandcoastline.• Helpprotectendangered speciesfoundinourestuaries andwetlandareas.
• Obeyhunting,fishingand wildlifelawswhenvisiting wetlandareas.
• Reduce,reuseandrecycle becausetrashisunhealthy andenvironmentally damagingtoallwetland areas.
• Becomeanactivevolunteer tohelpimproveyourlocal estuariesandwetlands.
Wetlands Wit1.Whenweremostofthe wetlandslostinFlorida?2.Today,howmanyacres ofwetlandsareinthe UnitedStates?
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Across1. Wading_____canoftenbefoundinawetland.
5. A_____isagroupofplantsorcreatureswithsimilarfeatures.
6. Awetlandthatisoftenpartiallycoveredbywaterandfilledwith treesiscalleda_____.
9. Abirdthatswimsorwadesinwateriscalleda_____.
12. Awetlandthatisusuallycharacterizedbygrassesand similarplantsiscalleda_____.
Down2. Anareathatisslightlywetormoistis_____.
3. Areasthatliebetweenuplandregionsandaquaticsystemsthatfloodfor certainperiodsoftimeduringtheyeararecalled_____.
4. Somethingthatiscoveredorsaturatedwithwateris_____.
7. _____areanimalsandbirdsthatliveinthewild.
8. A_____isatropicaltreethatgrowsalongfloodedcoastalbanks.
10.An_____isacoastalareawherefreshwatermixeswithsaltwater.
11. Manykindsoffreshwater____maybefoundinahealthy,freshwaterwetland.
Complete the crossword puzzle using the information in this publication, including the vocabulary on page 20.
Wetlands Activities
DW H O A M I ?
I’m a/an ___________ and I’m filled with grasses and soft-stemmed plants.
I’m a wetland with trees and shrubs, I’m a/an .
Fresh water from inland sources and salt water come together to form me. I am a/an .
I am among the world’s most productive habitats for fish and wildlife.I am a/an .
I’m unique because of my ability to grow well in salty environments.I am a/an .
Frogs, river otters, raccoons, snakes, fish and even the American alligator call me home. I am a/an .
I’m a forested wetland and filled with trees such as laurel oak, red maple, water elm and black gum. I am a/an .
Some of the plants that call me home are broad-leaf evergreens, cabbage palms, blue violets and other beautiful flowers.I am a/an .
I resemble a pond but am covered with water plants and vegetation such as grasses, sedges and soft-stemmed plants. I am a/an .
I’m a large field also known as a wet meadow. I am a/an .
During this activity, you will learn about different types of saltwater wetlands and freshwater wetlands.
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Southwest Florida Water Management District
WaterMatters.org/Education
Give Water a Hand
uwex.edu/erc/gwah
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wetlands
water.epa.gov/type/wetlands
USGS National Wetlands Research Center
nwrc.usgs.gov
WebsitesBelowisalistofinterestingwebsitesthatgiveinformation,presenteducationalactivitiesandprovidelinkstootherwebsites.
Wetlands Vocabularyaquatic:growingorlivinginwater
deciduous:fallingoffseasonally(asleaves)
ecosystem:acommunityoforganismsandtheirenvironment
epiphyte:aplantthatgetsitsmoistureandnutrientsfromtheairandrainandusuallygrowsonanotherplant
estuary:coastalareawherefreshwaterriversandstreamsflowintoandmixwithsaltwater
freshwater wetland:awetlandthatcontainsfreshwaterandislocatedinland
habitat:naturalhomeforanimalsandplants
hydric:requiringanabundanceofmoisture
mangrove:tropicaltreethatgrowsalongfloodedcoastalbanks
marsh:awetlandusuallycharacterizedbygrassesandsimilarplants
reservoir:anareawheresurfacewateriscollectedandstored.Reservoirscanbenaturalorconstructed.
saltwater wetland:awetlandthatcontainssaltwaterandislocatedalongthecoast
species:agroupofplantsorcreatureswithsimilarfeatures
swamp:awetlandoftenpartiallycoveredbywaterandcharacterizedbytrees
waterfowl:abirdthatswimsorwadesinthewater
wetland:anareathatliesbetweenuplandregionsandaquaticsystemsthatiswetpartoralloftheyear
wildlife:animalsandbirdsthatliveinthewild
Exploring Our Wonderful Wetlandsincludesastudentpublication,ateacher’sguideandasetoffull-coloractivitycards.
Toordermorecopiesofthissetorotherfreewaterresourceseducationmaterials,visitourwebsiteatWaterMatters.org/publicationsorcall1-800-423-1476(FLonly),ext.4757.
VisitourwebsiteatWaterMatters.org
COMkh 2-2013
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) does not discriminate on the basis of disability. This nondiscrimination policy involves every aspect of the District’s functions, including access to and participation in the District’s programs and activities. Anyone requiring reasonable accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the District’s Human Resources Bureau Chief, 2379 Broad St., Brooksville, FL 34604-6899; telephone (352) 796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (FL only), ext. 4702; TDD 1-800-231-6103 (FL only); or email [email protected].