Wetlands

·         Across Canada 

·         Filled by waters from surrounding streams, rivers, lakes and melted snow

·         Standing or gently moving water

·         Typically remain flooded for most of growing season but may dry up in last stretch of summer 

·         Variable, seasonal flooding

 ·         Key reservoir areas in spring and summer take in water to help prevent flooding in spring and release it in summer should the water table drop, preventing drought

·         Soil’s subsurface always waterlogged 

·         Nutrient-rich environment that supports dense plant life, in turn attracting a variety of animal species

·         pH greater than five 

·         Characterized by the presence of woody vegetation

·         In northern swamps, white spruce, black spruce and sometimes cedar

·         Farther south, red maple, ash and some birch species

·         Even farther south, silver maple, blueberries, ferns and skunk cabbage

·         Swampy thickets composed of shrubs such as willow, alder, buttonbush and red osier dogwood 

·         Provide habitat and resources for salamanders, frogs, ducks, hawks, owls, coyotes, snowshoe hares and black bears

·         Important overwintering areas for deer, which often choose areas thick with coniferous trees where they browse for winter food 

·         Across Canada 

·         Water comes from underground springs, rainfall, run-off and melted snow

·         Periodically flooded area with a lot of open water

·         Filters out silt, helping to keep and lakes and waterways clean

·         Sometimes dries up entirely but can re-establish itself with seeds left behind from the previous season when moisture returns

·         Freshwater marshes found inland

 ·         Saltwater marshes found by coastal areas

 ·         Slow-moving or standing water 

·         Can be knee height or up to two metres deep 

·         Nutrient rich, with abundant vegetation; supports a lot of creatures

·         Considered one of the most productive ecosystems, important for species diversity

·         Neutral pH or somewhat alkaline 

·         Characterized by emergent aquatic vegetation like rushes, sedges and grasses

·         Contains plants like cattails, pickerel weed, arrowheads, pond lilies and coontails

·         Specialized plants in saltwater marshes can withstand salty conditions; some deal with temperature fluctuations as the tide moves in and out twice daily 

·         Important areas for muskrats, minks, beavers, otters, turtles, frogs, waterfowl and other birds like kingfishers and osprey

·         Muskrats form series of channels that help create habitat for ducks, bitterns and other marsh animals

·         Shallow, warm waters used as spawning grounds for muskellunge, largemouth bass, minnow species and sunfish—important for freshwater fisheries

·         Migrating waterfowl like blue-winged teal and ring-necked ducks use marshes for gathering and feeding in autumn  

·         Mostly found in Arctic and Subarctic regions, though older wetlands, which are more vulnerable to disturbances and change, are also found in areas farther south.  

·         Bog water comes from rainfall and snow

·         Little to no drainage, meaning water is stagnant 

·         High water table

·         Bog surface usually somewhat raised compared to the surrounding area, so peat soil (a layer greater than 40 centimetres) remains above the water table 

·         Stagnant and acidic water due to decaying mosses

 ·         Low in oxygen

·         Nutrient-poor environment with low productivity translates into a dip in animal diversity

·         Home to some unusual plants

·         pH less than five 

·         Known for sphagnum mosses

 ·         Peat mainly formed from dead remains of mosses, which builds up layers over time

·         If you walk on a bog and your step has bounce, you are walking on a quaking bog. Be extra careful—what may feel and appear to be a solid floating sphagnum mat may not fully support your weight.

·         Only habitat for unique wildflower species like sundews and pitcher plants, which are adapted to a nutrient-poor, acidic environment; these plants are carnivorous and obtain some nutrition from trapped insects

·         Tamarack and spruce sometimes found in or around bogs but are very slow growing

·         Other bog plants include shrub willows, cotton grass, Labrador tea, bog cranberry and mosses 

·         Habitat for weasels, foxes, fishers, lynx, red squirrels and other small mammals, as well as hawks, owls and many song birds

·         Moose sometimes feed along edges  

·         Found mainly in the North, though also found farther south 

·         Water moves in from surrounding areas

·         Some water movement; not completely stagnant

·         Water is slow moving and may dry out in summer

·         Internal drainage by water seeping out 

·         High water table

·         Water table hovers around peat’s surface or just above it

·         Peat is usually 40 centimetres thick or less 

·         Not very productive wetlands, but do receive nutrients from streams, run-off and groundwater, making them more nutrient rich than bogs

·         Can range from a productive area with lots of nutrients, plants and wildlife to a less productive area that is nutrient poor and has low species diversity

·         pH is greater than five and is either somewhat acidic or somewhat basic  

·         Type of peat land, but unlike bogs, fens lack abundant sphagnum moss

·         Marsh-like vegetation

·         Sedges are dominant; mosses, grasses and reeds also found

·         Many rare wildflowers like orchids

·         If trees are present, they are usually tamarack, cedar, spruce or dwarf birches 

·         Hawks, nesting waterfowl and other birds, amphibians, small mammals like voles and jumping mice and large mammals like mule deer and caribou 

·         Receives water from run-off, precipitation, groundwater and other water bodies

·         Standing or gently moving waters

·         Transitional area between lakes and marsh areas

·         Unchanging temperature from top to bottom, unlike lakes which are stratified

 ·         Open water, mostly free of vegetation

·         Less than two metres in depth

·         Variable; can be quite productive in nutrient-rich areas

·         Some aquatic plants toward the edges

·         Lack of emergent aquatic plants

·         Some milfoils, sedges, water lilies, water hyacinth and duck weed

·         Supports crustaceans, fish, amphibians, waterfowl and reptiles

·         Moose and beaver may use peripheral areas