Despite the wetland's size, the water is usually shallow. Some wetlands stay wet all year, while others dry out for months at a time. There are many different kinds of wetlands throughout North America. Marshes, swamps, bogs, and mangroves are some of the wetlands you can find. Each wetland type provides food, shelter, and water for plants and animals that need a watery home.
People have a history of destroying wetlands.
As a result, over half of our nation's wetlands have been lost. Today wetlands receive some protection becaused it has been recognized that they provide many benefits. Development - Some people drain and fill in wetlands so they can build on the land. As cities and towns are expanded and more industries are constructed, the pressure to drain wetlands will increase. Pollution - Wetlands can clean up water by filtering out some kinds of pollutants found in water.