Wetlands are more than a transition area between uplands and water.
They are a critical part of an ecological mosaic and perform important functions. Wetlands in the landscape represent a very dynamic ecosystem of physical and biological components driven for the most part by the hydrology within the area. Plants that grow in wetlands have adaptations which enable them to survive, even thrive, under wet conditions. Soils characteristic of wetlands are somewhat poorly, and very poorly drained wet mineral and organic soils, such as fine grained clays and muck soils. Wetland soils can include mineral soils such as sands in limited situations.