They are habitat for hundreds of kinds of birds and fish. Wetland provide feeding, spawning, and nursery grounds for the saltwater fin - and shellfish and for most of freshwater gamefish as well. They are habitats of resident bird species, more than half of migrating birds. Wetlands absorb and filter pollutants that would otherwise degrade lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers. People need protection from too much water in the wrong places at the wrong times.
Wetlands stabilize shorelines and riverbanks.
They are the glue that hold the lands together. A BOG bouquet on a block of sphagnum moss gathers plants adapted to this deceptively hostile environment. Water abounds, but anaerobic conditions limit bacteria and fungi from breaking down nutrients in the peat. The thick leaves of leatherleaf and bog rosemary help conserve nutrients from photosynthesis. Acid-loving fungi in the roots of the arethusa release peat nutrients to the orchid.