This exchange between terrestrial and aquatic habitats provides important nutrients for both systems. Wetland areas provide habitat for many wildlife species. Wetlands also provide critical habitat components for species generally considered strictly terrestrial. A typical direct upland and wetland linkage occurs when a species resides and feeds in one of these two habitats and breeds in the other. Together, amphibians and fresh water turtles often make up the majority of the biomass of the larger vertebrates in their respective habitats, and therefore can have a great effect on community structure and function.
Turtles carry seeds and parasites between habitats.
Amphibians often are top predators in aquatic systems and the most important prey in some terrestrial systems. The disruption or elimination of one habitat destroys the linkages that provide essential elements for species survival and could have drastic effects. The preservation of the linkages between uplands and wetlands is essential for protecting the structure and function of wetland systems. One solution for preserving these linkages is the creation of buffer zones to separate developed upland areas from wetland systems. But the buffer zone's size must be determined scientifically.